The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1913-01-24
a CURIOUS court
Il Is Held Annually When France
Pays Tribute to. Spain.
RCE OF AN ANCIENT PEACE.

Alter More Than Five Centuries Thre
Calves Are Still Humbly Presente
Each Year to the Naughty Descend
ants of the Victorious Spanards.
Every year there takes place in tn
Pyrenean highlands remarkable fete
1t Is held at the boundary stone Of Sal
Martin. which separates the Frenc
valley Bareton from the Spanish valle,
q Roneal. Every year the representa-
aves of the French peasants assemb
there In order to pay the Spaniards
Hibute, which consists of three calye
of the same. age and the same color
and the delivery of the calves Is &C
sonpanied by ceremonies which suiIi
GENTLY indicate that the old inhabit
ants of the Ronca valley were one,
victorious over their neighbors
.At o o'clock in the morning the may
drs Of the various villages in the Bare
ton valley, bravely adorned with thei
hlpe, white and red scarfs of office
march up to the boundary stone II
front of the column walks lad, with /,
pike, from the point OF which tlutters /;
little white pennon as gage of peace
The three calves are dragged in tl,
rear of the procession at the end o.
long ropes Calves aud scarfs take III
their position by the stone and await
the arrival Of the Spaniards
They are soon visible in the distance
In front walks man clad in sheer
skins, who waves q red pennun at IN
epd of pike as a sign of war Helllr-
him walks the alcalde of lsaba. IT.
principal village in the valley of Ru
cak and following him come the r.
caldes Of the other villages their stn'
OF office in their hands The buik
the procession consists of shepherds
stern looking fellows armed with or
sabers and matchocks.
The acalde of lsaba is all glorious I
behold in a long black garment IA
tened by gold buttons. tall white run
tight fitting knee breeches red si'
stockings and buckled shoes A soil
brero covers his head, and in lis hnnt
be holds the staff adorned with silve
knobs, the emblem in Spain of mag.
terial dignity.
AS soon as the Spaniards reach IT,
rendezvous the alcalde OF lsaDa stei
to the front and addresses them Ia So,
emn ceremonal style:
Are you come to pay tribute aH
swear friendship according to Old cu.
tom and tradition?'
"That is the reason of our coming
answer the French
Then the two standard benrers n,
Noaeh the boundary stone and Ia.
&eir pixies crosswise upon ii After
few moments the Spnpiard takes hi
up again, sticks it into French soil an
then places it as before on the stone
On the cross formed by the two shafts
the representatives of the two valleys
swear to keep the peace with loya
mind
Then follows the delivery of the thre'
calves to the Spaniards They are ex
amined by a veterinary surgeon nnt
accepted, after which all present TAX
up their stations under II shady oak
and, following the example Of the gup'
st. Louis OF France and Alfonso III
Wise of Spain. the alcalde Of IsaDa eli
thrones himself among the gnarle'
roots of the oak and proceeds to act II
a magistrate.
Shepherds and neatherds pass befoi
him and prefer their international con.
plants. The judge listens to both side
bids them bring forward their witness
es and delivers Judgment without de
lay, inflcting q fine on one, awai'!ir
to another, Furnishing on
and affOrding satisfaction to his vicIin
After all the quarrcls are settled TT
alcalde undertakes The appointment a
the pasture guardians for both valleys
so that he enjoys even greater author
ity in the township of Bareton than tn
president of the republic himself r.
nally, they all betake Themselves Il
Spanish soil, where Homeric feast L.
set out, and till late in the night th'
banquet goes on, the descendants oi
the old warlike mountain peoples drink
ing together in brotherly unity in com
of the conclusion OF tb'
peace of 1875 and the installation oil
The above ceremonies.
About 300 years after this treaty hao
been made the French began to refuse
b pay the tribute, but after some nego
iations they consented to continue II
In more modern times they tried to get
he tribute commuted to a sum Of mon
", but the Spaniards declined. but
igreed to forego the firing of guns In
The direction of France as being a.
wound to French amour propre.-Lon
Ion Spectator.