The Lozere in the 19th Century
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The Lozere in the 19th Century |
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Its boundaries are: to the north, the departments of Haute-Loire and Cantal; to the east, those of Ardeche and Gard; to the south, those of Gard and Aveyron; and to the west, the department of Aveyron.
Lozere is a very high country, entirely mountainous, crossed in the east by the Cevennes mountain range, which, in relation to Mont Lozere, take the name of Northern or Southern Cevennes, depending on whether they are north or south of that mountain; from east to west by two of the main foothills of this great chain, the Margeride mountains and those of Lozere; finally by the Aubrac mountains, a foothill of Margeride; the plateaus or causses that support the mountains have an altitude of 750 to 1,000 meters.
Here are the heights of the main mountains and a few elevated places in the department: the Palais-du-Roi plateau, north of the source of the Lot, 1,548 meters; the Margeride, between Truyere and Allier, 1,554, 1,543; Mont Lozere, Roc des Aigles, 1,690, and Pic de Malpertuis, 1,683; Aigoual, 1,554; the source of Allier, 1,432; the Bouges mountains, 1,424; Cham de la Roche, 1,328; Mont Mimat, 1,111; Causse du Sauveterre, on the road from Mende to Florac, 975; the bridge of Langogne, 896; Causse Mejean, 1,100; Causse de Montbel, 1,221; Causse de L'Hospitalet, 780; the sources of Tarn and Ceze, 770; finally, the pass of Bois des Armes, 770 meters. To the west, the Aubrac mountains separate the department from Aveyron; they offer an average height of 1,000 to 1,200 meters and peaks of 1,471 (the Pic de Mailhebiau), 1,361 and 1,372 meters. The highest point of the department is the Pic de Finiels, belonging to the Mont Lozere group, north of Pont-de-Montvert; it has an altitude of 1,702 meters; a nearby peak measures 1,690 meters.
The entire mountain range presents remnants of ancient volcanoes, steep rocks, caves adorned with stalactites, beautiful waterfalls, wild and graceful sites, and finally all the picturesque features of a mountainous country; they are mostly covered with rich pastures; rye and a little barley are harvested on their slopes. The central part of the department is the most fertile: it is called the Causses; it consists of high plateaus and produces wheat, barley, oats, fodder, and fruits. In the southern part, towards the southeast, known as the Cevennes, mulberries are successfully cultivated, and many chestnuts and potatoes are primarily harvested.The soil of the department is divided according to its nature into: mountainous land, 125,400 hectares; heathland or moorland, 54,600; chalk or limestone soil, 95,000; gravel soil, 5,600; stony soil, 35,000; sandy soil, 90,200 hectares.
The Lozere mountains define three general slopes in the department: one in the east, on the Rhône, having only a very small width, to which belong the Chassezac, a tributary of the Ardeche, and the three Gardons, which give birth to the Gard; the other to the north, on the Loire, to which belong the Allier and
its tributaries, the Langouyron (Langouyrou) and the Chapeauroux,
fed by the Grandrieu; the third to the west, on the
Garonne, to which belong the Bes, a tributary of
the Truyere, the Truyere, a tributary of the Lot, the Lot, and finally the Tarn and its tributary Tarnon.
The Allier springs from the forest of Mercoire or Mercœur, near Palais-du-Roi and the
hamlet of Chabalier, at an altitude of 1,426 meters; at some distance from its source, it serves as a limit for 35 kilometers between the
department and those of Ardeche and Haute-Loire, where this river enters near Saint-Bonnet, after passing through La Bastide-Puylaurent, Luc, Les
Fournets, and near Brugeyroles and Langogne.
It receives the Chapeauroux, a small river of 45 kilometers, which passes near Arzenc, Pierre-fiche, Soulages, Auroux, and Saint-Bonnet-d'Auroux. This small river also receives the Clamouse
and the Grandrieu.
