m Auray to Belle Isle is in all forty-eight miles--ten miles
of river to Port Navalo, the rest open sea. After eight hours' sail we
reached Le Palais, the port and principal town of Belle Isle, built on the
north-east side, and overhung by the citadel, the work of Vauban. The town
consists of one principal street--the Rue Trochu--so called after the
General of that name and his brother, who were the first, at the beginning
of this century, to introduce agriculture into the island. We passed, at a
distance to the right, the model farm of M. Trochu fils, on our way across
the island to the lighthouse,--a cheerless drive, as there are no trees to
be seen except near Le Palais. When M. Trochu commenced his labours,
agriculture was little attended to in France, but he persevered in his
exertions, beginning by clearing about sixty acres of granite rock, a land
covered with heath and furze, setting at defiance the Breton saying,
"Lande tu fus, lande tu es, lande tu seras." This same district is now
covered with rich meadows, fine woods, productive arable fields, and
magnificent pasture land, on which horses are extensively reared.

[Illustration: 48. Entrance to Le Palais, Belle Isle.]

We gathered on the heathy moor three kinds of heath, the Cornish among
others. The artichoke grows wild in the waste grounds. Wheat, turnips,
beetroot, Indian corn, and potatoes, are the chief produce of the land in
cultivation. This last vegetable was introduced by the families from Nova
Scotia (Acadia), who settled in Belle Isle, after that province was ceded
to England by the Treaty of Paris, in 1766. This was several years before
Parmentier had extended the use of the potato, or "truffe rouge," as it
was first called, over other parts of France. Indian corn was probably
also brought in by the Nova Scotians. The leaves are constantly cut during
its growth as fodder for the cattle, so that the cob hardly attains a foot
in height from the ground. On the left of our road we saw in the distance
the village of Bangor, which gives its name to one of the four districts
into which Belle Isle is divided. A little south is the fine granite
lighthouse, of the stupendous height of 450 feet. We toiled up 255 steps
(223 stone and 32 iron) before we gained the lantern, and, though the view
was very extensive, we were rejoiced at finding ourselves safe down. One
of the guardians had been waylaid, kicked, and beaten, a few evenings
before, for some slight gru