Cliff Castles and Cave Dwellings of Europe

by S. Baring-Gould

Formation of chalk—Of dolomitic limestone—Where did the first men live—Their Eden in the chalk lands—Migration elsewhere—Pit dwellings—Civilisation stationary—Troglodytes—Antiquity of man—Les Eyzies—Hôtel du Paradis—The first colonists of the Vézère Valley— Their artistic accomplishments—Painting and sculpture—Rock dwellings in Champagne—Of a later period—Civilisation does not progress uniformly—The earth—Book of the Revelation of the past—La Laugerie Basse—Blandas—Conduché—Grotte de Han—The race of Troglodytes not extinct

CHAPTER II

MODERN TROGLODYTES

Troglodytes of the Etang de Berre—The underground town of Og, King of
Bashan—Trôo—Sanitation—Ancient mode of disposing of refuse—The
talking well—Les Roches—Chateau de Bandan—Chapel of S. Gervais—La
Grotte des Vierges—Rochambeau—Le Roi des Halles—La Roche Corbon—
Human refuse at Ezy—Saumur—Are there still pagans among them?—
Bourré—Courtineau—The basket-makers of Villaines—Grioteaux—Sauliac
—Cuzorn—Brantôme—La Roche Beaucourt—The Swabian Alb—Sibyllen loch—
Vrena Beutlers Höhle—Schillingsloch—Schlössberg Höhle—Rock village
in Sicily—In the Crimea—In Egypt—In volcanic breccia—Balmes de
Montbrun—Grottoes de Boissière—Grottoes de Jonas—The rock Ceyssac—
The sandstone cave-dwellings of Corrèze—Their internal arrangement—
Cluseaux—Cave-dwellings in England—In Nottinghamshire—In
Staffordshire—In Cornwall—In Scotland—The savage in man—Reversion
to savagery—The Gubbins—A stone-cutter—Daniel Gumb—A gentleman of
Sens—Toller of Clun Downs

CHAPTER III

SOUTERRAINS

Prussian invasion of Bohemia—Adersbach and Wickelsdorf labyrinths— Refuges of the Israelites—Gauls suffocated in caves by Cæsar— Armenians by Corbulo—Story of Julius Sabinus—Saracen invasion—The devastation of Aquitaine by Pepin—Rock refuges in Quercy—The Northmen—Persecution of the Albigenses—The cave of Lombrive—The English domination of Guyenne—Two kinds of refuges—Saint Macaire— Alban—Refuge of Château Robin—Exploration—Methods of defence— Souterrain of Fayrolle—Of Saint Gauderic—Of Fauroux—Of Olmie— Aubeterre—Refuges under castles—Enormous number of souterrains in France—Victor Hugo's account of those in Brittany—Refuges resorted to in the time of the European War—Those in Picardy—Gapennes—Some comparatively modern—Condition of the peasantry during the Hundred Years' War—Tyranny of the nobles—Their barbarities—Refuges in Ireland—In England—The Dene Holes—at Chislehurst—At Tilbury—Their origin—Fogous in Cornwall—Refuges in Haddingtonshire—In Egg— Slaughter of the Macdonalds—Refuges in the Isle of Rathlin—Massacre by John Norris—Refuges in Crete—Christians suffocated in one by the Turks—Lamorciere in Algeria. . . . . .

CHAPTER IV

CLIFF REFUGES

Distinction between souterrain and cliff refuges—How these latter were reached—Gazelles—Peuch Saint Sour—Story of S. Sour—The Roc d'Aucor —Exploration—How formerly reached—Boundoulaou—Riou Ferrand—Cliff refuge near Brengues—Les Mées—Fadarelles—Puy Labrousse—Soulier-de- Chasteaux—Refuges in Auvergne—Meschers—In Ariège—The Albigenses— Caves in Derbyshire—Reynard's cave—Cotton's cave—John Cann's cave— Elford's cave on Sheep's Tor…. 103-116