The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-07

,,,r the hauso OF the costrabafidistas cannot say
Our business is 10 get 10 into d certain piece OF
forest near the frontier, where men are waiting
FOR us.n
so was already fairly started in life az a Gariist
and a slnuggler and IL was exhiiarating to think
that il the French authorities caught nae might
70 to the galieys, and II the Spanish caught me I
might be shot at sight.
PuMPiNG.
During our ride OF thirty miles from BayoHne to
the frontier had time to draw out my companion
ar 10 the way in which, with SO little money, the
Darlists have already secured much in the way
Of supplies II appears that in addition to the
committees in London and PARIS they have also
agents In all the principal cities or France. One
OF these agents at Bordeaux induced the municipal
government to sell him 5000 uniforms worn during
the late war by the Garde Rationale Mobilisee, at
e5f a piece and at this moment, therefore, there
are several battalions OF Carlists that one could
scarcely tell from the recent French M0biles. Some
announcements were obtained in the same way
nom Bayonne II was proposed in Board OF
Public Functonaries 10 sell out at auction all the
DID military lumber, but the republican members
opposed it as thing likely to help the Carlists,
and that this was not TO be Justified by the oney
the sale would bring in. Thereupon, the friends OF
the Carlists in Bayonne found leather merchant
and there is now scarcely q sword belt Or cart
ritre box in the Carlist army but came from this
lot
We reached the frontier safely, and between Es-
pelette and ANTIQUE, scarcely three miles from the
Custom House Of Daucharinea, we were relieved OF
the coflned cannon, and saw the whole walked
on like bundle of bamboos on the shoulders OF
Xix fellows, any one of whom would be uncomlorta-
ole company for the biggest prize fighter ever
saw. Next day ! saw the cannon Invested OF Its
Iunereal garb and in the joval escort OF 500 vol-
nntarios de Carlos W." The six contrabandistas
got 200 francs plenty OF wine plenty OF cheers, and
went away with fresh instructions to be carried
out at another point on the next day.
STATE OF TRADE AND TRAVEL.
And things like this are in progress along the
whole line of the French and Spanish frontier.
Strict endeavors are made by the French to stop 1t.
They fail But they stop something and that salts
aes them as Frenchmen that they have done their
huty. The thing they stop is the regular ordinary
intercourse between the countries. All or
binary travel and all legitimate trafflc be-
tween France and Spain are equally inter-
rupted on the whole line, from the Atlantic across
to the Mediterranean. Not only, however,
mas legitimate traffic come to an end through the
vexatQus regulations, but traffic OF another sort is
In the fun bloom OF an enormously stimulated
vitality. Contrabandstas (smuggers) are the great
men of the hour in these parts.
One Of the operations is oddly complicated and
Rdroit. Goods sold In France pay, through the tax
On sales continuance OF that nature, heavy
duty to the French government; but the same
goods exported to Spain pay OF course no duty In
France. Even the import duty into Spain was
lower than the duty on their sale in France; but
now the Carlists have established their custom
houses, and, anxious TO get money, they make the
uutles still much lower than they were under the
regular Spanish government. SO exporters send
their goods to the Carlist custom houses and pay
The trivial duties; but no sooner have the goods
thus reached the first Spanish post and escaped the
Eye OF the French authorities than they are again
smugglcd into France, where their low prices find
them ready market.
Nothing short OF line Of onlcers close enough to
touch one another through the whole length Of the
Pyrenees could stop this trade. Going to Spain by
The high roads, the goods return TO France by the
nnumerable mountain paths that the French Off
GERS are not disposed to trace, and where they
would have bloody encounter for their pains II the,
overcame all other difficulties. All these paths arr
known to the Spanards and are practicable to thei
mules. In the recent endeavor to prevent Carlist
coming into Spain IRON France all the roads wer
occupied by gendarmes and troops OF the line, blu
there was no interference whatever for the friends
I Bourbon took to the hills and crossed at leisure
Perhaps an account OF my own crossing will give
Tou the best idea OF The country and the operations
PASSING THE FRONTIER AND FINDING ELIo.
Having safely placed cannon in good hands
my companion and myself drove to Ainhone
where our horses were placed in the stable, ant
We we're known as excursonsts, who expected tt
spend day at the place. We took a bedroom ant
ha q " ,,ut at m rIv hnu ho
there might be nothing to attract the attention o
.he patrols. AT midnight there was knock at oui
1eor, and the old landady-one OF the sharpest o
he contrabandlstas-whsp that everything
was ready. The everything thus referred to wa
another mysterious individual, ready TO guide Of
carry US across. Nearly all the remainder of TIN
aight was spent in an indescribabie scramble Oh
she mountain paths, In thick woods and alon,
rocky streams, where it was impossible TO sa
whether the palm Tor depth was to be given to tn
darkness or the mud And In this scramble WI
passed the lines.
Near three In the morning we passed SOM
rarlist outposts with much parleying, and o
length entered the Old deserted monastery Q
Urdax, the headquarters Of General Elie for tn
time. Here we found the General occupying
couple OF rooms made nabitable temporarily. III
received us In bed, and when saw his handsome
bCuSiaoc ioohiuS 1--WE, WIN lui gray DcdT
and bright colored silk handkerchief wrappe,
round his head confess was very agreeably sur
prised, and as he spoke to US my surprise wa
greater sill. Instead OF semi-savage leader o
erscious bands fonnd him one OF the quie test
Eindest, gentlest old gentlemen ever met. Nav
ing read the letters brought he said
IL shall be most happy to give you any informa
lion possibly can, and IL were a quarter OF .
century younger should at once get up and have
. talk with you, and send you on before daylight
out am too old for that, and we will arrange
things Inherently. Your travelling companion will
return to Bayonne, but you had better have cup
Of chocolate OF a glass OF wine and 60 TO bed and
we will talk tomorrow
An aii-de-camp almost as old as the General
himself was thereupon ordered to take care Of me,
and i took leave Tor the night ~ this courteous
most whom had pictured SO shortly before as al