The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-05


One of the few places in the Pyrenee:
which may be described as an essentially
winter residence is Pau, once the Capita
of the Bearn, and the birthplace of Henry
w., whose tortoise-shell cradle is still to be
seen in one of the chambers of the anoiont
castle. Pau has acquired a new import
Ance within the last twenty years, having
become favorite resort of Englishmen
and, above all, Americans during the wint-
er months. The rainfall of Pau is greater
than that of London, while, to make mat
ters worse, nearly the whole of it falls du-
ring the six months Of the Pau season. But
against this fact must be set the dryness of
the soil and the absence of damp in the air,
which are such that the effect of even
twenty four hours heavy rain is soon obi
terated. Then, again, those who have to
submit to the rain at Pau can be recon-
pensed upon the first fine day by that mag
nificent view of the Pyrenean chain, which
so impressed L9martine that he declared
the sea view from Neaples and the land
view from Pau to be the two most beauti-
full sights which he, traveller as he had
been, ever beheld. The panorama is most
beautiful one, as viewed from the terraeea
of the Place Royale End the adjoining
hotels, or from the gardens Of the Castle,
embracing, as it does, nearly all the high
est peaks of the Upper and Lower Pyreneqs
upon the French side of the frontier, from
the Pic du Midi above Bagneres de Bigorre
to the solitary Mont Perdu, round which
hangs such wealth of legend. But the
magnificent view is not the emily or even
the chief attraction Of Pau, which, all
question Of climate apart, is one of the
most pleasant of winter quarters. There
is no lack of amusement and sport, while
at the same time there 10 not that admix-
ture Of the gambling element which the
propinquity Of Monaco brings to Nice and
Mentone. The large Anglo-Amercan col
ony at Pau are not in any way Puritan,
though they so far maintain home traditions
as not to allow of any card-plaYing at the
English Club on Sunday, in spite of the re-
peated efforts of q minority to repeat the
rule. But the main feature of the Pau
season is the pack of English hounds,
which, after having been for several years
under the management Of Major Cairns, is
now hunted by the Earl of Howth. The
present master, who in his younger days
was one of the finest horsemen in Ireland,
has formed an entirely new pack, consist
ing of sixty couples Of hounds which he
got together during last summer, some from
Lord Spencer and some from Her Majesty's
kennels at Ascot, and which before being
brought over to Pau were hunted for few
weeks In Ireland Lord Howth has mount
ed the servants of the hunt very well, and
so far as the success of q hunt depends
upon the ability Of Us master the Pau pack
should take very high rank AT Pau the
fox is not hunted as in Great Britain. There
is too much woodland and too many foxes
for that, and the mQdo Of procedure is as
follows; A drag ia laid on at the place Of
meet, and the hounds run this drag for
about forty minutes, after which they find
themselves on the track Of q bagged fox
which lbs been lot out at a place previous
ly agreed upon by the huntsman and the
man who runs the drag. Many of those
who come out to the meet are unaware of
this innocent fraud, and when they see the
hounds running into the bagman after u
quick forty-fve minutes they are inclined
to exclaim, "lIerc's sport ipdeeaW the
Pau hounds meet three days a week, on
TUESDAY, Thursday and Saturday, and there
is generally large field, many ladies be-
ing unfailing in their presence at the meet,
and conspicuous in the front Of all the best
runs The sister sport Of racing is also in
great favor at Pau, and the second days