The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-10 00:00:00

The Bayonne Exhibition,

(prom the Times Correspondent.)
BAYONNE, Oct. 5.
International Exhibitions, as was once said of the
" immortal principles of '89," are likely to make the
tour of the world. This year there has been a Franco-
Spanish one in Bayonne, which has only just closed;
and San Sebastian, if of its time-honoured fortifica-
tions the last stone is removed, purposes to return
the compliment. It is not likely, however, that
Bayonne will soon imitate the Spanish town in the
demolition of its ramparts and redoubts. It still
maintains its old device, numquanz polluta, and, like
Peronne, is proud of its supposed immunity from
the trials to which other strong places have been
exposed. If certain local chronicles are entitled to
belief, Bayonne stands on the site of the Lapurdum
of antiquity; and it would seem that Lapurdum had
no such creditable mottoes to show, for we are told
that in the Basque language Lapurduna means no.
thing more or less than the " city of thieves," a cha-
racter which the modern town certainly deserves as
little as any other agglomeration of 26,000 souls.
Bayonne—baiu-ona, the Basque for goodbay— was,
as everybody knows, for 300 years or so in posses-
sien of the English. Its annal speaks of its having
been besieged, and besieged unsuccessfully, though
considerably maltreated, 13 or 14 times. It was here
that Catherine of Medicis and Charles IX. concocted
with the Duke of Alba the St. Bartholomew massa-
cre; and the Bayonese record with just pride the
answer which Adriane d'Apremont, Count of Orthes,
then governor of their town, made to the request
for his co-operation towards that bloody work :
Sire,—l have laid your Majesty's commands before the
loyal inhabitants and the men-at-arms of this garrison. I
have found only honourable citizens and valiant soldiers,
but not a single assassin. Wherefore, they and I, Sire,
most humbly supplicate your Majesty to be pleased to em-
ploy our arms and our lives in deeds that are possible, how
dangerous soever they be ; and in executing them we shall
shed the last drop of our blood.

It is a pity to distarb the faith in such traditions,
but sceptics, who take pleasure in throwing doubt
upon everything, deny that there is warrant for the
boast, but that, like other well-known and neatly-
turned sayings, such as that of Henri IV. and the
poule au pot, Louis XIV. and the suppression of the
Pyrenees, Mirabeau's to the summons of the Marquis
de Dreux Brers in the States General, and even
Cambronne's "sublime" reply to the English at
Waterloo, it is more flattering than true. It is cer-
tain, however, that the Grand Monarque took
Bayonne on his way to St. Jean de Luz, where he
went to get married to Marie Teresa of Spain ; and
the ruins of the Chateau of Marrac hard by mark
the spot where the Royal family of Spain, the
wittol Charles IV., his worthless Queen, and the
" black-eyed youth Godoy" fell into the hands of a
still greater monarch.
Of all fortified places that I have any experience
of Bayonne is decidedly the least stern to look at.
Its drawbridges are passed at all hours of the day
and night, in summer and winter, autumn and
spring; and its gates are ever open. The moat
that surrounds the walls is chiefly frequented by
vagrants of eight or ten years old, who spend hours
in the fruitless attempt to fish in its muddy and
shallow water with cart whips for rods and crooked
pins for hooks; and the inoffensive conscript who
mounts guard hard by look more than half disposed
to join them. Redoubts, half-moons, curtains, &c.,
all terrible on paper, here seem made only for re-
posing upon, and the soft verdure which covers
the slopes of the earthworks suggests a siesta. It
is actually on the glacis of this pacific-looking for-
tress that the International Exhibition was erected.
It is a temporary structure of wood and canvas,

