New-York tribune., 1873-03-12

anxious questioner. On leaving Bordeaux this nor"us
IL was found that the small contingent bound TOT SPAN
had for the most part, concentrated IN one oo"P"1
ment Then condolences began TO Oe exchansed' a
young Engshman, bound for Bilooa VIA Miranua oWheu
70 having five soveregns In Of his boots ana 10 oe
ing sorely incenvenenced thereby. On MS oeine
erayelv assured by a spaniard OF the company that
the invarabe of the Carlists was to strip tDe
victims OF their preliminary TO further nNes
CATION he became very nervous, ana ultimately uis
posed Of the coins piecemea in various odd corners o
his garments. But he reduced 10 condition OF
abject imbecity when he informed that sueh as
ost3ons would most probably lead to his being stripped
naked and turned loose among the snow ID the Mis-
The spaniards faith seemed TO be placed IN eolh
parative mpecuniosity plenty OF cigars and oehef
in fataism. A German, who had served in Spain with
the Republicans, ropudated any precautions at all ex
pressed his opinion that the Carlsts highly re-
spectacle Cabaeros, and that nothing would be better
fun than that we should be intercepted by them. he
being certain that II their chief clviy entreaed,
he would send all way rejoicing. But his con-
1dence hardly tailed with the grim story that he told
how about fortnight ago, the train in which friend
OF his, journeying his way 10 England was stopped,
how of the passengers having used contempt
gestures toward the Carsts one OF the guards was
incontinently shot dead.
The gossip served to begue the long weary Journey
through the hat, stunted woodland north OF Bayonne
the pretty old town, with its forthcatons, outside
which shed much good British blood was an al
tentative topic 70 Carsts and the troubles of Spain
But we had TO return to original muttons again
when the railway people at Bayonne told us that the
mail train from Madrid. due that morning at lrun had
vet reached the station, and that there was neher
information the of detention. nor knowledge
when the train might be expected 70 arrive. Ater
short halt at Barrz, whose station. gmcrack ar IL IS
looks dismal II realized the truth so sad ior IT,
that the glory Of BiarT1tz accrung from Imperial
had
ND train from Irun, and for a brief space were
noursh the hope that II carried the spanish mail
But at ST. Jean de Lutz learned the contrary ana
some OF US at had little heart 70 look out on the
quaint bustng which the weekly market day pre-
sented or to recall the historical fact that was in the
cathedral against where Louis XIV was married
10 Marie Theresa Of SPAIN Then crossed the Nvehe
name familiar TO students OF the history OF the
Peuinsuar War-and we we're whrlng by the very apex
Of the Bay of Biseay. Small sign now OF It's pro
verbal storniness in the calm inlet, grt Dy
slopng sands, in their turn bounded by rocks
above which rose the vlneyards Before us
was the Bidassoa spreading out broadly on the sands
before reached the sea- On the further bank below us
lav the slumbrous old Spanish town Of Fuentarabia
town and river alike overhung by the old castle on the
cliff Is any one alive to-day in Fuentaraba, WONDER
who can remember that laundering sunrise IN Ocoper
when seven British columns emerged from behind the
hills marched across the wet sands TO the rvermouth
and carried at the bayonet point soults nrenched posi-
ton along the ridge Of the Arrhunes yonder on the
French sidel
The country hereabOuts is very fertile in battle mem
ories Away 10 the left the round hill OF san
Marcial where ID August, 1914, 1900 spanlards-Dut
spaniards under the command OF the Duke OF Wehng-
on-hurled back 1900 Frenchmen led oy soult, in an
attempt TO relieve the siege Of san Sebastian With
CHATTER and rattle the the iron bridge over
the Bidassoa and we are in Spain. One angers that
there can be no halt permit eisurely admiration OF
scenery so beautiful of grand panorama OF ocean,
of snowcovered mountains with Jagged peaks towering
upon our right. and also in our 'front.', so that track
through them impossible and Of soft green plain
bathed food Of strangely warm sunshine that KID
dies with glitter on the aud the snow.
on the platform Of the Hendaye station. the last in
France had the last OF the gendarmes He was
favorable specimen Of set of men for whom confess
TO have great respect The French gendarme is never
frivolous and nearly always polite Among nation OF
jabberers it Is good 10 the marallydressed man.
in the cooked hat and with the long sword stalking
solemny TO and fro on the PLATFORM holding himself
aoof from gossip with porters and declining to own
conradeshp with shabby soldiers OF the line Now that
the Imperial Guard abolished, and lie Beuf and De
Fay do not find il convenient expose themselves TO
the popular gaze Of Frenchmen, take the gendarme 10
be the only really imposing person in ali France ior the
guards OF Paris, handsome is their equipment and
shoulder and too awkward with the brde-hand 10 be
really imposing. But the gendarme ills theeye and is
conscious 70 his of the responsibility so IN
volved We left French gendarme stalking to and o
with nty ratified the Bidassoa entered Spainand
drew up at Irun Station There the gendarme wac re-
placed by a Spanish soldier carbneer, gentleman,
doubt not OF considerable wariike prowess. but Of In
finite seediness In thews and sinews he was proper
man enough but he crying witness 70 the meanness
of mis- Government. He wore blue trOwsers with red
stripe fearfuy shapeless boots, great coat OF blue
that was even and hlmser tnan thai the British
soldier used to wear and shake uglier than ever
entered into the imagination Of the late Prince
Albert Of England to stl there was rough
wear and tear staying about the Spanish soldier
ana think would back him 70 be better man
AT the end OF days forced march on short ratOns than
the dignifed Spanish gendarme. About the station
were more Spanish soldiers, but seemingly only police
men wearing their side-arms smoking cigarettes and
loafpg generally no being under arms OF sentry
duty. I omitted 70 mention that at HendaIye
snansb official demanded an inspection Of passports. an
act which has been unusual for several years At Irun
took place the inspection Of baggage 1t was no
farce Everything closely investigated the search
being chiefly for revOlvers ana Havana cigars trled
franc and calling private dOuaIner "caballer0 Out
neither recourse served the process Of being
fbunbed from nv shirtfronts. AS TO the unfor
tunate young Englishman, the cup of his troubles
vas nearly filed. He had boxes which were
screwed down. With immovabe serenity the chiei
Custom house officer, who stood like welposed statue
draped in cloak and smoking cigar, gave orders eiat
the screws should be forthwith drawn he could not
expostuste because he did know a word of Spanish
The undereaugers started the screws disheveled his
chests and left him fasten them again as best he
might The Spanish train, which was IN waiting was
undergoing repairs TO the window sashes and glass
II was reported that these had been rendered necessary
owing 70 Carist bullets in the mountains No accurate
information on this point could be obtained but on one