The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1865-02-28
the KOURIGAN,
A TALE OF BRITTANY.

We soon len the pre., moor behind. cur ocur-t
'c.shng through scenery completely dihereni' mo
suIl not less remarkable. Al frst we paced innu-
mersbls moadovs that wcr, ounded on re loN
BY stately potlars and sier-vees, through the
foliage n which gl'tered white sails and streaming
pendantFL which bespoke vicinity " the Loire
we next passed waving corn helds the rlains of
~ Sazaire. Then The sandy wastes Of E-couhlse.
Here the me snov-vhie sand formed an endless
number Of hi's and valleys and often piled in
10 the mnet fantastic shape, whrled IN into
lotv columns ~ the ever-shh ng storm On the
lower ground there occasiCnnlly sp esred lakes "
hraokish water, IN which the blue sky and the
heeting clouds were clearly rnirrored while,
clover ohssrvation, the foss shells u re-tnne
deposit were 10 ~ seen upon their banks. Tre on
u vegetation here WAS sre1cs Of large thistle
and s,it-ry clumrs of p,le-srcen PUSHES There
vs- no cultivation, nor single human habitsuon.
No sound ~ life VAS n he heard except the cry ~
Kind Of small soa-srul, which mounted up q
svrrt-s now IN one place. I, " in smother. rs "
driven 60 snd no ny he tempest each time that
they tried ~ eettle down. Il was long before ws
got npse nj tie sen but We heard the sound OF
rs rolling vAveN ~ they hr' Ee upon the shore,
'cretimes distinctly, then again m distant mur-
nurs, accord nc ~ our rold Lesrcr rece 'cd from
| thc vet unseen coast from the highest 81 these
hills arose SOLITARY tree The only one this desert
shore produces l. r1atks Hrot where tn Oh rch
and clurchvnrd n TIE ancient f. w 81 Tscoitlsc
| once stoua. The homes who have been lsii rere-
To- rest a. ~ M NJ doubt suppose are now strev
The entire dcclvtv 81 the hi L from which they
constantly Ipired shout hv the restless fury ~
/ re t'mptr'. Pierre LOUIS POINTED ont TO me tho
spot where hc remembers 30 have seen, IN his child
hood, the top Of the 'tceIle pcepng rom above ths
sand
! II Rl'tle valley rirr'uu1cd BY several of t-css
| dr,'toi ll's, fni 10 sheltered ihst somo ser1t'o
p'r's were actually irwin 60 exist tatrc, we pro
/ posed 20 rest for while. Jcgnus was short eRv
tc'ore Ne shc seor0ed 10 he uViously awaiting our
| spTr Nah - she sat rnusnc stone, " iCh ap-
ncired 10 have teeu laced Tor the convenieucd
NJ travellers by some unknoSn hcneactor, ant had
ev'"enly been carried rom great distance, ~ 10
| was the only one g. te seen far and vidc. THIS
stone, e v'Itl ono side was rough -hew-u may pro
hatly N onlv frasmont noH vsi le, q the N" n
0hlch lies tir ed boz the shui when We had srn-
| vel a. THIS res'ing.pa,e ., AMI were Gismountng,
made An att mt 10 thecr up Jeanne ~ some pass
| inr Joke but she s:ddculv interrupted me- as 500
| srrrrg uT and rointing 10 spot near her, crlnt
/ out In terrified voice" Look thcro-look, tns
| X lrgAn." We eagerly turned 10 that part oi ths
ground on which her gazsd was rlvltteha and oes'r-
voi that the hne sand had been carefully smooihe1
ana pressed firmly down. while on this hat surface
| were trace letters. and somewhat Wnr.c-looKlnS
characters. Heaven protect usr exclaimed Pierre
| LOUIS; "it - yoUr name, Jeanne 'soitls, 70 70
| sure!'-I Observed, sceins that Jcanne remoled
| ron head to foot, and leaned on her husband -
| sh" buried her fac on hi shoulder tut what 10
| there terrifying in that, and what has II " 90
| with you- trcsome KouuCau! IL merely proves
| that more people than we have discovered thn
Jeanne not only the best. hut also the haudaoulea
| woman b. . seen between NsnDes anu Naies-Ihat
IS. " our Jeanne - the AR one tcsgn1td ana noi
| any OF err Of he tcn thousand Jcannes whom this
| country NAV contain"
| Pierre Louis WIS evidently much difqu.ete', but
he " ed by some rather unreasonable les 10 calm
| his own ard lis wif,'s prror-, 20 DELUXE her
v N respect To- The strar-c subject q 'her ienr-
while, without further delay, We ct OF on our JOUR-
| ucy, Jeanne listened to bis remarks win sIent
shake " The he, d, but her l0otold Of deep and bit
| W ar gush. When we hal gone Little ihrih'r'
perceived more marks In the sand, ~ slmc stance
These footprints wi ich could not have been
| made by any known animal, AMI near thetn "hs
circle formed by some curious md small unplenent'
| such claw or tiny mn ~. I.'r " discov-
| cry seomot TO remove from PERI L 'uis mind
| every remaining doubt Of these strange nierogyph-
| phics having been traced by supernatural agency
| and, casting melancholy look AZ Jennue, he utg-
| ed on his mule 10 It's utmost speed. The poor No.
