Such an ancient abode7 of men is to be found at Mentone, at a spot called, in the local speech, the Baoussé-Roussé. The English would term the place the Red Cliff. The Red Cliff is just beyond the tragical8 looking chasm10, with its babyish stream, that marks the frontier of France. It stands, therefore, in Italy. It is a formidable cliff of great height, as erect11 as a wall, as defiant12 as a Titanic13 bastion. It rises sheer from the rugged14 beach and is as old as the sea. It has been scraped smooth by the wind of a million years, and may have been once scoured15 clean by the rain of Noah’s deluge16. It is bare of vegetation, except that, here and there, a pitying weed, lavish17 with yellow blossoms, clings tenderly to its scarred surface. About its foot are a few palms, a tall aloe, and some bushes with scarlet19 flowers. The colour of the cliff is a tawny20 grey, stained with red of the tint21 of ancient rust22. There are long seams, too, on its surface which suggest the wrinkles of extreme old age.
At the bottom of the precipice23 are certain caverns25 which were once the abodes26 of men. These caves are about nine in number; so that at one time the Red Cliff must have been quite a little town, for the caverns are capacious. The entrances to the caves are, for the most part, in the form of huge clefts28 in the rock from twenty feet to sixty feet high. They face towards the south, so that at noon a streak29 of light can penetrate30 into the vast stone hall and illumine its floor. When the sun has passed each portal becomes no more than a black gap in the precipice, very mysterious to look upon.
The people who inhabited these caves belong to our earliest known ancestors. They stand at the root of the family tree. They represent the Adam and Eve of human history. Behind these people stretches the void of the unknown. It is in their likeness31 that the first human being steps out of the everlasting32 darkness into the light of the present world.
They are known as the Pal18?olithic folk—the cavern24 people, the men and women of the rough Stone Age. Their finest implements36 and most cunning weapons were of unpolished flint. They had a knowledge of fire. These two possessions express the meagre progress they had made in the march of civilisation37.
There are certain skeletons of these cliff-folk in the Museum at Monaco. It is a memorable38 moment when one first has sight of men who were alive some 50,000 years ago, and who, after interminable centuries, have just come again into the light of day and the company of their kind. It is at least—in the records of the human family—a curious meeting, a meeting rendered almost dramatic when one sees a dainty French lady in the mode of 1920 peering through a glass case into the face of an ancestor who walked the shores of France in an age so remote as to be almost mythical39.
There is an impression with some that these people of long ago were brutish creatures, ape-like and uncouth40, being little more, in fact, than gorillas42 with a leaven43 of human craft. The Red Cliff skeletons, however, are not the skeletons of brutes44. They show, on the contrary, the characteristic features of the bones of the man and woman of modern times. Such differences as exist are slight. There are the same straight back, the broad shoulders, the well-balanced head, the finely proportioned limbs, the delicate feet and hands. This skeleton of a Red Cliff man might have been that of a modern athlete, but with a muscular development that the modern would envy; while this shapely woman, from the depths of a cave, might have graced in life the enclosure at Ascot. There are some peculiarities45 in the shinbone, but I doubt if they would be noticeable even through a silk stocking. The skull46 is different, the face is flat, the nose broad, the forehead low, the jaws47 prominent. From the Ascot standpoint it must be allowed that the cave folk had ugly faces, coarse and unintellectual no doubt, but not the aspect of the gorilla41.
Among the skeletons from the colony at Mentone is one of especial interest. It is that of an old woman whose body was found in the deepest part of the cavern, and who, therefore, may be assumed to have belonged to the earliest or most ancient of the inhabitants. She is perfectly48 and, indeed, finely formed. Her age would be about seventy. It is to be noted49 incidentally that the bones show no evidences of gross rheumatic changes nor of other disabling trouble. That an old lady could live for seventy years in a damp cave, in a chilly50 climate, and escape such inconveniences is a sign of her time and of ours.
