on quitting lons-le-saunier for champagnole, our way led through rich tracts of vineyard; but no sooner were we fairly among the mountains than the vine disappeared altogether, and scant culture and pastures took its place. we also soon perceive the peculiar characteristics of the jura range, which so essentially distinguish it from the alps. these mountains do not take abrupt shapes of cones and sugar-loaves, but stretch out in vast sweeps with broad summits and lateral ridges, features readily seized, and lending to the landscape its most salient characteristics. not only are we entering the region of lofty mountains and deep valleys, but of numerous industrial centres, also the land of mediaeval warfare and legend, whence arose the popular saying:
"comtois, rends-toi,
nenni, ma foi."
our journey, of four hours, takes us through a succession of grandiose and charming prospects, and lonely little villages, at which we pick up letters, and drop numbers of le petit journal, probably all the literature they get. gorge, crag, lake and ravine, valley, river, and cascade, pine forests crowning sombre ridges, broad hill-sides alive with the tinkling of cattle bells, pastoral scenes separating frowning peaks, all these we have to rejoice the eye and much more. the beautiful lake of challin, we only see in the distance, though most enticingly inviting nearer inspection, and all this valley of the ain might, indeed, detain the tourist several days. the river ain has its source near champagnole, and flows through a broad beautiful valley southwards, but the only way to get an idea of the geography of the place is to climb a mountain, maps avail little.
on alighting at the h?tel dumont, the sight of an elegant landlady, in spotless white morning gown, was re-assuring, and when i was conducted to a bedroom with bells, clean floors, proper washing apparatus, and other comforts, my heart quite leapt. there is nothing to see at champagnole but the saw-mills, the "click, click" of which you hear at every turn. saw-making by machinery is the principal industry here, and is worth inspecting. but if the town itself is uninteresting, it offers a variety of delicious walks and drives, and must be a very healthy summer resort, being five hundred yards above the level of the plain. i went a little way on the road to les planches, and nothing could be more solemnly beautiful than the black pines pricking against the deep blue sky, and the golden light playing on the ferns and pine-stems below; before us, a vista of deep gorge and purple mountain chain, on either side the solemn serried lines of the forest. the good pedestrian should follow this road to les planches, as splendid a walk as any in the jura. no less delightful, though in a different way, is the winding walk by the river. the ain here rushes past with a torrent like thunder, and rolls and tosses over a stony bed, having on either side green slopes and shady ways. those travellers, like myself, contented with a bit of modest mountaineering, will delight in the three hours' climb of mount rivol, a broad pyramidal mountain, eight hundred yards in height, dominating the town. a very beautiful walk is this for fairly good walkers, and though the sun is intense, the air is sharp and penetrating. on our way, we find plenty of ripe wild mulberries with which to refresh ourselves, and abundance of the blue-fringed gentian to delight our eyes.
so steep are these mountain sides, that it is like scaling a wall, but after an hour and a half we are rewarded by finding ourselves on the top; a broad plateau covering many acres richly cultivated, with farm-buildings in the centre. here we enjoy one of those magnificent panoramas so plentiful in the jura, and which must be seen to be realized. on one side we have the verdant valley of the ain, the river flowing gently through green fields and softly dimpled hills; on another, andelot with its bridge and the lofty rocks bristling round salins; on the third side, the road leading to pontarlier amid pine-forest and limestone crags, and above this, a sight more majestic still, namely, the vast parallel ranges of the jura, deepest purple, crested in the far away distance with a silvery peak whose name takes our very breath away. we are gazing on mont blanc! a sight as grandiose and inspiring as the distant glimpse of the pyramids from cairo! we would fain have lingered long before this glorious picture, but the air was too cold to admit of a halt after our heating walk in the blazing sun. the great drawback to travelling in the jura, indeed, is this terrible fickleness of climate. as a rule, even thus early in the autumn, you are obliged to make several toilettes a day, putting on winter clothes when you get up, and towards mid-day exchanging them for the lightest summer attire till sunset, when again you need the warmest clothing. winter sets in very early here, there is no spring, properly speaking; five months of fine warm weather have to be set against seven of frost and snow; yet in spite of the bitterness and long duration of these winters, little or no provision seems to be made against the cold. there are no carpets, curtains, and generally no fire-places in the bedrooms, all is cold, cool, and bare as in egypt, and many are approached from without. the people must enjoy a wonderful vigour of health and robustness of constitution, or they could not resist such hardships as these, and what a jura winter is, makes one shudder to think of. snow lies often twelve feet deep on the road, and journeys are performed by sledges, as in russia.
