THE FEUX DE ST. JEAN.

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blazing heaps to the tune of innumerable reed pipes. The dancers are chiefly the girls of the district, for she who visits nine bonfires on the eve of St. John is sure of a husband within the year. The older people sit round; here and there seats are left for those departed; and the girls, while they dance, fling letters into the flame, which they firmly believe will carry their messages to the beloved dead. The

scene is one of the most striking that can be witnessed in this strange country.

In the onion plots about Port Aven the tall pale purple and grey balls of blossom and seed grow about seven feet high, so that the peasant girl who gathers the onion heads looks dwarfed as she walks between the rows.

We drove at a furious pace from Pont Aven to Rosporden. This looks a quaint town, with an old fourteenth

century church, which seems to be built in the midst of a piece of water through which the river Aven passes on its way to Pont Aven. We heard that the women of Bannalec, the next station to Rosporden, are noted for their beauty. Between Concarneau and Rosporden is the château of Coëtcanton; the garden front of this château was built in 1500, by Louis le Saulx, Lord of Prat-en-Ras. The viaduct of the railway crosses the pond of Rosporden.

FINISTÈRE.

CHAPTER XVIII.

QUIMPER.

'HE railway ran beside a river till we reached the Odet,

THE

on which Quimper is built. The view of the twin spires of the cathedral, appearing above the walls as one approaches from the railway station, is very imposing. We drove at once to the Hôtel de l'Épée, built beside the river Odet, which joins the Steir at Quimper; hence its name, the Breton word kemper signifying confluent. The view from our windows was delightful, and most refreshing to weary travellers. The tree-bordered river was just beneath us, with picturesque townspeople and peasants from neighbouring villages chatting in groups under the avenues; while on the opposite side rose a lofty wooded hill, with paths showing among the trees. This was the front view, and from a room at the back of the house we had a grand sight of the spires of the cathedral rising over a group of trees.

At the table d'hôte we seemed suddenly carried back to the Middle Ages by the costume of the attendants-five women in the picturesque dress of Pont Aven. Most of

the women were fair and colourless, and this style of face went admirably with their sombre quaintly-cut black dresses and snowy winged caps, with large white plaited collars, sleeves, and bibbed aprons. Several of them wore gilt crosses and large earrings. The first sight of these living pictures interfered with the attention due to our excellent dinner.

Going out along the quay, we soon came to shops gay with richly embroidered Breton garments: jackets worn in this part of the country, both for men and women, all worked by peasant hands; thick buff leather belts with large buckles; white collars, ruffs, and caps; large gold crosses and hearts, hanging from broad black velvet ribbon fringed with gold and covered with spangles of varied shapes and brilliant colours, so brilliant, that they reminded us of the falling stars from sky-rockets.

Quimper, anciently called Corisopitum, is, as a charming writer says, "a pleasant river-side city of fables and gables;" but at first as we walked about the town we were a little disappointed. The streets are clean and often well paved, but they looked more modern than we had expected; when, however, we turned into the quarter farthest from the quays, we passed through several streets full of old quaint houses. that quite fulfilled our expectations, the cathedral spires making a fine feature from several unexpected openings. We came upon one specially picturesque view of tumbledown houses on the river at the end of a street leading from the cathedral. This must have delighted many an artist; it is charming both in composition and in lowtoned colour.

On the Odet, at the end of the town, is the church of

LEGEND OF ST. CORENTIN.

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Locmaria, part of which is very old, and said to have been. built by Alain Caignart in the eleventh century, to please Odierne, his daughter, who devoted herself to a religious life in the convent of Locmaria.

We found our way up a very steep hill to the top of Mount Frugy, a public walk sheltered by avenues of trees, which looks down on the town and over the surrounding country. The view from it is very pretty, and the air seems most healthy. Indeed, for residence, Quimper is quite the most desirable town in Brittany; it is not only very pleasant and interesting, but is within easy reach of all that is best worth seeing in Lower Brittany, of which it has been the capital city ever since the submerging of the famous Is in the days of King Gradlon or Grallon, though, according to Albert le grand, Quimper, or Kemper-Odetz, had been originally the capital of Cornouaille, until King Gradlon, hunting one day, about the year 495, with all his court, in the forest of Plomodiern, not far from Chateaulin, lost his way, and towards evening stumbled upon the abode of the holy hermit Corentin, who dwelt in the forest.

The King and all his followers being very hungry, asked the saint if he could give them something to eat.

"That I can," said St. Corentin; "if you will wait a few minutes I will seek for some food."

Now there was near the dwelling of the saint a fountain tenanted by a single fish, from which the holy man took his daily meal, cutting off a little bit, which was immediately restored. He now went to the fountain and called the fish, which came quickly to his hand. St. Corentin cut a slice from its back and gave it to the King's maître d'hôtel, bidding him cook that for King Gradlon and his courtiers.