New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-23
AFOOT IN SOUTHERN FRANCE.
IN THE VALLEYS, CAVES AND RUINS OF
AQIITAINE.
WANDERINGS BY SOUTHERN WATERS. Easter
Nquitain" By Edward Harrison Earhrr. III
iO: ID. Appleton ~ Co.

wANDERlXGs BY SOUTHERN wAIERs. Eass ,,n
Aqutain". By Edward Harrison Earhrr' ip'
1o3. d. Appleton * Co.
The region through which the Author Of this book
trudges with his pack, taking pot luck ana sleeping
where he could Is Of interest TO tn" alcacoi"2'''
10 the medieval scholar, 10 III" g'"l"siSt 10 inc
lo,an:st and as Mr.. larlS"r demonstrates, TO the
happy co-lucky traveller. II he had any serious
object IT seems to have been the study Of III" an lent
churches and castles, most OF which ruins. Many
cf these he described with the and loving detail
Of an antiquary. Hut he had not forgotten th't 'h'
valley Of the Dordcgnc Is sacred ground l" Ia" a"-
den, Of prlmcva man. and 20 he dh NOT niue 'N'
rloring of cavern, without any DEFINITE P'rPo''.
* 70 both rnins and caves, his work forms at least
= pleasant glhdc-book 1t is the record oi = Journey
where there was much lettering by The way, "hcr'
fine WAY itself was Il novel one. whore tn slnli"-
minded people delighted the stranger hy looking ~
him with Suspicion where lie found aged priest WI"
could tai Latin and The local paioi'. In not IF'n'l'
and where the ordinary tourist. even from f"!l'' wa
almost Unknown. Aioot and most o, the tim" ao''''
there was good reason Why Mr. Barker should sec
thing, Bat Lc La, liking for minut" "'s'rN"'I"l'
and nothing came ami, 10 him that eraiiii'd ihl'
tendency a. long rs il did not require persistent at
trntiou. lie hciray, little ol lii" absorption oil
,cciali,t In TIE valley II the Ouy.~c be- ili -
he Lad been dropped down suddenly into an English
dale. On the heights hc wa ready 10 confess mat
EN- France. but hr console, himself ihu'
:. I went ON | soon found that tlI" si"rmy wastes
had heir flower too. II WOMB '''I" ~ u ~" ~.
nnd wished 10 console the G'~,u ly sNih: 4" J. h'r
IVrljn.i and most cntciug llo.,on,. cam" upon
colonies Of The poet, narcl,-us. breathing o''r ia
rccks 80 sweet a fragrance that n Wa, u, If mrdc:r
iad hr'n wrought 10 draw II ont Of thc earth. /
rI ,nd strange hni only noticed here 10y ne wild
Ice / gathered sprays ct ihc graceful alpine ga;
dcrscly crowded With delicate whit" bloom 1mn
nr rilcd M The wanion .pl,udor 81 IN" il, C"ioihs
tf-,v nd vel
speaking Of a.phodcl. It may b. Remarked, how
ever. that different travellers tab" Inherent view
Of the same thing. 1ozcr stumbling through Il"
ancient metropolis the island Of Dcios' "a sc'"'
Of wild dcolaiion worthy Of the circle Of the inirn"
I'm which rarinaus spirit emerged from tir merry
tomb found the graves surrounded with ." the coarse.
branching stems Of the a,phOdcl. most DISCRIMINATING
plant and 20 rough that II 10" lutns-"ai"ra 'hJoS'u
lying among them they did not indui1r SY''"
ta,jc." throughout hi, book Nj. B'I"cr drP"'' "
kindly not 10 say sentimental ini'rrst III h"'"''
Every tree every rock. every Hover That hr '''''
has something 10 ray Ia him. lie docs I''' io'-''
even the cSptoeam.. Witness Inc IoiIo"'"e w
scrip,ion Of IA trulir limit:
The dag comes again fair and hop'fal. am
walung 10. the old trunl-huntcr. VITA whom mai
"" a,',,.utn,ni for mi, morning. Presently see
lin coming up tnc bed Of 90" stream, loudlus N'r
months. recognize him 10y his l.s, which "ai"' ~
M, SIDE. They both truth" hunters, ana "aV'
both an interest IN the hu,ms' a. VIII nr r
los ais.r,ivr Of his chef occupation. and ".th
, n .e' ear r'' in iD nick oi n .hould Ii" beast hc
tempted to snap up Oh" 81 IN" sHNCry c}P 'tili,;
II iJw. broad brimmcd felt hat, | hav" described o."
