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292 T H I E R S .
P - i km P
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the Puy de Dome and the mountains of
Auvergne. The former mountain I recognised
at first sight by its dome-shaped
summit. Several of the inhabitants that
we met near Thiers were very plainly
dressed, and had an air of gloomy austerity
in their countenances, which convinced me
that they were Calvinists or Huguenots.
I was anxious to enquire, but I knew that
if I were wrong in my conjecture, it would
have been considered a gross affront to
have read heresy in their countenances; so
I repressed my curiosity. Thiers is a considerable
manufacturing town, containing
upwards of 10,000 inhabitants ; the country
around appears populous, and many new
houses are building. The principal manufactures
are coarse cloth, thread, cutlery,
and paper. The river Thiers runs below
the town. Leaving Thiers we afterwards
passed a broad plain or valley, and crossing
the river Allier, over a stone bridge,
we ascended to the town, which* takes its
name from this bridge, Pont sur 1’Allier,*
where we found ourselves on the volcanic
soil of Auvergne.
It is called Pont du Château in the map of Auvergne.
293
CHAR VHL
A U V E R G N E .
D I SCOV ERY OF T H E VOLCANOE S OF A UV EU ON E ,
IN 1 7 5 1 . A G E N E R A L V I EW OF T H E VOLCANIC
M O U N T A IN S N E A R C L E R M O N T . E X C U R S IO N
TO T H E P U Y D E P A R IO U , & C . ----- A P P E A R A N C E
OF T H E IN H A B I T A N T S OF T H E MO U N T A IN S . -----
T H E P U Y D E D O M E . O B S E RVA T ION S ON T H E
LAVA A N D C R A T E R OF P A R lO U . ----- MO N T A D O U X .
T H E P U Y D E C H A R R A D E . VOLCANO OF
G R A V E N I R E . P U Y D E LA P O IX . P U Y D E C RU -
E L L E . O B S E R V A T IO N S ON T H E R EM A R K A B L E
P O S I T IO N OF T H E B ED S OF T U F F A . V I S IT TO
G E R G O V IA . T H E A U T H O R D I SCOV ER S BONES
OF L A R G E Q U A D R U P E D S IN T H E L IM E S T O N E
U N D E R T H I S M O U N T A IN . ----- C IT Y OF C L E R MO
N T .
O u r voiturier, being unacquainted with
the road, had passed the house where he
was directed to rest his horses, which
obliged him to halt at Pont du Chateau.
This was fortunate, as I should otherwise
have lost the opportunity of examining some
remarkable volcanic rocks in the vicinity,
u 3