The record-union., 1895-05-15
ROYAL BAKING POWDER.
of simple fertilizers and much manual

of simple fertilizers and much manual
labor.
But the occupations of the Landais,
nevertheless, are much as they were in
the old days; the tending OF sheep, resin
gathering and charcoal burning. The
sheep are poor and scrawny. and their
wool does not bring q particularly good
price in the French market, but the
herdsmen are paid living wages.
The resin-gathering industry is a more
profitable one. The skilled resineur is
an important man throughout the coun-
try, though he has 10 live away from his
family and in ill-conditioned huts in the
midst of the forests at least six days of the
week and endure many privations. When
actually engaged in gathering resin the
peasant of the Landes dispenses with
stills. He leans up against the tree a
ladder that is truly primeval, as it con-
sists merely of stick in which crotches
have been cut. Up this he climbs, and,
pole in hand. first stripping Off the bark.
knocks Oft the resinuous Jumps that are
exposed to view. AT the foot of the tree
he has little earthen pot to catch the
fluid resin which is continually dripping,
and which is the most valuable In the
provincial markets.
In some ways the Landais are more
Spanish than French. Living. so near
ernmost line of the Pyrenees, they have
imbibed many of the Spanish likings,
and chief among them the love for bull
fighting. So pronounced did this taste
become that the French Government has
recently found it necessary to put its
foot down forcibly against bull-fights in
the Grandes Landes.
They were always mild affairs, how
ever, and, at the very worst, but feeble
limitations of the Spanish national amuse-
ment Cows were generally used in
stead OF bulls, for the stated reason that
they could turn quicker and were gem
orally moro active. The toreadors were
Spanish, but the ecarteurs, or teasers of
the BULL were men of the Landes, and
were invariably dressed in the costume
of acrobats, and were small Of stature.
The methods of these bull fights were
unique. When let loose in the amphi-
theater the cow was displayed with long
cord tied to her horns. To the other end
would be attached the ecarteur, and by q
series of jerks, combined with quick and
supple movements Oh his part, he would
worry the angry animal, now being
thrown beneath her horns and recover
ing himself by quick movement; now
by a well-directed pull causing her to
chase to the other end of the ring. In
the early days of the amusement horses
were used, as they are in Spain.
Humanity has prevailed in the Landes
of recent years, however. and only men
venture forth into the arena to meet the
"bull." The "bulP' is not slaughtered,
but when it is tired out and considered to
have afforded sufficient sport it is led
back to the pen.
Throughout France these "bull fights"
GO by the names of Courses Proven
Gales" and Courses Landaises," and are
enormously popular, and have been fre-
quently depicted in the French press.
though paratively few Frenchmen
have ever seen them.
ct another amusement at the annual
fetes OF the various towns are the silt
races, these having great interest ON ac-
count of the expertness of the contestants.
1t is practically unheard of thing for II
Landais to fall when he is correctly
mounted. His speed over the plains of
the Grandes Landes is almost bey ond be-
belief, his pace being fast as good
horse can trOt. In a match at a country
town he naturally exceeds this, and there
being many famous Stilt pedestrians in
the district. the contests are hugely excit-
Ing. From pictorial point of view they
remind one OF pack of ostriches speed
ing over an African desert.
A recent lOng-distance race by these
people was carefully timed and attracted
much scientific interest. The course was
from Paris to Bordeaux, 372 miles, and the
winners time was rs hours, 55 minutes.
Tho length of the winners stills was
90 inches. which gave him complete
stride of little for over 43 inches. This
appears to be comparatively short
stride, but it should be remembered that
this was the stride for the whole distance
of over 800 miles. For short distance
the stride would naturally be much
greater.
Hardly as long stilt as this is used in
the Landes as rule, the average length
being about 46 inches. The weight OF
each stilt is about five or six pounds. The
weight of the balancing g-pole can be
figured at about five pounds. which gives
each walker no light load to carry.-New
York World.