lighted from the top with a lofty portico of the
same fragile material, decorated with the arms of
France, Paris, Madrid, and the Spanish provinces
represented by their products. The said portico was
somewhat shorn of its proportions a fortnight ago,
having been blown down one night,and its restora-
tion was only partial. In one respect it resembled
other Exhibitions of far greater pretensions. It was
announced to open on the 10th of July, but was not
complete for some time after the official inaugura-
tion. A number of huts soon sprung up round the
main building, like the camp followers that are found
hanging on the flanks and rear of an army ; and
the merry-go-rounds, shooting galleries, portable
billiard tables, inoffensive animals described as
ferocious, and good-naturedly accepted as fresh
horn the jungle; rope-dancers in pink muslin, mid.
dle-aged, and a trifle too ponderous for the profes-
sion ; warriors bearded like the pard, enacting the
battle of Soiferino and the capture of Palikao ; the

indispensable vivandiere planting the tricolour on a
Chinese fortress, and the Sister of Charity tending
a wounded Zouave—all these attractions caught too
successfully, I fear, the attention of the young and
thoughtless, and were not without effect in divert-
ing even staid persons from the more serious object
before them. Financial considerations might, it is
true, have been the cause of the rare attendance

for the first few weeks. The admission was 2f. on
Friday, half a franc on Thursday, and lf. on other
days. Two francs even in Paris would make people
hesitate; and how much more so in a provincial
town P The tariff, however, was reduced to 50c.
or half a franc, with the exception of one day in
the week when a franc was charged.

The Bayonne Exhibition, though not to be
spoken of the same day as that of Paris, and some-
what mean and tawdry in its external appearance,
was not without interest. In the large courtyard,
by which the public entered, stood a crucifix of
colossal size in blue granite, and which was allowed
by competent judges to display considerable merit,
particularly when it was known that it was the
production of a quarryman named Henrot. Some
well-known Paris houses, perhaps in the expects.
tion of the visit of the Court to Bayonne, as usual,
sent some fine, I will not say their best, specimens.
Among the goldsmiths' work Froment-Menrice ex•
hibited portions of a dinner service made for the
Pasha of Egypt, and valued at 600,000 f. ; a ciboire,
or Communion cup, from the design, it is said, of a
Polish lady, presented by her to the Church of Pan;
a rich and exquisitely sculptured chalice ; a second
one, encrusted with rubies and turquoise; and a tea
service for the Empress of the French. Christofie,
of Paris, also sent specimens of silver-gilt articles of
the same kind; Clessinger and Fremiet their
bronzes, and in ironwork groups of statues for folio.
tains, dogs and horses' heads as ornaments for ken-
nels and stables. One gallery was devoted to the
Aubusson tapestry of Requillart and Cloquart and
porcelain of Bordeaux manufacture. Tissues of
various kinds, house furniture, musical instruments
of every variety, metals, ores, agricultural products,
ploughs of many forms, machinery, cotton from
Algeria, minerals, grain, specimens of hard wood
from Africa of dark colour and capable of high
polish, cedars of Lebanon 400 years old, specimens
of Paris pottery, imitations of Italian majolica, &c.,
filled several galleries. Though the Exhibition
professed to be Franco-Spanish, yet Spain did not
contribute much in the way of natural products,
reserving herself perhaps for the San Sebastian one
promised for next year. Still there were in the
agricultural section a few samples of Malaga and
Logrono wines, which it was a pity one could only
look at, and the wheat, rye, and maize of Cordova
seemed to be of the very finest quality.
In an annexe, which was opened only three weeks
ago, was the flower and fruit show. Of both there
were some fine specimens, and nothing could be
finer than the grapes and pears from the gardens of
the Casa Caradoc, a property close to Bayonne, be.
longing to Lord Howden ; those of Biandos, the pro-
perty of M. Basterriche, Receiver-General of the
department; and those supplied from the gardens
of M. Le Beuf, of Bayonne.
Neither has Spain been very brilliant in the fine