The Lot is also one of the main rivers of the department. It springs from the southern slope of the Goulet mountain, north of Mont Lozere and the village of Bleymard; it passes through Bleymard, Saint-Julien, Bagnols les Bains, Sainte-Helene, Mende, Balsieges, Esclanedes, Chanac, Villard, Mories, la Tieule, Le Mazet, and, 3 kilometers from Viala, it enters the department of Aveyron, after a winding course of about 75 kilometers in the department. It receives in Lozere itself the Colagne, which passes through Coulagnes, Ribennes, Saint-Leger-de-Peyre, near Marvejols and Chirac. Outside the department, the Lot receives the Truyere, which springs from the Margeride mountains and passes through the Marvejols arrondissement at Serveretle, Bigoses, Mulzieu-Ville, Verdezun, Saint-Leger, Malzieu, Chaulhac.
The Bes, a tributary of the Truyere in the department of Cantal, partly serves as a boundary between the departments of Lozere and Cantal; it passes near Grandvals and Arzenc-d'Apcher. The Tarn springs from the southern slope of Mont Lozere, above Concorles, at an altitude of 1,550 meters, between Villefort and Le Pont-de-Montvert, and at the foot of Pic de Malpertus. This river flows through the department: at Pont-de-Montvert, at Rampon, Cocures, Ispagnac, Quezac, Sainte-Enimie, Saint-Chely-du-Tarn, La Malene, Saint-Prejet, La Bourgade, and, at its confluence with the Jonte, it leaves the department to enter
that of Aveyron, after a very winding and torrential course of about 80 kilometers, during which it receives many streams and small rivers, among which we will only mention the Jonte and the Tarnon, enhanced by Mimente. The Gardon from Mialet, the Gardon from Anduze, and the Gardon from Alais, which, by their confluence, form the Gard, also spring from the Lozere department; but they are properly speaking only half-dried torrents in summer, impetuous and fearsome in winter.
The Aubrac mountains, to the west of the department, contain four lakes: those of Bord, Saint-Andeol, Soubeyrol, and Saillans or Salhiens; the circular shape of the first makes one believe that it occupies the crater of an ancient volcano. The lake of Saint-Andeol is the largest; it seems to have been enlarged by human hands; those of Soubeyrol and Saillans communicate with each other by the small river of La Garde, a tributary of the Bes. On the plateaus or causses, there are marshes.
The Lozere department belongs to the climatic region known as the Girondin climate, or the southwest; however, due to the elevation of the land and its irregularity, this climate is extremely variable, and at certain points one experiences two or three temperatures in the same day. In the northern part, winter lasts six months, and in some years, nine months; towards the south, it lasts only four months. The climate is quite mild in the valleys and in the part of the Cevennes exposed to the south. Summers are often stormy, autumns are quite beautiful, but only towards the end of the season. The beginning of the autumn equinox commonly brings very abundant rains that swell the torrents and make them fearsome. In the vicinity of Mende, the maximum temperature is about +32 °C and the minimum -19 °C. At that time, the frost penetrates the ground up to 70 centimeters deep, while in the mountains it goes up to 1.33 meters. The prevailing winds are those from the north and east in the northern part of the department, and those from the west and south in the south. One usually fears, for the silk worms, the east wind, which is dry and hot and is called the marin blanc. In general, the land is quite healthy; both humans and animals are robust and vigorous.
The Lozere department lies on the boundary between two natural regions; the northern part of the department belongs to the central plateau: this region has basaltic and granitic terrain; the southern region contains the Causses, large dry and horizontal plateaus of Jurassic limestone, embedded in a vast depression located in the southern part of the central plateau. In the southern and eastern region, where the Cevennes are located, one encounters schist deformation terrain.
The land holds important metallic riches, but they are unfortunately mostly unexploited. Saint-etienne-du-Valdonnez, L'Hospitalet, Saint-Georges-de-Levezac have iron mines that the shortage of water and wood does not allow to exploit. There are lead mines, called varnish, at Bleymard, the Colombettes near Ispagnac, Saint-Julien, and Alene; the latter is the only one being exploited, and its products are sold to potters in Alais or Cantal. In Vialas, in the district of Villefort, it is said that a silver lead mine is being exploited, the lead product of which covers the costs of exploitation, while the amounts of silver extracted, estimated at 80,000 to 100,000 fr., remain as profit; the district is also very rich in minerals of all kinds. Collet-de-Deze and Saint-Michel-de-Deze have exploited antimony and lead sulfide mines; in the arrondissement of Florac, one finds deposits of copper ore, and in the territory of Saint-Leger-de-Peyre, where several coppery water sources emerge, one sees a beautiful vein that certainly deserves to be exploited. Manganese, clay, and kaolin mines are also known. Finally, the Gardon and the Ceze roll some gold flakes after heavy rain. The department yields silver lead, copper, antimony, litharge, alquifoux, marbles, porphyry, granite, and gypsum.
