Bayonne 53 



i^lh. The agreeable scene of yesterday continues; many 

 small properties: and every appearance of rural happiness. 

 Navareen is a small walled and fortified town, consisting of 

 three principal streets, which cross at right angles, with a small 

 square. From the ramparts there is the view of a fine country. 

 The linen fabric spreads through it. To St. Palais the country 

 is mostly enclosed, and much of it with thorn-hedges, admirably 

 trained and kept neatly chpped. — 25 miles. 



i^ih. Left St. Palais, and took a guide to conduct me four 

 leagues to Anspan.^ Fair day, and the place crowded with 

 farmers; I saw the soup prepared for what we should call the 

 farmers' oi-dinary. There was a mountain of sliced bread, the 

 colour of which was not inviting; ample provision of cabbage, 

 grease, and water, and about as much meat for some scores 

 of people as half a dozen English farmers would have eaten, and 

 grumbled at their host for short commons. — 26 miles. 



15th. Bayonne is by much the prettiest town I have seen in 

 France; the houses are not only well built of stone, but the 

 streets are wide and there are many openings which, though not 

 regular squares, have a good effect. The river is broad, and 

 many of the houses being fronted to it, the view of them from 

 the bridge is fine. The promenade is charming; it has many 

 rows of trees, whose heads join and form a shade delicious in 

 this hot climate. In the e\ening, it was thronged with well- 

 dressed people of both sexes: and the women, through all the 

 country, are the handsomest I have seen in France. In coming 

 hither from Pau, I saw what is very rare in that kingdom, clean 

 and pretty country girls ; in most of the provinces, hard labour 

 destroys both person and complexion. The bloom of health 

 on the cheeks of a well-dressed country girl is not the worst 

 feature in any landscape. I hired a chaloup for viewing the 

 embankment at the mouth of the river. By the water spreading 

 itself too much the harbour was injured ; and government, 

 to contract it, has built a wall on the north bank a mile long, 

 and another on the south shore of half the length. It is from 

 ten to twenty feet wide, and about twelve high, from the top 

 of the base of rough stone, which extends twelve or fifteen feet 

 more. Towards the mouth of the harbour it is twenty feet wide 

 and the stones on both sides crampt together with irons. They 

 are now driving piles of pine sixteen feet deep for the foundation. 

 It is a work of great expense, magnificence, and utility. 



i6th. To Dax is not the best way to Auch, but I had a mind 



1 Hasparren. 