arts department. If one may form an estimate of
modern talent from the specimens sent to this half-
Spanish exhibition, the countrymen of Velasquez,
Morales, Ribeira, and Murillo have sadly degene■
rated. There was a fall length portrait of Queen
Isabella, coarse, heavy, and commonplace, by M:
Louis Madrayo. Side by side with Royalty is a
portrait which many who never saw the King Con-
sort believed to be his Majesty's, but which is said
to be that of the painter himself. A dance in the
court-yard of a posada by M. Fieros was excellent
in its way, and his picture of the noble cathedral of
Burgos and a chapel of that of Toledo have much
of the poetry of the sacred edifices of Spain. In
this department, too, Paris contributes something
—two portraits by Ricard, sketches of scenery in
France and the East, by MM. Courbcr, Core), and
Brest, and, as a specimen of historical painting,
Corneille reading one of his tragedies in the Hotel
Rambouillet. Bayonne boasts of two painters—
MM. Za and Bonuat. A Neapolitan beggar-boy,
by the latter, is remarkably well done, and attracted
much attention. "Mezzo bajocco, E:zelenza," are
on his lips, eye, and extended hand, and your
fist movement was to put your ham-, in your pocket
and give him a few sous. Bordeaux and Lyons
sent some gocd landscapes, and among other objects
of art were sketches in water-colours by the late
Eugene de la Croix, photographs, &c.
Not much was done, I fear, in the way of busi•
ness by the exhibitors. I suspect that the one who
attracted most customers was a little French boy,
who kept a stall for the sale of knife sharpeners at
from 2f. to sf. a piece, and who was scarcely 11
years old. One could not pass his stall without
stopping to have a chat with him, as he stood
behind his counter dressed in a blue military tunic
with tiny gold epaulettes, a cap called a " bonnet
pelisse," and a little s mord hanging up peacefully
i❑ its little steel scabbard behind him. There was
nothing of pertness or forwardness in his manner.
He was polite to everybody; answered readily all
the questions put to him ; dwelt on the excellence
of his wares, testing them by experiments which
seemed to be conclusive. He spoke French so as to
be easily understood, with, of course, a decidedly
English accent ; and his mistakes, such as " tutoy-
ing" everyone who converses with him, gave it&
nite amusement to the bystanders. With all his
intelligence he was quite a child. When not ena
gaged in business he amused him self like a child.
On the whole the Bayonne Exhibition, though it
may turn out profitable as a speculation, was highly
creditable, particularly when we consider that it is
its first attempt in this way. No doubt the ex-
pected presence of the Emperor and Empress en■
couraged exhibitors to send some of the best speei4
mens of their industry,and the disappointment was
considerable. But, however hurtful to their inte-
rests, the absence of the Court seemed to make

little difference so far as Biarritz was concerned.
No doubt the score or two of persons attached
directly or indirectly to the Court were missed this
summer, but for the last six weeks and more Biar•
ritz was as peopled with visitors pretty much as
in previous years, The opening of the railroad
between Bayonne and San Sebastian, and the
completion of the line to Madrid, not to speak of
the Exhibition, had raised extravagant hopes of
an enormously crowded season, which were by no
means realised. What is called the season is over,
yet up to the present many still linger in and about
Biarritz. And it is no wonder, for the sky is as
blue, the sun as bright, and the temperature as
warm as in July. The Port Vieux, the Cote des
Barques, and the Cates des Foux, or, as it is now
called, the Cote Napoleon, were still frequented by
bathers. Those who do not swim, but prefer to lie
on the pure white sand, and let the breakers tumble
over them, those who prefer a plunge fromlthe rock
and strike out to sea, may indulge in that most
healthy pleasure at any spot and at all hours of the
day. The water is the purest in the world, and at
the lowest tide you have no mud to wade through.
to get to it, but a fine sandy beach,
Few persons now come to this part of the Pyre..
nees without paying a visit to Spain, were it only as
far as Irun, Fontainbin, San Sebastian, or Loyola,
the birthplace of the founder of the Jacuits, whose
convent still stands in that lovely valley. The line
runs from Bayonne through one of the most piz-
turesque countries imaginable—Bidart, Guetary, St,
Jean de Luz, where it crosses the Neville; and Hen-
daya on the Bidassoa, from which you can almost
look into Fontarabia, skirts the sea coast, and con-

