BRITTANY. 207 



They make their own cider, distil their own spirits, and spin 

 and weave the cloth which forms their costume, which is the 

 same in every respect, from the trunk-hose and tight leggings 

 to the round hat and flowing or platted hair, that it was 

 three hundred years ago. They rarely indulge in animal 

 food, and, although generally landed proprietors, and with 

 good markets for their produce, bury their money in earthen 

 pots in secret places, rather than put it out to use or interest ; 

 at least, such was the case when I resided here ; and the 

 sous-prefet told me that, during the official residence of his 

 predecessor, when the old ecu of six francs was called in by 

 the Government to be replaced by the five franc piece, that 

 upwards of six millions of francs were brought in by the 

 peasantry in the immediate neighbourhood of Quimperle, 

 contained in old pots, that had evidently been long buried in 

 the earth, and covered with verdigris. Upon my attempt- 

 ing on one occasion to explain to a rich peasant, of whom I 

 had purchased firewood and cider, the nature of the Govern- 

 ment funds, and the advantages he would obtain by investing 

 his money in them, he absolutely laughed in my face, and 

 asked me if I thought him such a fool as to trust his money 

 out of his own hands. 



Wild-fowl near the coast and snipes in some localities are 

 tolerably abundant ; but at the period of my sejour in this 

 district the sporting specialise was decidedly the woodcock, 

 and, although difficult to find and flush, I have still, in con- 

 junction with my companion, sometimes bagged from ten to 

 twenty couple during a day's shooting. 



With regard to the larger sorts of game, roebuck, wild-boar, 

 and even wolves are found in the Government forests and 

 those of the large proprietor, but are only hunted by what is 

 called a grande chasse, or meeting of all the residents of the 

 surrounding country who choose to join in the sport, and 

 which is generally of rather a dangerous nature, not so much 



