lO A NATURALIST IN THE MAGD ALEX ISLANDS. 



that affords exccllLMit feeding for tlie cattle. The inhabitants 

 take advantage of tliis, and during the suininer months turn 

 their animals loose to shift for themselves. We often came 

 upon large dro^'es of sheej), accompanied by numbers of 

 diminutive horses, a peculiar breed, which seem to be indi- 

 genous to these islands. They are strong, hardy little fellows, 

 generally weighing from seven to eight hundred pounds. A 

 fair one may be purchased for twenty dollars, and the price 

 ranges from that to seventy-five. 



The inhabitants are nearly all of French descent, and still 

 speak that language, although a Parisian would probably 

 faint away if he listened to their conversation. I was very 

 much amused to hear such expressions as " Faire shake hand'' 

 or " La boat est venu " ; but although they have adopted 

 many English words, and have a number of peculiar idioms, 

 still, any one conversant with the French language would 

 readily understand them. 



The scenery in many parts of the island is very pretty. 

 The cliffs of soft red sandstone have been worn awav in manv 

 places by the action of the sea, forming a sort of catacomb 

 of caves, some of them extending to the depth of seventy 



