PARIS, _June 20, 1853_.
From San Sebastian to Irun, the first frontier town on the high road
to Madrid, we rode along the coast through a wild, scraggy, shrubby
country. At that place I was relieved of my Spanish passport, and
_visé_ for France with an additional charge of two francs. We soon
crossed a small stream which separates the two countries; the little
bridge was guarded on each side by sentinels, one of whom examined the
passport to see if it was properly _visé_ to leave Spain, the
other if it was _en règle_ to enter France. We were accompanied as
far as the frontier by two distinguished refugees from France, who had
received a visit from their families at the first town, but dared not
cross the line under pain of transportation to Cayenne.
I had previously met with several in different parts of Spain, who had
narrowly escaped by crossing the Pyrenees, exposed to hunger, cold, and
exhaustion. Over this bridge had passed half a million of French troops
during the invasion of Spain under Buonaparte, half of whom never
returned alive. The luggage once examined at the frontier custom-house,
a few hours carried us to Bayonne, through a rich and cultivated soil,
with fine houses dotting the country, so unlike the uncultivated wastes
in the interior of Spain. Bayonne is an old, walled, seaport town, of
considerable commerce, situated upon both banks of the Duoro, with
shady ramparts and pleasant wooded environs. Its citadel was the key
of Marshal Soult’s position in 1814, and was the scene of one of the
most bloody conflicts between the English and French, which cost the
lives of two thousand men. Here the Bayonnais used their knives in the
muzzles of their muskets, which gave them the name of bayonets, and
introduced that weapon in modern warfare. A few miles from Bayonne is
Biaritz, much resorted to for sea-bathing; the shore is high, rocky,
and iron-bound, but the bays are sandy, and the village, with its snug
cottages and tenements, has somewhat the air of our own Cape May.
From Bayonne I diverged to the east to Oleron, along the base of
the Pyrenees, in order to visit Pau, a place much frequented by
foreigners for the mildness of its climate, and to make excursions to
the celebrated watering-places. Pau is a lovely and attractive spot;
its natural scenery is the admiration of all visitors; the beautiful
chateau of Henry IV. is in the centre, upon a very commanding position.
It is now undergoing repairs, and preparing for the reception of the
French emperor in July.
Les Eaux Bonnes, the favored resort of the Countess Montejo, the
present empress, and Les Eaux Chaudes, or hot springs, are situated in
the mountain gorges of the towering Pyrenees, where we found excellent
hotels, and all the recreations and diversions, and agreeable winding
walks which nature and art can contrive, and which induce thousands of
fashionables and invalids to resort thither during the hot months of
summer.
The bathing establishments are on a stupendous scale. The valleys are
teeming with a numerous and industrious population in their simple
garb, and we see women and children with their simple utensils of
husbandry in hand; the little patches are worked by hand, as the land
is divided in small parcels, and frequently women are seen holding
the scratching sort of plough, while the husband takes the place of
the horse, or vice versa, when the representative of the animal is
fatigued. These simple peasantry, who are buried in snow six months of
the year, now employ every moment of their time to provide their winter
supplies. They look forward with great pleasure to the arrival of the
empress in July.
From Pau, in another direction, a distance of forty miles, lies Tarbe,
a considerable town in a beautiful valley. I stopped there to visit
the Hara, a government establishment which contains one hundred and
twenty of the finest horses in France, imported from Europe, Asia,
and Africa, for the improvement of the race. Thence I proceeded to
the baths of Bagniere de Bigore, a pleasant town, famous for its
hot ferruginous baths, and greatly resorted to. The largest marble
manufacturing establishment I had ever visited, I found here, employing
some one hundred and fifty hands. The great variety of marble found in
the Pyrenees enables the stone-cutters to work to great advantage; the
execution is on a larger scale than in the mines of Carrara, in Italy,
where a large population is employed, but upon smaller work. Here the
huge blocks are sawed by water power, and the work, from heavy altar
pieces down to ladies’ ornaments, is skilfully and delicately wrought.
Not unlike our Kentucky farmers, who produce large droves of mules for
the Southern States, the mountaineers here derive a handsome profit
from the raising of these animals for the Spanish markets. In France
horses are almost universally in use, while in Spain the hardy mule
endures better the coarse fare of the road. In making my excursions
I found myself reduced from a Spanish diligence with eight or ten
mules, to a pair of horses and caleche, as the summer lines were not
yet established. Another twenty hours’ ride from Pau, brought me to
Bordeaux, upon the banks of the Garonne--the city most renowned in
France for its wines, and having an extended commerce to all parts of
the world. Bordeaux will soon be in direct connexion with Paris, by
means of railroad, a distance of some three hundred and fifty miles,
in ten to twelve hours. I found that the city had improved extensively
since I visited it in 1847. It was then a fatiguing ride by diligence,
but it will soon be a pleasant trip from Paris. Instead of returning by
the same route, I descended the river by steamer to Blaze, and thence
passed through the beautiful grape districts en route to Rochefort,
famous for its arsenal; there, as well as at Toulon, the French marine
is seen in its perfection. The town is regularly planned, with wide
streets, well-paved sidewalks, and large gardens laid out in miniature,
in the form of the Tuileries of Paris. The walls or ramparts are
planted with shade trees, which have attained an immense size, and form
beautiful promenades.