The department has a large number of cold and acidic mineral springs as well as thermal springs. The former are located near Saint-Chely in Sarrons; at Saint-Pierre, near Le Malzieu; at Javois, at Colagne, at Mazel-Chabrier, at Mazel-de-Laubies, at the rock of Saint-Arnaud, at Laval-d'Auroux, at Laval-d'Atger, at Quezac, at Ispagnac, at Florac, etc. These waters are appetizers and tonics; Saint-Leger-de-Peyre has several coppery water sources that the inhabitants consider purgative because it causes violent vomiting in those who drink a few glasses. The thermal and sulfurous waters of Bagnols-les-Bains are very renowned. There is also a thermal establishment in La Chaldette, in the municipality of Brion.
The department produces only a small quantity of cereals, which is quite insufficient for the nutrition of its inhabitants; the mountains present many obstacles to agriculture; but as soon as they offer the slightest flat surface in a favorable position, the farmer transports some loads of good soil there and, with patience and hard work, transforms a barren place into a productive garden. The methods of large-scale farming cannot be employed due to the mountains, so there are few large farms. The limestone plateaus of the Causses yield cereals such as: wheat, barley, oats, and a little rye. The mountains produce
only rye and a little oats and barley, but compensate with much fodder. A fairly large quantity of potatoes is cultivated and harvested in the Cevennes, where they thrive perfectly in decomposed granite soils; the valley of Mende yields good vegetables; the fruits from the Tarn valley are appreciated, and in some localities, the inhabitants make oil from juniper berries. The plantations of mulberry trees are quite numerous in the east and south of the department. Hemp and flax thrive in several cantons.
Vines are only cultivated in a few valleys, and even then they produce only mediocre quality wines that do not withstand transport; the average production is 10,000 to 12,000 hectoliters; the inhabitants obtain most of those necessary for their consumption from neighboring departments. Chestnuts are a real resource for the inhabitants of the countryside and sometimes serve them as their only food in winter. They even dry considerable quantities for the navy. The flora of the department is generally very rich; madder and woad are cultivated; a large number of dye and medicinal plants can be found. Oak, beech, and pine are the main species of the forests; there are several large ones, such as those of Mercoire or Mercœur, Fau-des-Armes, Calcadis, Champeros, Bois-Noir, and Aigoual; that of Gourdouse is partly composed of beeches of the species known in the country by the vulgar name fayard.
The breeds of domestic animals are not remarkable; generally small in size, they do not lack vigor or quality. Mules are more numerous than horses. Sheep are small but produce soft and fine wool; horned cattle are also small but vigorous. The beautiful pastures of the mountains receive many transhumant herds. The woods still contain some deer, many hares, and rabbits. Some badgers and a number of foxes can also be found. The vast forests of the mountains provide shelter for very large and fierce wolves. The mastiff, or park dog, is of a fine breed, very courageous and very useful for guarding the flocks. Among the birds, the golden eagle is notable. Winged game is abundant; the golden plover, the teal, the partridge, the thrushes, the quails, the woodcocks are well-known. The rivers and lakes provide excellent quality trout and eels. Work from 1882 by Victor Adolphe Malte-Brun
Former holiday hotel with a garden along the Allier, L'Etoile Guest House is located in La Bastide-Puylaurent between Lozere, Ardeche, and the Cevennes in the mountains of Southern France. At the crossroads of GR®7, GR®70 Stevenson Path, GR®72, GR®700 Regordane Way, GR®470 Allier River springs and gorges, GRP® Cevenol, Ardechoise Mountains, Margeride. Numerous loop trails for hiking and one-day biking excursions. Ideal for a relaxing and hiking getaway.
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