It is not known at what age Eve died, but if she reached the term of three score years and ten these perfect and undisturbed bones may be imagined to be those of the Mother of Men. Eve is generally depicted51 by the sculptor52 as an elegant lady with a noble Greek face, in which is realised the extreme of refinement53. It would probably be more exact if our first mother were shown in the form of a stalwart woman with the countenance54 of the Australian aborigines or of a Hottentot.
A SIDE STREET IN MENTONE.
The lady of Mentone has around her forearm two bracelets55. They are made of sea shells and are just such as an ingenious child might make while sitting on the beach in an idle summer. One might suppose that the wearer was proud of them, and it may be that vanity in woman and love of dress—or, at least, of jewellery—are born with her. If this be so, it is a pity that the wearer of the bracelets could not have known, in her lifetime, that her cherished ornaments56 would still be on her arm and would still be gazed upon by men 50,000 years after she had ceased to be.
It is a matter of interest and indeed of present envy to note how perfect are the teeth of these early folk, how strong they are, how solidly they are ground down. They must have gnawed57 the bones of the mammoth58, of the cave bear, and of the woolly rhinoceros59, for the remains60 of such animals are abundant in the dust heaps of these caverns. The standard of comfort in the commune of Red Cliff was low, for it has to be recognised that not only did whole families occupy one apartment, but in that apartment they cooked their food, deposited their refuse, and buried their dead.
In looking at these very venerable ancestors it is the face that naturally attracts the greater attention. There is some expression in a skull, an expression of melancholy61 and surprise, with a suggestion of ferocity. Conspicuous62, especially, is the look of wonder, the open mouth, the staring teeth, the solemn, hollow eye sockets63. What images must have been formed within those sunken orbits! Upon what a world must the vanished eyes once have gazed, upon what strange beasts, upon what fantastic glades64 and woods!
When the Red Cliff was inhabited the sea was probably at some distance. From the entry to the cave one would have looked, at one age, over a luxurious65 subtropical country, glaring with heat, and at another era over a land chilled with ice and deep in snow. During the lifetime of the old lady of the bracelets the climate is assumed to have been cold and damp, the climate, indeed, of England at its worst. There must be, therefore, a bond of sympathy between the aged66 dame67 and the present day migrant, who has fled to the Riviera to escape a British winter.
The dwelling places of these very early Riviera visitors are still practically unchanged. We enter by the same portal as they did; we tread the floor they trod, and, looking up, we see the very roof of rock that sheltered them and that they knew so well.
The great cave—the Barma-Grande—has a fine entry, sixty-five feet in height and some thirteen feet in breadth. The cave is still deep, although its length has been curtailed68 by the callous69 quarryman, who has cut away much of the outer face of the cliff to find stone for villas70, railway bridges, and motor garages. The cave narrows down to a smooth-sided cleft27 a few feet wide. This must have been a favourite spot, a cosy71 corner, an easy lounge after a day’s hunting.
The sun passes over the cavern wall as over the face of a dial, moving inch by inch just as it has moved, day by day, for unknown thousands of years. The creeping light serves to record on the rock the passing of time. The cave-wife, busy with flint scraper and unwieldy lumps of mammoth flesh, would note, perhaps with concern, that the sun had already reached a certain grey boss on the wall which told that the height of the day was near and yet that the daily meal was not ready. The sun still falls on the same spot on the wall at the same moment of time, for neither the sun nor the cave has changed.
A SIDE STREET IN MENTONE.
MENTONE: RUE MATTONI.
