,•306 DEVASTATIO:SS AND RESTORATIONS. 



awaking shorter tours, and find, if necessary, a sheltered resting-place in the 

 little nursery adjoining the road, where they are hospitably -welcomed. 



" IV. Having thus enumerated all the works accomplished up to this time 

 in the p6rimfetre of Bareges, it only remains to be stated how the works were 

 received at first, what opposition was made to them, what complete change 

 his since been produced in the spirit of the people, and what have been the 

 causes of this change. 



" At first the works encountered in the Administrative inquests and in 

 the Municipal Councils an absolute and determined opposition, which 

 showed itself first in silent or avowed combinations, then by daily acts of 

 malevolence, and, in fine, in a hostile demonstration made at Viella, quite 

 near to Bareges, in the form of an assemblage who stopped by main force 

 the works begun shortly before. 



" In consequence of these doings the authorities issued the revocation of 

 a mayor who had been connected with them. 



" Subsequently, evil-disposed men, who kept unknown, destroyed alto- 

 gether the nursery at Bar6ges, burned the barracks which had just been 

 erected there, and smashed with stones the door of the house inhabited by 

 the forest brigadier. 



" In fine, on the night of the 10th March 1867, fire was set to the sow- 

 ings of oak on LaogTand at fourteen dififerent points at once. 



"On this last proceeding the judicial authorities took action. The chief 

 of the Court of Lourdes hastened promptly to the spots, with the forest 

 agents, and caused to be arrested some inhabitants against whom there was 

 grave presumptive evidence. 



"In default of positive proofs, the prosecutions bad to be abandoned; 

 but the firmness displayed by the imperial prosecutor had sufficed to 

 inspire the inhabitants with respect for the law and the works. Besides, 

 it must be acknowledged, these acts of vandalism had raised in the country 

 a feeding of disapprobation of such a nature as to bring the malevolent to 

 reflection. Meanwhile, the employment at Bareges of an auxiliary brigade 

 had the effect of keeping them in order ; and no second attempt of the 

 same kind has been made since. 



'■ But if in these circumstances it was necessary to give proof of energy, 

 and in like circumstances it may be proper to do likewise, it is proper that 

 rigour should only be used in cases of absolute necessity. 



" Thoroughly imbued with this idea, the agent charged with the direction 

 of the works has endeavoured to maintain, in his relations with the inhabi- 

 tants of the valley, the kindest consideration. All their objections and 

 complaints have been listened to with attention, and calmly discussed; and 

 none of them which could be met with compliance, without serious incon- 

 venience, have been withstood. The forest guards have been invitingly 

 counselled to avoid all irritating remark or proposal, and all irritating dis- 

 cussion. As the local brigadier, naturally active and moreover devoted in 

 the prosecution of the enterprise, could not, face to face with the population, 

 . give up an aggressive style of procedure, his removal to a distance has been 

 applied for and granted. 



" By degrees, pacification of the people has come about ; all physical 

 violence has ceased; there no longer occurs either open resistance or 

 threatenmgs, or more slight offences; the inhabitants look with satisfaction 

 on the works which are being prosecuted. The work of reboisement counts 

 now but a limited number of opponents in the country, and these, doubtless, 



