﻿MONT 
  MEZENC 
  — 
  DESCENT 
  ON 
  THE 
  LOWER 
  VIVARAIS. 
  7 
  

  

  bable 
  that 
  this 
  district 
  has 
  been 
  but 
  imperfectly 
  explored 
  ; 
  the 
  whole 
  circumfer- 
  

   ence 
  of 
  the 
  Mezenc 
  presents 
  a 
  degree 
  of 
  sterility 
  and 
  desertion 
  almost 
  repulsive. 
  

   About 
  an 
  hour's 
  walk 
  from 
  the 
  Mezenc 
  is 
  La 
  Clede, 
  a 
  small 
  public-house 
  where 
  

   refreshment 
  may 
  be 
  had, 
  and 
  the 
  neighbouring 
  old 
  monastery 
  of 
  Bonnefoi, 
  which 
  

   belonged 
  to 
  the 
  Chartreux, 
  but 
  is 
  now 
  the 
  remote 
  habitation 
  of 
  a 
  private 
  gentle- 
  

   man, 
  would 
  afford 
  an 
  invaluable 
  centre 
  for 
  excursions 
  to 
  a 
  geologist 
  proposing 
  to 
  

   examine 
  the 
  neighbourhood. 
  Two 
  hours 
  after 
  leaving 
  the 
  Croix 
  de 
  Boutieres, 
  I 
  

   arrived 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  phonolitic 
  peak 
  of 
  the 
  Gerbier 
  des 
  Jones, 
  which 
  resembles 
  

   the 
  Pierre 
  de 
  Bar, 
  near 
  Le 
  Puy. 
  The 
  Gerbier 
  des 
  Jones 
  is 
  best 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  point 
  

   where 
  the 
  river 
  Loire 
  is 
  understood 
  to 
  take 
  its 
  rise, 
  and 
  where 
  it 
  at 
  once 
  commences 
  

   its 
  long 
  and 
  tortuous 
  course, 
  a 
  course 
  so 
  involved, 
  that 
  between 
  this 
  point 
  and 
  the 
  

   defile 
  of 
  Chamalieres, 
  by 
  which 
  it 
  issues 
  from 
  the 
  basin 
  of 
  Le 
  Puy, 
  it 
  traverses 
  a 
  

   length 
  of 
  250 
  kilometres, 
  or 
  170 
  English 
  miles, 
  whilst 
  the 
  direct 
  distance 
  is 
  not 
  

   above 
  one-fifth 
  part 
  so 
  great.* 
  The 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  the 
  Loire 
  is 
  4505 
  Eng- 
  

   lish 
  feet, 
  which 
  is 
  about 
  2900 
  above 
  the 
  defile 
  just 
  mentioned. 
  

  

  After 
  passing 
  the 
  villages 
  of 
  St 
  Eulalie 
  and 
  Usclades, 
  I 
  ascended 
  through 
  

   the 
  forest 
  of 
  Bauzon, 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  volcanic 
  cone 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  name,f 
  which 
  I 
  

   afterwards 
  examined 
  more 
  particularly. 
  A 
  moderate 
  descent 
  brought 
  me 
  to 
  the 
  

   head 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Fontaulier, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  singular 
  volcanic 
  crater 
  of 
  Pal, 
  

   which 
  forms 
  a 
  cup 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  granite 
  mountains, 
  never 
  having 
  raised 
  a 
  cone 
  

   of 
  ashes. 
  The 
  road 
  then 
  rises 
  slightly 
  to 
  the 
  col 
  or 
  passage 
  separating 
  the 
  sources 
  

   of 
  the 
  Fontaulier 
  from 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Pourseuille, 
  which 
  descends 
  to 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  

   Montpezat. 
  From 
  this 
  point 
  a 
  magnificent 
  view 
  opens. 
  A 
  steep 
  descent 
  of 
  2000 
  

   feet 
  leads 
  to 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  Montpezat, 
  surrounded 
  with 
  verdure, 
  and 
  placed 
  at 
  

   the 
  entrance 
  of 
  the 
  Bas 
  Vivarais, 
  a 
  perfect 
  contrast 
  to 
  the 
  cheerless 
  highlands 
  

   of 
  the 
  Velay. 
  It 
  was 
  almost 
  like 
  a 
  peep 
  from 
  the 
  Alps 
  into 
  the 
  warm 
  valleys 
  

   of 
  Italy, 
  or 
  like 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  pleasant 
  scenes 
  in 
  the 
  Pyrenees. 
  In 
  fine 
  contrast 
  

   with 
  the 
  deep 
  green 
  of 
  the 
  chestnut-clad 
  slopes, 
  rose 
  the 
  warm 
  reddish-brown 
  sum- 
  

   mit 
  of 
  the 
  Gravenne 
  of 
  Montpezat, 
  a 
  volcano 
  so 
  fresh 
  in 
  its 
  appearance 
  as 
  to 
  

   seem 
  as 
  if 
  scarcely 
  yet 
  extinct. 
  Immediately 
  on 
  the 
  left, 
  also, 
  appeared 
  vol- 
  

   canic 
  relics 
  still 
  fresh 
  and 
  cindery, 
  which 
  contrasted 
  with 
  the 
  sombre 
  hue 
  of 
  the 
  

   granite 
  rocks 
  on 
  which 
  they 
  were 
  spread. 
  From 
  Montpezat 
  almost 
  every 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  volcanic 
  district 
  of 
  the 
  Vivarais 
  can 
  be 
  conveniently 
  reached 
  ; 
  and, 
  in 
  point 
  

   of 
  accommodation, 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  much 
  choice 
  elsewhere, 
  and 
  probably 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   long 
  before 
  it 
  is 
  improved. 
  

  

  But 
  it 
  will 
  assist 
  the 
  clearness 
  of 
  my 
  descriptions 
  if 
  I 
  commence 
  my 
  account 
  

   of 
  the 
  volcanoes 
  and 
  the 
  surrounding 
  scenery, 
  not 
  from 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  district, 
  

   but 
  from 
  one 
  extremity 
  ; 
  and, 
  as 
  these 
  all 
  lie 
  on 
  or 
  near 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  

   streams 
  which 
  rise 
  amidst 
  the 
  heights 
  of 
  the 
  Cevennes, 
  and 
  which 
  unite 
  a 
  good 
  

  

  * 
  Burat, 
  p. 
  158. 
  

  

  \ 
  From 
  this 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  description, 
  the 
  map, 
  Plate 
  I., 
  may 
  be 
  consulted. 
  

  

  