The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-19 00:00:00

THE HEIR OP FRANCE AT BIARRITZ.

An interesting letter from Biarritz, published in
Galignani, is devoted to a description of the amuses
ments of the Prince Imperial at this fashionable
watering place.
The Imperial residence, it is stated, stands on an
eminence,on the tourist's right as he enters the town
from Bayonne. A deep hollow separates the grounds
ffom the buildings of Biarritz, so that they are en-
tirely isolated from the bustle of the watering-place.
The villa is a large oblong building, apparently
containing considerable accommodation, and sur-
rounded with lawns laid cut in the English fashion.
The lawn from the villa on the town side slopes
down somewhat abruptly to the
ofsward,
be ach l,
which
however, at the bottom a wide piece
is shut out from public access by a ha-ha, defended
by a strong wooden railing all round, to prevent
accidents. Outside is an extensive green, at present
somewhat injured in colour by dust and light sand,
on which the fashionable world of Biarritz congre-
gate each afternoon to listen to the band of the regi-
ment quartered close by, to show off a collection of
costumes unrivalled for expensive eccentricity and
extravagance of colour, and most of all to have the
satisfaction of often being very nearly in the cents
pany of the Empress and the Prince Imperial. In
fact, the piece of sward of which I spoke above is
the very spot on which the youngPrinco comes each
afternoon to take healthy exercise with young com-
panions of his own age, or rather somewhat older,
for the majority seem to be from about eight to
thirteen. When I walked down yesterday after-
noon about five to the place where the band was
playing, the ground outside was thronged with
fashionables walking about or seated, whilst inside
were to be seen a considerable number of children,
of both sexes, amusing themselves according to
their phantasy. In the midst of the boys was the
young Prince, and as I remained for some time
close to the scene, I was able to form a tolerably ac-
curate judgment of his health, strength, and general
bearing. I should mention that a bridge is thrown
over the water at one point, and there two guar
dians were posted to admit every child without
exception, provided he or she seemed by dress and
appearance to belong to the more respectable classes
of society. In fact, the latitude thus given is a first
step toward imparting a popular character to the
young Prince's education, and admirably calculated
to give him self-reliance, and to accustom him to
form a judgment for himself. The girls were in-
finitely more numerous than the boys, and, like the
latter, ranged in age from eight to thirteen. The
ostensible motive of the aggregation in both cases
was youthful exercise, but the girls in almost every
case seemed more fitly attired for a, matinee dan-
sante. Nothing could exceed the extravagance of
their dress, and as to play—in the frank, genial, and
honest meaning of that delightful word—it was
utterly out of the question. And so, the young ladies
—I dare not designate them children—assembled
apart, a little way up the grounds, but during the
whole time I was there scarcely indulged in a single
rue, so afraid they appeared to spoil or tumble their
fine clothes. With the boys, the case was different,
although they, too, were overdressed. The ne plus
ultra of a boy's habiliment I have always heard to
be such an attire as permits him themost complete
command of all his movements, without bearing too
much the mark of any casual tumble or accident, at
the same time that it sets off the youthful person in
the prevailing mode. But of all the gay and joyful
company there collected, no one's dress came up to
the definition just given so completely as that of the
youthful Prince. He wore a dark-coloured suit of
light material (alpaca, it struck me), short jacket
and basque trousers, something like what we call
in England knickerbockers, with dark stockings,
striped with violet crossways, and neat light ancle-
boots—a black and white straw hat with black
band, the ends flying behind, completed his attire.
He played with evident zest, and I never saw a
child of his age have more command of his limbs.
He is a particularly swift runner, and from the ease
of his movements ho gave me the idea of regular
discipline by dancing or gymnastics. He is a far
better-looking boy than anyone would suppose from
his portraits, which convey the idea of heaviness
in the upper part of the face, whereas the real cha-
racteristic of his look is open frankness and light-
heartedness. He certainly appears a particularly
happy child, full of life, and eager for a game. Ho
has a fine blue eye and white regular teeth, gleam-
ing out brightly when he smiles, which was rather
frequently when any incident of the play struck
his fancy. The boys were engaged in some-
thing like prison-bars, and the young Prince took
his part fairly and readily with the rest. I saw no
favour from the others because of his elevated sta-
tion ; all passed as may be constantly seen among
the children of any educational establishment. A
chair was placed a little apart for the Prince, in
case he might like to rest, and he repaired to it
occasionally, but so likewise did other boys ; and I
several times saw two of them on it together. Once
the chair tumbled over as the Prince laid hold of it,
and he very unconcernedly seated himself on the
back part as it rested on the ground, and after-
wards raised his body a little in the air by strength
of arm, the hands resting on the seat. There was,
in fact, a visible superabundance of animal spirits
which tried various devices to throw itself off. The
I stood there I saw no interference
whatever with the Prince—all was the happy and
uwnhhraoetsleetrvietcrinie ted amusement of boyhood. I did not per-
ceive the Empress, but some lady of the Court was
seated in the grounds a little way distant, near a
rustic bridge, and seemed to be the point of attrac-
tion to the girls. There was no other grown per..
soninside the enclosure, and only one gentleman
passed through across the bridge during the time
I remained. My time being up, I withdrew, car-
rying with me the idea, when thinking of the young
Prince, of a fine healthy, frank, intelligent boy, of
whom any parent might be proud, whatever his
rank in life.

