Year: 1873




The stranger who enters Spain from
the north is bewildered by the complete
change he encounters. La Bella France,
ever gay and pretty to the eye, fades
out of the canvas, and the wild, broken
ranges of the Pyrenees rise up, one by
one, bleak and frowning in the back
ground. Picturesque pastures merge
in brown, defiant sierras cleft to the
corslet by guIches, ravines and rock
bound abysses. Nor is the character of
the people unaffected by the nature of
their surroundings. It has been well
said that Africa begins Mt the Pyrenees.
The trim, jaunty peasant of the French
vineland hero becomes the bronzed and
hsrdy mountaineef. In this region the
old brigand once throve. Travellers by
diligence in times past we're wont to
tremble and cast furtive glances about
them when plunging into the black, un-
rooted caves through which the road
wound, and their dismal dread was not
materially allayed at seeing here and
there, stuck upright in fissure, tim





some iucixless wight of a wayfarer had
met with pillage and foul play. BY
moonlight ghostly shadows fell across
the solitary path, and made mule,
muleteer and traveller start alike when
ever cloud-hand suddenly passed over
the face of the pale orb. Even at this
day it is far from safe to go on foot by
this route with knapsack on shoulder,
as summer tourists like TO do among the
Alps. One of the most remarkable
features of interest for the walking
tourists in the Pyrean region is the fa-
nous pass. OF Roncesyalles. The ham
let itself lies in lovely meadow car
peted by velvet lawn and canopied by
lofty forest trees-one of the finest pas
toral plateaus in the world As it broke
upon us, we involuntarily paused and
pondered IN delight The ruined Au-
GUSTAV convent of our Lady of the
Dale still stands as sentry over the Vir-
gin of Roncesvslles's beautiful valley
home We were glad to see that the
village inn was almost opposite this
forest sanctuary, and from the little
window of our chamber we commanded
superb view of it, especially after the
moon arose and it's orange-tinted beams
quivered among the broken towers aud
turrets Truly it was n magic scene
such as the fancy loves to dwell upon
throughout a lifetime. The ground
about Roncesvalles is classic IN history.
During the eighth century the Emperor
Charlemagne ruthlessly invaded Navarro
at the front of noble army, bearing
the sanity banner of the Cross, in or
der TO drive out the caitiff followers Of
the Crescent from so fair heritage


But, unfortunately, Moore and Spaniard.
Mohammedan and Catholic, turban and
plumed helmet, flocked together with
one accord under the same battle-hag.
raised the stern waT-cry Of " Arm
against the French p and chose tho
brave Bernardo del Carpio for their
common chieftain. At Roncesvailes tho
battle was fought with extraordinary
desperation; the great emperor of tho
West, after prodigies of personal PROV
ess, was forced TO withdraw; the car
mage was merciless, and scores of mail
ed knights and their devoted henchmen
were made to bite the dust in death.
Both Cross and Crescent claimed the
honor of victory, and Christian Charla-
magne lost his best chivalry on that dis
astrous DAY. The ballads OF Bernardo
arc still chantsd by the rusties Of Na-
varre as they drive their flocks hOmewerd
at night, and in them the rout IS
aseribed wholly % the beneficent inter
position of tho Blessed Virgin of the
Valley-a fact never doubted by any
true Spanish believer.