i took the diligence from champagnole to morez, and it is as yet the only ill-advised thing i have done on this journey. the fact is, and intending travellers should note it, that there are only three modes of travelling in these parts, firstly, by hiring a private carriage and telegraphing for relays; secondly, by accomplishing short stages on foot, by far the most agreeable method for hardy pedestrians, or thirdly, to give up the most interesting spots altogether. the diligence must not be taken into account as a means of locomotion at all, for as there is no competition, and french people are much too amiable or indifferent to make complaints, the truth must be told, that the so-called messageries du jura are about as badly managed as can possibly be. unfortunate travellers are not only so cramped that they arrive at their destination more dead than alive, but even in the coupé they see nothing of the country. thus the glorious bit of country we passed through from champagnole to morez was entirely lost on me, simply because the diligence is not a public conveyance, but an instrument of torture. the so-called coupé was so small, warm and low, that the three unfortunate occupants of it, a stout gentleman, a nun, and myself, were so closely wedged in that we could not stir a limb, whilst the narrow slice of landscape before us was hidden by the driver and two other passengers, all three of whom smoked incessantly. there were several equally unfortunate travellers packed in the body of the carriage, and others outside on the top of the luggage, all arriving at their destination feeling much as if they had been subjected to the bastinado! nothing could be worse, and whilst the heat was intense for the first part of the journey, the latter part was bitterly cold, yet it was impossible to move one's arm in order to draw on a wrap. cold, heat, cramp, and dejection are the portion of those who trust themselves to the accursed messageries du jura.
my sufferings were alleviated by the nun, who managed to extract some fruit from her basket and handed me a pear and a peach. i had said so many hard things about nuns during my life, that i hesitated, but the fleshly temptation was too strong, and i greedily accepted the drop of water held out in the desert. to my great relief afterwards, i found that my companion was not occupied in cooking up theology for the detriment of others, but in the far more innocent task of making soups and sauces. in fact, she was cook to the establishment to which she belonged, and a very homely, excellent soul she seemed. she turned from her pears and peaches to her prayer-book and rosary with equal delectation. it was harrowing to think that during these five hours we were passing through some of the most romantic scenery of the jura, yet all we could do, by occasionally stretching out our necks, was to get a glance at the lovely lakes, pine-topped heights, deep gorges, gigantic cliffs towering to the sky, adorable little cascades springing from silvery mountain-sides, gold-green table-lands lying between hoary peaks; everything delightful was there, could we but see! meantime, we had been climbing ever since we quitted champagnole, and at one point marked by a stone, were a thousand yards above the sea-level. the little villages perched on the mountain-tops that we were passing through, are all seats of industry; clock manufactories, fromageries, or cheese-farms on a large scale, and so on.
the population indeed depends, not upon agriculture, but upon industries for support, and many of the wares fabricated in these isolated jura villages find their way all over the world. from st. laurent, where we stopped to change horses, the traveller who is indifferent to cramps, bruises and contortions, may exchange diligences, and instead of taking the shorter and straighter road to st. claude, may follow the more picturesque route by way of the wonderful little lake of grandvaux, shut in by mountains, and peopled with fish of all kinds, water-hens, and other wild birds. we are now in the wildest and most grandiose region of the jura, and whichever road we take is sure to lead us through grand scenery. but much as i had heard of the savage beauty of grandvaux, further subjection to the torture we were thus enduring was not to be thought of, so we went straight on to morez, after the tremendous ascent i have just described, our road curving quickly downwards, and coming all at once on the long straggling little town, framed in by lofty mountains on every side.