The head-gear of the peasant women is the most peculiar in France. They
wear plain white or embroidered caps upon a form suited to the head,
rising eighteen inches in height, the top extended like a fan; the
elderly women are more moderate in their patterns, but the young girls
seem to rival each other in the quantity and quality of the floating
material. The next town en route is La Rochelle, in striking contrast
to Rochefort for cleanliness and beauty. Its commerce consists chiefly
in the exportation of brandies, as the region of country about Cogniac
is almost exclusively devoted to and dependent upon the spirit trade.
From La Rochelle I proceeded to Nantes, one of the principal cities of
France, situated upon the Loire. I arrived on a Sunday morning, and
large preparations had been made for a church festival and procession
from the cathedral. Nantes, like all other towns in France, as well
as Spain, has its octroi duties, and every article of consumption
pays its tribute at the gates, for the municipal support of the city.
The conductor of the mail coach had carefully concealed a leg of
mutton and a basket of peas for his festival dinner. His negative
reply to the general question, if he had anything to declare, did not
satisfy the officer, who, after a diligent search amongst the luggage,
brought out the unfortunate treasure, which was put upon the scales,
weighed, and taxed, much to the annoyance of its owner, as well as
the detention of the passengers and mail. The houses and balconies of
several streets were hung with tapestry, and adorned with garlands of
natural and artificial flowers, immense altars with gold and silver
tinsel ornaments occupying the angles and squares through which the
procession passed, with long lines of musicians, the military, the
church, and civil officers, followed by a thousand girls in white robes
and veils--all got up with French delicacy and taste; it had a happy
effect. At Nantes I first availed myself of the railroad, as I had
made a long detour along the coast in order to visit the places named,
avoiding other cities on the main route which I had formerly visited.
It was with no small satisfaction that I took the express train, at the
rate of forty miles per hour, for Angers, an antiquated city within,
surrounded by a boulevard of noble trees upon the former rampart. It
has a famous castle of immense size, built by the Roi d’Augon; it
covers a large surface, and has seventeen towers. A fair was held there
at the time, which attracted a large concourse of people. My next
stopping point was at Amboise, where I visited the chateau which was
the property of the Orleans family; it is eligibly and magnificently
situated upon the banks of the Loire, and is a perfect fortress in
itself. Here was shown the apartments where Abd-el Kader and his suite
were confined nearly six years, as his captivity in the chateau of
Henry IV., at Pau, was of short duration. The gardens and grounds, upon
an elevation more than one hundred feet, are very picturesque, and here
he delighted to pass most of his time. In one corner of the grounds
which he occupied are seen the mounds of twenty-six out of ninety Arabs
who died during their confinement. The country through which I passed
was the garden of France. It was a continuous village; the cultivation
was close, and the small farms abounded in products of every variety;
vineyards and fruit were in profusion: cottages and farm-houses were
almost within gun-shot of each other. From Amboise I continued by
railroad to Tours, which contains one of the finest cathedrals in
France. The fast line soon carried me to Blois, to visit its famous
chateau, partly restored under the administration of Louis Philippe;
the interior wood-work, painting, and gilding, are of the most choice
execution. From Blois to the modern and unfinished chateau de Chambord,
belonging to Henry V., the present legitimate incumbent to the French
throne, is five leagues distant from the main route. I was well repaid
for my ride. The structure is gigantic, the style of architecture
is of varied character, and is a souvenir of monuments of different
European ages, as well as Oriental styles. The buildings were never
finished, but appropriations have been made by government to continue
the work. The grounds inclosed occupy about eight miles square, with
several villages of tenantry. Orleans, the next large city en route,
has one of those mammoth Gothic cathedrals so much bepraised; but I
have spoken so frequently of the works of art, that the subject must
have become tiresome to you. The city was full to overflowing, and with
much difficulty I procured quarters; the agricultural and horticultural
fair and cattle-show produced such multitudes as we see in our own
State. Finally, I was not a little rejoiced to return to Paris, after
the fatigue of a somewhat protracted voyage. I might have gone into
detailed accounts and filled several sheets since I last wrote you, but
I desisted, as my eyes have not recovered their full force since I left
the glare and dust of Madrid. I expect to leave Paris the early part of
July, on my way home.
1854.