Clermont And Ferrand Are Two Towns Within A Mile And Half Distant
From Each Other And This Clermont Is Generally Called Clermont-Ferrand To
Distinguish It From Other Towns Of The Same Name.
CLERMONT, March 26th.
I have taken lodgings for a month, and board with a French family for 90
franks per month. On the road hither the immense mountain called the Puy de
Dome is discernible at a great distance; it is said to have been a volcano.
Clermont is a very ancient city and has an air of dullness; but the Place
and promenades round the town are excellent. It is the capital of this
department (Puy de Dome). There is a terrible custom here of emptying the
aguas mayores y menores (as the Spaniards term those secretions) into the
small streets that lie at the back of the houses. The consequence is that
they are clogged up with filth and there is always a most abominable
stench. One must be careful how one walks thro' these streets at night,
from the liability of being saluted by a golden shower. The lower classes
of the Auvergnats have the reputation of being dirty, slovenly and idle.
Here is a church built by the English in the time of Edward III, when the
Black Prince commanded in this country; and it was in a chapel in this
city, the remains of which still exist, that Peter the Hermit preached the
first crusade. These are almost the only things worthy of remark in the
town itself, except that there is a good deal of commerce carried on,
manufactures of crockery, cloth and silk stockings.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 383 of 558
Words from 104459 to 104732
of 151859