next morning was sunday, and i went in search of the protestant school-house, where i knew a kind welcome awaited me. i was delighted to find a new handsome building, standing conspicuously in a pleasant garden, over the doors, engraved in large letters, "culte et ecole evangélique." the sound of childrens' voices told me that some kind of lesson or prayer was going on, so i waited in the garden till the doors opened and a dozen neatly dressed boys and girls poured out. then i went in, and found the wife of the schoolmaster and scripture-reader, a sweet young woman, who, in her husband's absence, had been holding a bible class. she showed me over the place, and an exquisitely clean quiet little room she had prepared for me, but as i had arrived rather late on the night before, i had taken a room at the hotel, which was neither noisy nor uncomfortable. we spent the afternoon together, and as we walked along the beautiful mountain road that superb september sunday, many interesting things she told me of her husband's labours in their isolated mountain home. protestantism is indeed here a tender plant, exposed to the cold blast of adverse winds, but if it takes healthy root, well will it be for the social, moral, and intellectual advancement of the people. we must never lose sight of the fact that, putting theology out of the question, protestantism means morality, hygiene, instruction, and above all, a high standard of truth and family life; and on these grounds, if on no other, all really concerned in the future and well-being of france must wish it god-speed.
this is not the place for a comparison between protestantism and catholicism, even as social influences, but one thing i must insist upon, namely, that it is only necessary to live among french protestants and compare what we find there with what we find among their catholic neighbours, to feel how uncompromisingly the first are the promoters of progress, and the latter its adversaries.
the position of morez is heavenly beautiful, but the town itself hideous. nature having put the finishing touch to her choice handiwork, man has come in to mar and spoil the whole. the mountains, clothed with brightest green, rise grandly towards the sky, but all along the narrow gorge of the bienne, in which morez lies, stand closely compacted masses of many storied manufactories and congeries of dark, unattractive houses. there is hardly a garden, a chalet, or villa to redeem the prevailing, crushing ugliness; yet, for all that, if you can once get over the profound sadness induced by this strange contrast, nothing can be more delightful and exhilarating than the mountain environment of this little seat of industry. morez, indeed, is a black diamond set in richest gold. the place abounds in cafés, and on this sunday afternoon, when all the manufactories are closed, the cafés are full to overflowing, and on the lovely suburban road, winding above the mountains, we meet few working-men with their families enjoying a walk. the cabaret absorbs them all.
the working hours here are terribly long; from five o'clock in the morning till seven at night, the bulk of the population are at their posts, men, women, and young people—children, i was going to say—but fortunately public opinion is stepping in to prevent the abuse of juvenile labour so prevalent, and good laws on the subject will, it is hoped, ere long be enacted. the wages are low, three or four francs a-day being the maximum, and as the cost of living is high here, it is only by the conjoint labours of all the members of a household that it can be kept together. squalor and unthrift abound, and there are no founders of cités ouvrières to make the workman's home what it should be. he is badly housed as well as being badly paid, and no wonder that the café and the cabaret are seized upon as the only recreations for what leisure he gets. it is quite worth while—for those travellers who ever stay a whole week anywhere—to stay a week here in order to see the curious industries which feed the entire population of the town and neighbouring villages, and are known all over the commercial world. the chief objects of manufacture are spectacle-glasses, spits, clocks, nails, electro-plate, drawn-wire, shop-plates in iron and enamel, files, and dish-covers; but of these the three first are by far the most important. several hundred thousand spectacle glasses and clocks, and sixty thousand spits, are fabricated here yearly, and all three branches of industry afford curious matter for inquiry. thus the first of spectacle-making, or lunetterie, resolves itself into a scientific study of noses! it will easily be seen that the manufacturer of spectacles on a grand scale must take into account the physiognomies of the different nations which import his wares. a long-nosed people will require one shaped pair of spectacles, an aquilline-nosed another, a nez retroussé a third; and accordingly we find that spectacles nicely adjusted to such peculiarities are fabricated, one kind supplying the american, a second the spanish, a third the english market, and so on. so wonderfully quick is the process that a pair of spectacles can be made for three-halfpence! the clocks made by machinery at morez are chiefly of the cheap kind, but wear well, and are to be found in almost every cottage in france. the prices vary from ten to twenty francs, and are thus within reach of the poorest. a more expensive kind are found in churches, public offices, schools, railway-stations, and manufactories, not only in france, but in remote quarters of the world. spain largely imports these elegant inexpensive clocks fabricated in the heart of the jura, and they find their way to china! each separate part has its separate workshop, and the whole is a marvellous exhibition of dexterity, quickness, and apt division of labour.
