Front matter

Every attempt has been made to replicate the original book as printed. Some typographical errors have been corrected. No attempt has been made to correct or normalize the printed accentuation or spelling of French names or words. The images have been moved from the middle of a paragraph to the closest paragraph break. (etext transcriber’s note)

RAMBLES IN BRITTANY

WORKS OF FRANCIS MILTOUN

The following, each 1 vol., library 12mo, cloth, gilt top, profusely illustrated. Net, $2.00; postpaid, $2.16

Rambles in Normandy

Rambles in Brittany

The Cathedrals and Churches of the Rhine

The following, each 1 vol., library 12mo, cloth, gilt top, profusely illustrated. Postpaid, $2.50

The Cathedrals of Northern France

The Cathedrals of Southern France

L. C. PAGE & COMPANY New England Building, Boston, Mass.

Constable’s Tower, Vannes (See page 147)

Rambles in B R I T T A N Y

By Francis Miltoun With Many Illustrations By Blanche McManus

Boston L. C. PAGE & COMPANY 1906

Copyright, 1905 By L. C. Page & Company (INCORPORATED) —— All rights reserved Published October, 1905 COLONIAL PRESS Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. Boston, U. S. A.

APOLOGIA

NO promise given to the hostess of one’s inn is alleged as an excuse for writing this book, but it is true that rosy, busy Madame X of the Soleil d’Or, in the fishing village in which the work received its final collation and revision, watched its growth for many a week, daily declaring her hope of some day receiving a volume containing “your impressions.” And, indeed, her hope shall not be vain, for one of the first copies shall be most speedily despatched to her. Moreover, the author and artist hope that it may be acceptable to her critical mind, for she is not likely to be lenient, though she knows full well that to the many authors and artists who make a refuge of her modest inn for months she owes her livelihood.

The book is a record of many journeys and many rambles by road and rail around the coast, and in no sense is it put forth either as a special or as a complete survey of things and matters Breton.

Many lights and shadows have been thrown upon the screen from various points, but the effort has been made to blend them all into a pleasing whole, which shall supplement the guide-books of convention.

It were not possible to do more than has been attempted within the limits of a volume such as this, and therefore many details of routes, and historical data of a relative sort, and a certain amount of topographical information have been scattered through the volume or placed in the appendix, in the belief that such information is greatly needed in a work attempting to purvey “travel talk” even in small measure.

Some of this knowledge is so little subject to change that it may well stand for all time, and, in these days of well-nigh universal travel, may be not thought out of place in a volume intended both for the armchair traveller and also for him who journeys by road and rail. That only a very limited quantity of such information can be included is a misfortune, inasmuch as such a handbook is often used when no other aid is accessible to the traveller.

Finally, the illustrative material, the large number of drawings of sights and scenes, of great architectural monuments, and of the dress of the people, is offered less as a complete pictorial survey than as a panorama of impressions received on and off the beaten track,—and more satisfying and truthful than the mere snap-shots of hurried travel.

In addition, many maps, plans, and diagrams should give many of the itineraries a lucidity often lacking in the usual railway maps.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

Apologiav

PART I.

I. Introductory3

II. The Province and the People11

III. The Topography of the Province33

IV. Travel Routes in Brittany45

V. The Breton Tongue and Legend59

VI. Manners and Customs70

VII. The Fisheries88

PART II.

I. The Loire in Brittany99

II. Nantes To Vannes116

III. The Morbihan—Vannes and the “Golfe”140

IV. Auray and the Megalithic Monuments of Morbihan159

V. Morbihan—Lorient and Its Neighbourhood179

VI. Finistère—South187

VII. Finistère—North221

VIII. The Côtes du Nord249

IX. The Emerald Coast271

X. On the Road in Brittany—Mayenne, Fougères, Laval, and Vitré309

XI. Rennes and Beyond329

XII. Religious Festivals and Pardons341

Appendices359

Index: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, V.373

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Constable’s Tower, Vannes (See page 147) Frontispiece

The Loire at Nantesfacing 4

Device of Anne of Brittany17

Anne of Brittany18

Breton Post-card21

St. Brieucfacing 30

Croisicfacing 42

Map of Brittanyfacing 44

The Main Roads of Brittany48

Travel Routes in Brittany55

St. Pol de Léonfacing 60

The Breton Tongue62

Gilles de Laval66

Young Bretons78

From the Artist’s Sketch Book80

La Coiffe Polka81

Ironing Coifs83

Breton Types85

Douarnenezfacing 88

Pornic113

Donjon of Clissonfacing 114

St. Nazaire123

Ancient Fortifications of Guérande (Diagram)126

Châteaubriantfacing 128

Children of Redon133

Tour d’Elvenfacing 138

Market-woman, Vannes142

The Country near Vannes143

Ancient City Walls, Vannes (Diagram)147

Château of Suscinofacing 148

General Plan of Château of Suscino (Diagram)149

Ploërmelfacing 152

Shrine of St. Etienne, Josselin154

Château de Josselinfacing 156

Interior of Market-house, Aurayfacing 160

Shrine of St. Roch, Auray162

The Lines of Carnac168

The Lines of Carnacfacing 168

Map of Carnac and the Surrounding Country170

Quiberonfacing 172

Hennebontfacing 182

Quimperléfacing 188

Market-house, Faouëtfacing 192

Market-day193

Rosporden196

Stone Crucifix, Concarneaufacing 198

Concarneau199

Pont Avenfacing 202

Environs of Pont Aven (Map)204

From the Museum at Quimper207

Cape de la Chèvrefacing 214

Woman of Chateaulin217

Camaretfacing 220

Landerneaufacing 224

Calvary, Plougastelfacing 228

Lighthouse of Créac’h, Ouessantfacing 236

Roscoff239

Ma Douez244

Carved Wood Staircase, Morlaixfacing 246

Procession of Sailors, St. Jean du Doigt247

Old House, Tréguier253

House of Ernest Renan, Tréguier254

Shrine of St. Yves, Tréguier256

A Binou Player261

Binic267

Ramparts of St. Malofacing 272

House of Duguay-Trouin, St. Malo281

Tower of Solidor, St. Servanfacing 284

Plans of the Tower of Solidor285

The Valley of the Rance (Map)292

Duguesclin293

Rez-de-Chaussée of Donjon, Dinan (Diagram)295

Coif of Miniac307

Mayennefacing 310

Plan of the Ancient Walls and Towers Of Fougères314

Beucheresse Gate, Laval319

Plan of Vitré in 1811, Showing City Walls321

Château de Vitréfacing 322

Tower of St. Martin, Vitré323

Château de Rochers325

Arms of Madame de Sévigné327

Monastery of St. Mélaine, Rennes331

Huelgoatfacing 340

Pardon of St. Jean du Doigtfacing 352

The Provinces of France (Map)359

The Ancient Provinces of France (Map)361

Comparative Metric Scale (Diagram)364

Sketch Map of Circular Tour in Brittany366

Architectural Names of the Various Parts Of A Feudal Château (Diagram)367

Tide and Weather Signals in the Ports of Brittany (Diagram)368