| man was already 20 overcome by terror and Bad
forchoiu, that this fresh confirmation Of her fears
merely wruug from her heari-reudinS sigh &C
| ,onpsuici by the wordi--"I knew 10 too vel!'
| The d..trs, ,t-l manner Of my fellow -travoiIers
plainly eyinc1ng that any attempt st rational m
yestsation, or playful treatment Of tho aut9ect,
would @ out Of place, also rode Dn IN silence.
The proncncss 10 superstition in the minds OF this
race, which eveI exceeds that manifested BY tho
O her inhabitants of Brittany, was not unknown W
M. has already beard OF tie area hcrous
monks" who at. uJon stone AZ the roadside,
noN ms hc"p ~ s',. an' LlSh'lE lnNleH the pass
er-by TO play with GirI-a game involving not only
tue less vi ~ uuc and ne la.., bIg so II the me
and soul Of - owner nsu toard q the phan-
tom mule" vi foh luieIy allows TIE wsy-worD
midnight traveller to p4o4ut mm, and then disap.
pears With HIM for ever ot she "fog-Ieli" that 10
heard ON t,ormy nights and whose Gnke the Wan
dcrer uI,uakts Tor ta.t o. an approaching mule, III
1t urts HIM ON 20 the raging sea or 10 some other
| equally Inevitable desDugtiun.
had been mgsiug IN these strange popular su.
persutionN are Tor Ihe most part, tie remains
Of ancieut heather tabics, SUI sIus Jlng in this
| uomipAly Christian, Anu, some say, highly cv1hz-
| ed aud eul ghtened sgr!-and vas so absorbed IN
| nv revere, not 90 observe that we had quit<
leiI the sandy country, and were now passing by
ca corn he as an approaching villages and ooun-
try seats that peeped from beLiud tier well-sIock
ell orchards. Tue song OF the respeis, heard al
sides, aud becoming louder and more distinct Al
We proceeded, ~ Length recalled my wandering
thoug hts. They ssng, ~ rather smonotonols tune,
an address, chiefly eNtempore, 10 their oxen, whic
} " re drawing home tho heavy laden corn az coma
sTpareuty much enJoy.ns ghis Stimulus to taeJ
ia ours.
On my rel one
On my black one
Advance urmly on your beat,
I You sha have enough 10 eat,
4 1ue good God loves CaUssiAnl
For whom grows the good gram
} NJ sweet ones you shall have your MI
II iI. All folks wall eat bread eti,l,
d Our women shall sing TO y"u'
y oar iltte ones PLAY Tor yoI
"a my red one, &e.
Where there was pause in tho ro-g or VII, Q b
o. eu .eI, thy Immediately relaxed th,ir eSer.ious
aud we're sometimes inclined 90 stand ntlll ao goth
er bus when the tune wss raised assil hey slss
= rs4sed ,htlr leads, and went vigorously ior"t-s
< with their precious burden.
ITO be continued!
ID SHIPPING.