Mont Blanc Province had been incorporated into France in 1792. Most of the province was mountainous. Though there were signs of cultivation in the valleys, they could not compare with the fertile banks of the Po River. Most farmers had to seek extra income abroad, which led to the development of Mont Blanc's transport trade. Some went to Paris and Lyon for work during the winter. If they were unlucky and could not find employment, they took up chimney cleaning instead.
The soil higher up the mountains was much poorer and could not support farmland, so herdsmen grazed their flocks on the slopes. Valais sheep were actually a kind of glacial mountain goat. Georgiana had examined Sean's hooves; they possessed the characteristics of goats.
Once torrential rain washed away the already barren soil, only exposed rock remained, capable of growing little more than grass. Strong north winds made the local climate cold, and because the high peaks blocked the way, vast glaciers accumulated there. Winter lasted a very long time. Yet the Alps were rich in game. The bears there were somewhat larger than those in the Pyrenees, and France's mounted chasseurs were recruited mainly from these two regions.
Simple, innocent people lived amid this magnificent scenery, as though the lofty mountains protected them from the ruin brought by civilization. Few engaged in the fur trade like the Native Americans of North America. Hunting supplemented their food and was a source of masculine pride. In winter, bears hid away, but grouse still came out, and hunters pursued them through the snow.
Literacy rates in the Alpine valleys were also high. Compared with the nationwide male illiteracy rate of 73 percent, even young shepherds could read and write. This was caused by the area's distinctive "migrant culture." Teachers wandered through the