al,D aIaurc Of tue tfuil' must r. Nov, hnhucr "a w
morning work H. portrait should likewise bc drawn
The animal !, OF dirty whli" color. IKE an PS'
I'm Ills part Of France. and 1, utterly devoid Of grace
beast, with an arcicd back ana very long ilrn,d,
ND nose: bit II IS lOur year. old ana II accounted
" .rif Ike. II az
ing # Is Of the + male saX. The animal hao been
carefully edgcatcl IT wears ahgr collar a.. ',s
rs a dog. We climb the rocky sme Of The gorrr
and the sun Is blazing in huc sky IA reading
The plateau We com" ~ One - ~" ,rnil' er'nnl.
arid. that were II not for the ,cant hcihrgo upon
which sheep and goat, thrive. II would Prtdur'
nothing hut stuntcd oak juniper and iruncs. Even
he OAKS only grow in patchc5 where The rock IS not
cNcept very near these trees Or in dcflult % them
cyrinln TLc trnflc.hun,crs believe that II IS the
HAD" of the trees which pfOfucr, tn underground
fruit. and the opinion Is based upon experience.
When an oak has been cut down. or even Topped.
spot II that rich In trnii"s year after Year
Is sooa scofcd NJ ~ the knowing pig. The
pig snHs about ia" root OF h,'l@ tree ilcn pro.
stones which lie IN the way II they were feathers
The nnn ma h' f "r hcr m ' I IS 'G @ TGs
Is The first time they have been out together since
ngt son ana tie beast has forgotten some ~ her
month he ing NJ her ear with one hand and uses
his stick upon her no" with the ether. The hru"
scream, with anger Int will moi open her Jaws
wide enough for him 10 slip III, stick In and hook
the ruilc ont. The prize Is swallowed. and The old
man. forgetting all dccorum. and only thinking Of
III loss calls hs compllion Ii;. which in Franc
Is always an insult Our trnn;o hunting to-day has
entity: In II few minutes. howcvcr another trnn'c IS
S"@d and n% nj, tim" rs old o"n nG n T1G G
fungus, hands 1t 10 mr.: NOW he ,o taxes from his
gives them TO the pig 10 SODi!r her Injured
feelings. and encourage her to hunt again.
Before we leave the ground the animal has got
well into work that when She finds truale 81.
does not attempt 10 seize IT, hut points to II, and
srlnts for the equivalent IN mnikr.
The pig vas no, the only sigacious animal the
author found In Aquitalne. In Roe Amndour he lad
a droll neichb0r, one Dccrcs. who owned an anna.
bic but emotional donkey. Now they have III Roc.
Amadour a custom Of gathering domestic animal,
once year at q certain spot to receive I've blessing
of the Church. The creatures spnnked with holy
water and prayers are rcccd ana the whole cere.
mony Is called La bcnediciion dcs betes.' Mr.
Barker did not get up early enough 70 see H. but h.
adds
met Decros coming down the hill with his don.
KEY and BY tie expire sion OF his lantern Jaws
he never laughed ourisht-that something had amused
So you have been to the Blessing OF the Beasts"
&" He has bccn., replied the man. pointing TO the
ass. and not wishing TO BE- COMPOUNDED with the beasts
which meant. "Yes, have" and there Il dead
Ana how did he bchave9.
" beautifully: he sang the whole time. The men
laughed. bni the women said Take the beast avayr
NO, | won't said J. III chantc Ia lenedlcon.''
Sometimes. however. Mr. Barker does not take 50
humorous View Of the subtle irrcvercn"e that l.
spreading among the peasaniry. 1t long ago spread
among other classes. Efncatlon Las vet proved
an unmingled benea and Inasmuch the Md
needs deep pouShng Tor the new culture. ana the