tinues its wayaloug valleys and slopes whose verdure
not even the July or August sun can impair. The
first view caught of the little to;vn of Passages is at
an opening of the road ; it suddenly appears rising
out of its little bay, locked in between the Jaizquilet
and Ulia hills, and the old castle of San Sebastian
in the distance is one of the most charming imta.
ginable. On the other hand, the approach to Bay-
onne by the valleys of the Nive and Adonr, with
the slopes covered with handsome villas peeping out

from the luxuriant foliage, and remarkable among
the fine mansions, the Caso Caradoc of Lord
Howden, situated on the brow of the valley, with
its terraces glittering in the sun, its fair gardens,
and its sloping lawns. Near this place the Nive is
crossed by.a bridge 83 metres long, and the Adonr
by one of 268 metres. From Bayonne and San.
Sebastian, and vice versa, there are three trains
daily—one at 6 a.m., and one at 3 p.m., ead one at
6 p.m. The trip takes two hours and a half, in 4
eluding the indispensable delay at the Spanish and
French Customehouses, the former at Irun, and the
latter at Hendays.
As I write the weather threatens a change. We
have just had a thunderstorm of some violence with
rain in abundance, but the temperature still warm.
A few days' continuous rain would clear Biarritz of
its remaining visitors.

Foreign Mail Packet List.

MAILS DUE.

Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton Oct. 19.
via Marseilles ... Oct. 13.
Brazil and Cape Verde, by British packet. Nov. 4.
Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena Oct. 29.
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton Oct. 19.
via Marseilles Oct. 13.:
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar, via Southampton Oct. 11.
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Oct. 19.
. _ _

_ .
via Marseilles Oct, 13.
India (Bombay), via Southampton Oct. 11.
via Marseilles Oct. 6.
Portugal . Nov. 4.
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Oct. 11.
via Marseilles Oct. 6.
Newfoundland . . Oct. 12.
Oporto and Vigo:
U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... Oct. 12.
by U.S. packet....
by Canadian packet. Oct. 7.
All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, 1 Oct. 14.
California. and British Columbia.

TILE MASTER OF MARTON. A novel. 3
" There is a good deal to admire in ' The Master of Marton'
It is well written, and it has an interesting plot. It will
take a very high place among the novels of the seasca
The character of the heroine is most admirably drawn. The
growth of her intelligence, the first yielding to hasty im-
pulses, and the subsequent steadying down to a beautiful,
cheerful, kind, loving woman, are excellently worked out;
and the same may be said of almost every character in the
book—there is not one upon whom the greatest care has not
been bestowed. The dialogue throughout is good, speaking
everywhere with geniality and wit."—Star.

TIIE HORSES OF PIIIDIAS, says M. Berjeau, are
of the pure Arabian race, although, when compared
with the present type, their head is more square and larger.
When the horseman is on foot his breast is at a level with
the head of the horse; when on horseback his feet are lower
than its knee. Here the neck of the Greek horse is strong
and muscular, his shoulders are well set, the breast deep,
the joints strong, dry, and admirably perpendicnlar ; the
back is short, and the tail carried with a peculiar elegance.
The mans is generally cut brush-wise, while the tail is long
and floats freely in the brecza. The horseman wants neither
saddle nor stirrups, and under his directions the horse is
either racing or cantering in a gentle gallop. But no mat-
trr what motion the artist may have chosen to depict, his
marble horses are almost really living. Their admirable
proportions and fine bearing, no doubt, caused them to find
favour in the eyes, and mercy at the hands, of the Mussul-
man devastators, whose fanaticism so sadly mutilated the
heads of the horsemen, wore particularly perhaps Lecause
the representation of men is prohibited by the Alcoran.
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