"DRUID STONES" OF BRITTANY 125 



instead of a true dolmen there is a narrow passage alone, an allee 

 couverte. Various subdivisions of these types are recognized, but they 

 may be ignored here. 



It was to see these megaliths that we took the all-day journey (really 

 only 148 miles) across Brittany. It was early morning when we left the 

 wonderful rock of St. Michel's Mount and the omelettes of the now 

 reconciled Poulards, with whose quarrels all travelers are familiar. 

 Half an, hour by tram took us to Pontorson. Why do places like Pon- 

 torson exist? Our two hours were one continual struggle with station 

 agent, hack drivers and porters, all of whom were insistent that we 

 should drive out to Mt. St. Michel. " One franc a person " but we 

 knew their ways ; half way there would be a demand for a pourboire 

 which would make the original fare look like twenty cents. Besides, we 

 had just come from the Mount, and why should we go back? At Dol 

 another wait, this time long enough to get an early lunch, before we 

 could get a cross-country train for Rennes. Up to that day Rennes had 

 been associated in our minds with the Dreyfus trial of a few years ago. 

 Two hours here were sufficient to assure us that Badeker did not 

 slander the town when he wrote that with its 75,000 inhabitants, " its 

 spacious modern streets are generally dull, lifeless and deserted." 

 Next a wait of an hour at Redon before taking the last train of the 

 day — -the 1ST antes-1' Orient express for Auray, which we reached just in 

 time for dinner at the most comfortable and hospitable Pavilion hotel. 



One may go in various ways from the railway to the monuments, 

 but there is a best way — by carriage. There is the route from Vannes, 

 taking a boat down through the sea of Morbihan to Locmariaquer. It 

 is a picturesque route through a land-locked arm of the sea, studded with 

 islands, like a miniature Casco Bay. But it is not to be depended upon, 

 as the sailing of the steamers varies with the tides. It is cheaper to 

 take the train from Auray to Carnac station on the little road to Quib- 

 eron, and then the little tram to Carnac village and to Erdeven. This 

 brings one within easy walking distance of the principal alignments; 

 but to reach the other monuments a carriage is convenient ; even neces- 

 sary, if one is to see the important menhirs, dolmens, etc., of Locmaria- 

 quer. Besides, the foot traveler will have to have a guide, otherwise he 

 will waste much time and probably will miss much that he ought to 

 see. Badeker's map is on too small a scale to be of much assistance. 



The total drive from Auray to all of the standing stones is about 

 thirty-five miles, but by cutting out some which apparently were repe- 

 titions of others, we made our round trip about twenty-five miles. The 

 country traversed is best described in the terms of physical geography 

 as a peneplain and the shore to the south as a drowned coast. It is 

 nearly level, with no hills rising markedly above the rest of the country. 



We saw the first of the monuments about six miles out of Auray and 