Just in front of the caves of the Baoussé-Roussé, between their entries and the sea, runs the old Roman road. Compared with the colony of Red Cliff it is a modern affair, for it is only a little more than two thousand years old. It ran from the Forum72 of Rome to Arles, a distance, it is said, of 797 miles. It carried the Roman legions into Gaul. It carried the merchant adventurers from the East, together with as miscellaneous a crowd of wanderers as any road in Europe bears witness of. Many a Roman centurion73 must have rested in these caves, many an Oriental pedlar laden74 with strange wares75, many a man of arms seeking his fortune in the West, with perhaps a troubadour or two, a jester bound to other Courts, or the aimless man who followed the Wandering Jew. Pirates have used these caves for their tragic9 affairs, as well as wreckers and honest fishermen. In more recent times smugglers found hereabout convenient depots76 from which to run their goods across the border; while frontier guards have been posted in these shadows with flintlocks to watch for the unwary buccaneer. Still nearer to the present day one can imagine that the dolorous77 lover has carved his lady’s name upon the wall of the cave by means of a flint implement35 which his uneasy foot had unearthed78 from among the ancient dust of the deserted79 dwelling-place. Could the life and times of the occupants of the Red Cliff be written, from the days of the first inhabitant to the period of to-day, a history of Europe would be provided which could never be excelled for picturesqueness80 nor for vivid detail.
The environment of the old colony is at the moment singularly incongruous. The entrance to the principal cave is walled up and admission thereto can only be obtained by the payment of 2f. per person. A small museum, full of precious bones, stands on the Roman road; a railway tunnel penetrates81 the very heart of the cliff, so that the rumble82 of express trains disturbs the peace of the dead who still lie on the very spot where their bodies were laid long centuries ago. There is a fashionable hotel on the summit of the cliff, and at its foot a popular restaurant. From the depths of the cave the sound of music can be heard when the restaurant is very exuberant83 and is offering especial cheer.
If the old lady with the bracelets were now to stand at the door of her cave on a starry84 night she could see, beyond Mentone, a strange glow in the sky, the glow from the thousand lights of the gaming-rooms of Monte Carlo.
CASTILLON (IN THE SNOW).
CASTILLON: THE ENTRY TO THE TOWN.
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1
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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ancestry
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| n.祖先，家世 | |
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5
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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upheavals
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| 突然的巨变( upheaval的名词复数 )； 大动荡； 大变动； 胀起 | |
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7
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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tragical
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| adj. 悲剧的, 悲剧性的 | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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12
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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13
titanic
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| adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的 | |
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14
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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15
scoured
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| 走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮 | |
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16
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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17
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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18
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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19
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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20
tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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21
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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22
rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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24
cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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26
abodes
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| 住所( abode的名词复数 )； 公寓； （在某地的）暂住； 逗留 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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clefts
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| n.裂缝( cleft的名词复数 )；裂口；cleave的过去式和过去分词；进退维谷 | |
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29
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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30
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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31
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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32
everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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35
implement
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| n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行 | |
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36
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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mythical
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| adj.神话的；虚构的；想像的 | |
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uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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41
gorilla
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| n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手 | |
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gorillas
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| n.大猩猩( gorilla的名词复数 )；暴徒，打手 | |
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leaven
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| v.使发酵；n.酵母；影响 | |
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44
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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45
peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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46
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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47
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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48
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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49
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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50
chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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51
depicted
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| 描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述 | |
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sculptor
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| n.雕刻家，雕刻家 | |
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53
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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54
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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55
bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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56
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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57
gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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58
mammoth
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| n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的 | |
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rhinoceros
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| n.犀牛 | |
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60
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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62
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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63
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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64
glades
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| n.林中空地( glade的名词复数 ) | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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curtailed
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| v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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callous
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| adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的 | |
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70
villas
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| 别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅 | |
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cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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72
forum
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| n.论坛，讨论会 | |
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73
centurion
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| n.古罗马的百人队长 | |
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74
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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wares
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| n. 货物, 商品 | |
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depots
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| 仓库( depot的名词复数 )； 火车站； 车库； 军需库 | |
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dolorous
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| adj.悲伤的；忧愁的 | |
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78
unearthed
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| 出土的（考古） | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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80
picturesqueness
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81
penetrates
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| v.穿过( penetrate的第三人称单数 )；刺入；了解；渗透 | |
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82
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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83
exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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