SUBTERRANEOITS RIVERS, like the one traversed
by Sinbad the Sailor in the " Arabian Nights' En-
tertainments."—Rivers, sometimes those of considerable
size, are often seen suddenly disappearing by plunging into
the bowels of the earth, then suddenly reappearing a little
further on, and filling anew their bed which they had left
dry. Frequent examples of these geological peculiarities are
met with in Spain, in Asiatic Turkey, in Northern Africa,
and in Greece. In these countries a considerable number
of rivers is found whose exterior flow exists only during the
rainy season, whilst they have a subterraneous flow which
is permanent. Hence that denomination of Rio Seco, or
dry river so common in the hydrography of Spain, and that
of Oued-Beba-El-Ma, which in Arab expresses the same
idea, These dry rivers, or rivers without water, present,
for the most part, the aspect of sandy paths ; but if we dig
into the sand to a greater or less depth we find water which
proceeds from the subterraneous lbw that never ceases.
It is this permanence of the subterraneous flow which dis-
tinguishes these rivers from ordinary torrents. The banks
of the Rica Secos, or Oueds are for the most part indicated
by lines of verdure formed mainly by tamarisks and rose
laurels, agreeably contrasting with the aridity, sometimes
very great, of the countries which the rivers traverse. The
total absorption of rivers which the earth again dashes forth
after they have flowed for some time under its surface, offers
sometimes an imposing spectacle. The Porte du 111°"'
i
In othern-
between Geneva and Lyons, is an example.,
stances, on the contrary, the rivers skulk out of sight awk,
Nsardly and prosaically like a timid and clownish man try..
ing to find his way through a half-opened door. The Meuso,
in the upper part of its course, illustrates this. Finally, it
occasionally happens that the current, like a graceful young
girl playing at hide-and-seek, vanishes it ito the hollows of
a lovely landscape, then bounds forth age in from the midst
of thickets of verdure. This is what takes place with the
Guadiana near the village of Villa 13dabia. in Andalusia,
called in the locality Los Ojos de GU ledana—the Eyes of
Guadiana.

FRIGHTFUL DEATH.—A very shocking accident
occurred at Selston, Notts, on T hursday last. It ap-
pears that a man named Timothy Coleman and his wife
were walking down the gangway a L Selston. Some waggons
were running along, and it is sup posed that he was jump-
ing into the last one, when he sr ,piled and fell down, some
of the wheels passing over his I head, part of which was all
but cut off. Both his hands ar
,d arms were frightfully muti-
lated, and he was taken up q' lite dead. His wife was a
short distance off and did nc t. see the accident occur. lie
Am left:a family of Aye au 4ren,