a large manufactory of electrotype plate, modelled on those of england, notably the elkington ware, has been founded here within recent years, and is very flourishing, exporting on a vast scale to remote countries. there is a manufactory of electric clocks, also of recent date. all day long, therefore, the solemn silence of these mountains is broken by the noise of mill-wheels and rushing waters, and if it is the manufactories that feed the people, it is the rivers that feed the manufactories. the jura, indeed, may be said to depend on its running streams and rivers for its wealth, each and all a pactolus in its way, flowing over sands of gold. nowhere has water power been turned to better account than at morez, where a very ariel, it is forced by that all-omnipotent prospero man, the machine-maker, to do his behests, here turning a wheel, there flowing into the channels prepared for it, and on every side dispensing riches and civilization.
delightful and refreshing it is to get beyond reach of these never-resting mill-wheels, and follow the mountain-torrent and the rushing streams to their home, where they are at liberty and untamed. innumerable delicious haunts are to be found in the neighbourhood of morez, also exhilarating panoramas of the jura and switzerland from the mountain-tops. there is nothing to be called agriculture, for in our gradual ascent we have alternately left behind us the vine, corn, maize, walnuts and other fruit trees, reaching the zone of the gentian, the box-tree, the larch, and the pine. these apparently arid limestone slopes and summits, however, have velvety patches here and there, and such scattered pastures are a source of almost incredible wealth. the famous jura cheese, gruyère so called, is made in the isolated chalets perched on the crest of a ravine, and nestled in the heart of a valley, which for the seven winter months are abandoned, and throughout the other five swarm like bee-hives with industrious workers. as soon as the snow melts, the peasants return to the mountains, but in winter all is silent, solitary, and enveloped in an impenetrable veil of snow. the very high-roads are imperceptible then, and the village sacristan rings the church bells in order to guide the belated traveller to his home.
my friend, the schoolmaster's wife, found me agreeable travelling companions for the three hours' drive to st. claude, which we made in a private carriage, in order to see the country. very nice people they were, catholics belonging to the petite bourgeoisie, and much useful information they gave me about things and people in their native province. the weather is perfect, with a warm south wind, a bright blue sky, and feathery clouds subduing the dazzling heavens. we get a good notion of the jura in its sterner and more arid aspect during this zig-zag drive, first mounting, then descending. far away, the brown bare mountain ridges rise against the clear heavens, whilst just below we see steep wooded crags dipping into a gorge where the little river bienne curls on its impetuous way. there are no less than three parallel roads at different levels from morez to st. claude, and curious it was from our airy height—we had chosen the highest—to survey the others, the one cut along the mountain flank midway, the other winding deep down close to the river-side. these splendid roads are kept in order by the communes, which are often rich in this department, possessing large tracts of forest. i never anywhere saw roads so magnificently kept, and, of course, this acids greatly to the comfort of travellers. were the roads bad, indeed, what would become of them?
after climbing for an hour we suddenly begin to descend, our road sweeping round the mountain sides with tremendous curves for about two hours or more, when all of a sudden we seemed to swoop down upon st. claude, the little bishopric in the heart of the mountains. the effect was magical. we appeared to have been plunged from the top of the world to the bottom! in fact, you go up and down such tremendous heights in the jura that i should think it must be much like travelling in a balloon.
