Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PONT DU CHATEAU. Par Vob humeura le monde est gouverai, V.i- voloutis font le calme et 1'orage. Mayxard The beauty and fertility of the country, becoming more striking as he proceeds, assure the tourist that he is still upon the plains of the Limagne, which stretch far away to the right, and, on the left, terminate in a chain of hills, — the first appearance of those lofty mountains which cloud the horizon at the distance of four or five leagues. These various eminences are, for the most part, covered with castles, or their ruins,— among which the once noble one of Ravel, boasting now only a memory in early annals, and in the person of its present lord, the count d'Estaing, is one of the most interesting. The declivities are enriched with vineyards, glowing with the finest fruiteries ; and the plain along which he passes abounds with walnut trees, which often spread a thick, leafy canopy over his head. About half way over the plain, he sees on his right the town ' of Beauregard, overlooked by a noble castle, formerly belonging to the bishops of Clermont; and having some fifteen hundred inhabitants. At nearly half a league from Pont du Chateau, he leaves to the left the road to Billom, a small town with five thousand people, but 72 CHARACTER OF THE SCENERY. which has its board of commerce, being distinguished for the number and excellence of its fabrics. A little farther on lies the farm of Chignac, celebrated for its fair, and whither the principal persons of Clermont and Riom are in the habit of resorting on the days of festival. In the rich, diversified view here given, of which one of the chief features is the beautiful and magnificent bridge in the distance, we behold the village, or rather town, seated on the acclivity, and commanding the river Allier and t...