The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-09-30

GONG out IAS CuckS 3lig1E on the emerG
ing. sandbanks, just at the spot where Co
foam mingles with the muddy soil as IN
= water returns they take their fight, in
line parallel with the surface of the water
and arc caught by the nets. It is said tha
: the Inhabitants of La Teste have sold
hundred thousand ducks ut B0rdeax IN tht
lsp3ce' of a single winter, but for som,
years rast The number has ccusideTabl,
decreased. This is owing to the people oi
D the coast more 10 the north inteTferin.
with The trade tho sportsmen have IN
creased, and the wild ducks are decimateC
ON their way-to Arcaehonl
THE TOWN
: Besides the objects of natural scenery
that have been described, and for which w
are greatly indebted 10 the interesting work
, of M. Reclus On the shores of France,
: there is smart new town OF Arcachon,
which has spruEg Up iikc one o! the Ameri-
can watering places since the railway b
Bordeaux has been opened. On all sides
} have. risen new buildings, Swiss chalets,
Gothic manor-houses, Moorish paviIions,
Chinese temples, according 10 the varied
tastes of the proprietoTs At the top
of one of the downs is a kind of
mosque painted in every color; still
I higher is graceful tower; and villas peep
out from the ravines and hills. The town
lies on the sandy shore at the foot OF the
downs, which are crowned with pine for
ests. The trees which have been spared
by the wOodman, the little hills covered
with brjishWOod, the tickets OF the arbu-
Jus or strawberry-tree, still recall the wild
nature OF the place, while lovely and sweet
scented gardens surround every house
The little bathing place has taken a proud
device for its motto Heri soiditO, hOtlie
Uict,S. crds ciUiats. The shogt Journey Of
less than an hour brings down hundreds
of people from the dusty, noisy streets OF
| Bordeaux, to spend a few pleasant hours
on the shore, and the number of visitor-
for the day Is six times as many as the res-
ident baihers.
THE GREAT FORESTS.
The magnificent forests of La Teste and
Arcachon form most interesting excursions
On the higher ground, aged pines with
mosSy trunks are distributed ia irregular
masses, through which 2limpses of the sea
and the distant valleys may be caught.
The lower ground is clothed with the
thickest vegetation, and IN the intervals of
the first forest grows a second of oaks, hOl-
lies, brooms and arbutus, forming almost
impenetrable masses. On the western side
of the downs large circular hollows open
out-tbe remains of ancient lakes, whose
waters are absorbed by the roots of the
forests. The resinier himself loves not 20
venture into These narshy grounds, where
many varieties Of trees group themselves
in the picturesque harmony OF nature.
Through the wonderful solitude of these
grand woods one may travel for leagues,
and gain the heights OF the True dc Ia
81
are the highest downs IN ali Europe. From
these hills we descend TO the pool of Caz-
aux the Transparent waters OF which cover
thousands of acres opposite the entrance
of the bay. Ia this spot there IS a view of
the breakers in the channel, of the little
islands ever changing with the tide, and of
the saDdhills, which compose picture for
the geolOgist to study and the artist to ad
mire.
THE CLIMATE
The climate of Arcachon Is superior TO
tlIat of the surrounding districts, and re-
calls, by the pure blue sky, as we'll as The
equality Of the temperature, the soft winter
air ef Cannes and MetOne. In the marrow
valleys lying between the parallel ridges OF
the downs the atmosphere Is always calm;
and even when the northwest winds bend
the tall stems Of the pines, those walking
on the lower grounds enjoy q premature
spring. The lovely arbutus trees may be
distinguished at distance by their
bright red berries, which from time I'M
memorial have been used for q fermented
liquor, much liked by the resiners. The
cistus and other plants which adOrn the
shores of the Mediterranean carpet the
sands with their bright flowers. The
myrtle, recently accliInatized, thriyes in
the gardens, and will soon have crossed
over the hedges, and established itself In
the woods; the olive and the orange tree
resist the frosts, and pass the winter in the
open air, when planted IN the forest valleys,
which viii no doubt be used some day as
admirable gardens for acclimatizaticu.
sTILTED SHEPHERDS.
The pictures "Stilted Shepherds" of
Rosa Bonheur have made Us well acquaint-
cd with the singular habit which the shep-
herds of the land have adopted of passing
the greater part of their lives On stills.
The first time that group of these people
are seen, there Is curious emotion IN the
mind as of a strange prodigy. Dressed in
sheepSkins worn by time, knitting stock
ings or spinning thread, they gravely pass
over reeds and furze; the spectator buried
as it were in tho bushes, they lifted nearer
The long stick which they handle
with so much address, serving as balan-
cing-pole support for the arm, contributes
still more TO the strangencss of their APP
pearaRce; they look like gigantic crickets
10 spring. In The IanGes Medoc |
not only the shepherds but every one uses |
this style of locomotion; the children have !
no fear; and The women, who are inYaria-
bly, dressed in black, resemble large raN ems |
perched ON dead branches. The origin of |
shts Is unknown, but 1T is probable that |
they were not in use before the middle |
ages, as ancient authors make 10 mention |
of them. In the pdtOts OF the country |
they are called ehaHQUe, which would seem |
to fix their origin III the period Of the rule |
of the English, deriving 1t from cur |
word shank; probably some inventive Brit |
ish mind gave them this serviceabie mode |
OF progression. Perched On these borrow
ed legs, tho shepherd watches over his |
charge, concealed in the brusbwood, cross |
es uninjured the marshes aud quicksands, !
fears not TO be iorn by thorns or dry twigs, |
and can at any time double the speed at |
which he ordinarily walks. Whether it |
has any effect on the character cannot be |
decided; but certain If is that these people |
are distinguished by their Wild savage ma |
iUre; they have a horror OF strangers; and |
whea- they perceive a traveller coming to-
wards them they hasten to flee into con-
c cealment.
GATHERING RESIN.
The resinier, OF whom mention has been !
made before, has also his peculiar fashion !
Of moving. When he reaches the tree |
from which the valuable gum is TO be ex-
tracted, he places his ladder with the left |
hand against the trunk, holding the axe iu |
his right. This ladder is a single pieca of |
wood, in which a few days have been cut |
across; he climbs up It like asquirreI, and. /
resting one cot upon it, and another |
against the II bark of a tree, he cuts |
the long inc. JDs from whence the resin |
flows drop drop. With one bound |
be has again reached the ground, and fees |
rapidly through the shadow of the forest |
10 attack another trunk ten feet above the |
ground. At distance the sOnorous blows |
Of his axe are like the beak of the wood |
pecker when seeking for insects. The |
resinier, brought up from infancy TO his |
trade, becomes as clever in climbing trees
IS the abOrigines Of Australia. Like them, |
100, he is tacieUTn, distrustiul and sombre. |
HIS vocabulary of patOis is very limited, |
md. like tbat of our navies, probably |