The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-01-27
Under Foreign Flags,

so much that is interesting, 1t is pub
lished in full, by permission OF Mr.
Ferrin. Although it was written with
no thought that it would ever be put
into cold type, it shows that its author
has faculty of describing most intel
ligently and attractivtly what he his
seen and heard.
HOTEL DE LA GRANDE BRETAGSE,
NICE (Jardin Public)
MY last letter, / believe, was from
Biarritz. Whatever l may have said re,
garding its beauty was not overdrawp, and
after writing you we had severe storm,
and as result witnessed one of the finest
displays Of an angry ocean among rocks,
boulders, and caves which seemed specially
created to lend grandeur and voice for the
occasion. / have neither language or abil-
ity to convey to you what sight it was.
After a weeks stay here at the best hotel
yet seen, we left for Pau. This place has a
reputation for beauty and sunshine, but for
us during stay of four days, the sun shone
but little. The view from the bluffs where
the hotels are situated is charming. In the
distance are the snow white peaks OF the
Pyranees, nearer, the green mountains and
hills, at the base of which are farms with
green grass, plowed fields, pastures with
cattle, meadows with sheep and the watch
full woman and dog, while here and there
through the valley could be seen the wind
ing brook.
/ wish you could have seen this picture.
The sun upon the tops of these mountains
made them look like silver clouds in the
sky while the reflections OF the true clouds
on the mountain sides made it difficult to
locate the line of demarkation between
earth and sky. The city dates from about
the tenth century. 1t was built up around
a castle of the visCounts OF Beaur, which
castle was rebuilt in the fifteenth century.
To IL stone bridge built
by Louis XIV. to replace drawbridge which
formerly was here. Nearly all of these
castles are associated with historical events
which had much to do with moulding the
policy of the country. In the Scion de Re
ception, occurred the massacre of six Ro-
man Catholic mobiles of Beaur, by order of
Montgomery, the general of Jeanne d. AL
bert. Here we saw the bedroom where
Henry ~ was born, and his cradle made
of very large tortoise she'll.
One day while mere, we went to 'Rey-
nard Hunt" The rendezvous was about
five miles out at the Kennel club house.
We went early and saw them arrive. Peo-
pie came in crowds to see, but all who went
to join in the sport were on their thorough
breds and dressed in all colors to please the
eye. The hounds were in one continuous
uproar, being separated into three packs i'll
different yards, only one Of which could
join the chase. / suppose they were each
making one grand claim for their turn, but
If the choice were to be decided by voice or
eagerness / could not have made selec-
ton. In all there were at least one hun
dred hounds and such animals it had never
been my fortune to see. They were nearly
alike in color, shape, and size, their legs
were very muscular and large, showing
that they had seen service. Their pedigree
traces to the best hunting blood in England.
At last pack of thirty were let loose, and
then three men, in red coats and well
mounted, took the drove down the road
and over the fields followed by those on
horseback. The fox was not let out until
they were over the ridge and out of sight,
so we lost what would have been the grand
est sight of all. L shall hope to see the
sport to finish in some country before
return.
On Sunday we made side trip from Pau
to Lourdes, a place best known from the
pilgrimages here, drawn by the reports Of
miraculous cures attributed to spring is
suing from the rock of grOtto. The story
is, that Beruadette Soubrious, peasant
| girl of fourteen years, at various times saw
| the Virgin in the grottO, and that she order
| ed that shrine be erected here, where
many would come for prayers. 1t is now
| famous and, not a day passes without arri-
walls seeking health, devotion or attracted
| by curiosity. No one can help respecting
these people, no matter what their own
opinion may be regarding the truth of their
| belief. l saw elegantly dressed women get
uOWn OH uDblI hut6b anu MISS buo RIOuuu
/ where the dirtiest specimens OF humanity
had only a moment before been standing
Over the entrance to the grotto and at the
sides are crutches and canes enough for the
people of good.sized township.
The place is delightfully."- situated among
the foot hills of the Pyranees on the banks
| of the Grave de Pau. In the center of the
place is a high eminence three times as
| high, and, with the exception OF one side,
as abrupt as Keith's ledge. The top is pos
sibly three acres in extent and upon this is
an ancient castle which formerly command
ed the valley, and was often besieged in
the middle ages, during the war with Eng
land.
On Monday, December 81, we left Pau for
Toulouse. The day was clear and bright
giving us all the advantages possible on a
| trip through one of the finest valleys had
ever seem The blue sky and silver decked
| Pyrenees were above and around us. The
Grave de Pau and Garonne wound in and
| out between the hills and down the valley
ON either side for nearly the whole dis
lance. The country was given up to vine
yards, and as this was the pruning season
we saw the people at their work. 1t is a
question how the house work goes on, for
the women and children are ever present in
| the fields doing manual labor. The combi-
nation is picturesque and pleasing The
| houses and barns have seen centuries and
they look it. They are made of stone with
| tile roofs and then nature covers them with
the most beautiful vines and moss. The
old sweep and bucket too ancient for date,
is doing service at the we'll. The soil is
black or reddish, very productive, and no
land is at waste, every foot being under the
highest state OF cultivation.
This section of country is old and histor-
ical. We several times saw on the. rocky
heights remains of ancient Notifications and
chateaus that had stood guard over the
country for centuries. At Montrejean we
passed near the grotto of Gargas. The
name is said to have been derived from a
chieftain who used it as a prison. In the
eighteenth century. it was the haunt of a
cannibal who killed and devoured more than
thirty women of the neighborhood. Near
Inard was seen the picturesque ruins of the
Chateau de Montespeau of the thirteenth
century. At Boussers are the ruins OF the
Chateau de Roquefort Of the twelfth cen
fury. Near Muret, the army of Dom Pedro
King of Aragon, which was marching to the
succour of Toulouse in 1918 was met and
defeated by Simon de Montford the elder
and the king with 10000 Of his followers
were slain. This takes us to Toulouse, and
one OF these days 1 will try and tell YOU
something of that place, and between there
and here.
n