Washington sentinel., 1898-09-03
An August Holiday in OLD
AmVPrRne

shape, lying between the grea
river-basins ofthe Seine, the Loire
the Garonne, and the Rhone, lis
area comprised $4,000 square
miles and its average altitude
(above sea level) exceeded 900
feet. Principally a rugged vol
canic country, inhabited by an
unYielding and conservative Celtic
people, this region, as Reclus aptly
SaYs,ior centuries formed a main
obstacle to commerce and to pop
ular progress. The great tides OF
French civilization flowed and
ebbed tor ages around the rocky
ramparts of unprogressiVe Au.
vergne, leaving its Inhabitants like
its hills and crateTs virtually
unchanged. This population
came apparently from two essen
TALLY diverse origins-a blond,
blue. eyed Celtic race having in.
Vaded, subdued and finally ANAL
gamated with previous people Of
browner skin and darker eyes.
When this Celtic irruption and
conquest occurred, or how pro-
longed and embittered the con-
hicts, none now know. This only
we know, that when the Romans
first knew Central Gaul, in the
second century before Christ, the
darker-skinned aborigines had be-
come an integral part and parcel
ut their Celtic conquerors; and
under their King Bituis the com
bined Auvernian races crossed the
Rhone River in the year Ia2 B C.
TO repel the Roman inroads into
Gaul. Bituis and his tribes were
defeated by what to them was an
innovation and an unknown
quality" in military science
namely, the use by the Romans OF
war-elephants brought over from
Asia.
Years later, the AuVernes again
crossed swords with the Romans;
their great chieitan Vercingetorix
uniting many Gallo tribes against
julius Caesars invasion OF Gaul.
Caesar led his forces into
Auvergne; and almost succeeded
in capturing the Auvernian capital
at Gergovia. while Vercingetorix
and his warriors reposed at noon.
tide. But arising hurriedly from
their slumbers, to the dismay and
astonish ment of the Roman I'm
perator, Vercingetorix and his men
hurled the Roman legions down
the hill-slopes of Gergovia. 1t is
said that they took Caesar sword
and for briei moment he'd even
the great Proconsul himself cap
tive. In his Commentaries mot
much admired tor their Spartan
succinctness in our school-boy |
days., Cesar tells US little OF this |
disaster to the Roman power. He |
mildly phrases it-"having accom-
plished his plan Caesar sounded a
retreat, for expecting a general up
rising of the Gauls he feared to be |
surrounded. There were no
special war r-coTrespondents" in |
those days with the Roman army,
except Caesar himself, who occa-
sionallY(as VeNt, 05dI, Vic5) set us all |
an admirable model of telegraphic
laconicism. But when we were
rambling around these interesting
old battle-felds we should appre-
ciate a less condensed diction.
We would like to be better in
formed about Vercingetorix and
GeTgovia. For Caesar held the
monopoly OF the Roman reports,
and the Celts and Gauls did not
deem it worth while to write any
thing. They left many traditions,
however, which their descendants
nowadays relate to us with elo-
quent embellishments and fluent
Vivacity. But Gaul in those days
contending against Rome resem
bled old Spain attempting, in our
days, to resist young America.
Valour is one ot the minor ele-
ments of victory. So Celtic
Auvergne had perforce to submit
to the Latin yoke, and eventually
became part of the Roman prov
Ince Gall9a c0maEa.
By the second marriage of the
mature Queen Eleanor oil Guienne
with our I-ore youthful Henry
Plantaganet (lair Rosamond's
loVer), Auvergne became tor a
time an English appanage. In
IaI3 Philip Augustus again at
taehed It to the French Crown. In
1860 the province was made part
of the Duchy of Berry; but in 1897
il became once more a royal do
main. AT the Revolution the
ancient political divisions of
France were changed; and since
1890 the old province of Auvergne,
like Normandy and Brittany, has
been a thing Of the past. A mem
ory more than a name. Today its
chief attractions for British visit
ors are its geological peculiarities
and its mineral waters. The most
valuable mineral springs of old
AuVergne are now within the
modern department of the Puy de
Dome. There are here ninetY-nine
Sources" authorized and in
spected by the French National
Government, and hundreds of
other springs that are private prop
erty. The principal "health re-
sorts" in this locality are at Mont
Dore, Rovat, La Bourboule and
Chatel Guyon.
The highest peak Of Auvergne,
and in fact OF all Central France,
the epic de Sancy" (about 6,I8s
feet altitude), overlooks Mont
H. The ,g,I1aoa ;tsalf ;s a., 100 |