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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



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A STATUS OF MIRElLLE, HEROINE OE MISTRALS FAMOUS 

 PROVENQAI. POEM 



Although a purely imaginary creature, the central figure of Mireio 

 has had so great an influence on Camargue life that the town of 

 Les Saintes Maries honors her with the same assumption of reality 

 that Paris does Abelard and Heloise and Beaucaire does Aucassin 

 and Nicolette. Around the statue is a railing in which the trident 

 of the herdsman (page 15) figures. 



shows a steadiness which is remarkable. 

 In horse-racing he reveals unsuspected 

 speed. But it is in the exciting game of 

 ecJiarpes that the Camargue pony revels. 

 Each of the two contending teams has 

 six or eight riders, each wearing on the 

 left arm three scarfs bearing the colors 

 of his camp. The object is to tear the 

 scarfs from one's opponent's arm before 

 he can snatch yours. In the excitement 

 of the match, the men center their atten- 

 tion on each other, and the ponies are de- 

 pended upon to wheel and run to the best 



advantage. ( )ften they 

 are reluctant to cease 

 their milling when the 

 game is won, but sel- 

 dom is the most spir- 

 ited pony known to 

 kick or bite in order 

 to gain advantage. 



'puss in THE corner" 



ON HORSEBACK 



lipcrvicr is a glori- 

 fied form of "Puss in 

 the corner," played on 

 horseback ; and here, 

 too, the ponies show 

 an uncanny intelligence 

 in dashing for the un- 

 occupied spot at the 

 blast of the bugle, and 

 on finding another 

 seeking the same base, 

 outrunning him, or 

 wheeling at full speed 

 to occupy another po- 

 sition. 



So spectacular are 

 these equestrian sports 

 that the ancient arenas 

 of Aries and Nimes 

 today resound to the 

 applause of the mod- 

 ern Provenqals as they 

 did eighteen centuries 

 ago to the cheers of 

 the provincials of 

 Rome. 



In these ancient am- 

 phitheaters, built by 

 imperial Rome to 

 spread content among 

 a conquered people, 

 Provencal games pro- 

 claim the fact that the 

 joining of Provence and northern France 

 was a union of equal with equal, rather 

 than the cultural domination of one peo- 

 ple by superiors. 



CAMARGUE CATTLE) ARE OF ASIATIC ORIGIN 



Just as the shaggy horse of Camargue 

 lacks the thoroughbred look, so the bulls 

 lack the four-square beefiness for which 

 a packer pays top prices. These cattle 

 are of Asiatic origin, trained for speed 

 rather than weight, and can outrun many 

 horses. When gathered in herds they 



