222 KAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



Having been continually surrounded by Basques 

 for nearly eight months, I had little difficulty in 

 collecting numerous ethnographical observations in 

 reference to this race ; and during my stay at Saint 

 Sebastian my time continued to be divided between 

 the rocks and the sea in the same manner as at 

 Guettary. Having been specially charged by the 

 Museum to collect our littoral fossils, which had 

 hitherto been very imperfectly studied, I devoted 

 myself with assiduity to the search for these re- 

 mains, which are the true archaeological documents 

 that have been bequeathed to science by the creations 

 which preceded our own on the surface of the globe. 

 In this respect, I could scarcely have been better 

 situated, and from the first day of my arrival I 

 found good reason to hope that I might successfully 

 fulfil the mission that had been entrusted to me. 

 In pursuing my investigations in the valleys around 

 Saint Sebastian, I discovered several hitherto unex- 

 plored beds, and very soon my boxes were well filled 

 with fossil plants, radiated animals and molluscs, 

 while even the bay itself furnished me with some of 

 my most curious specimens. 



Our terror flees away when we measure arms with the foe, but alas 

 our bread panniers are well nigh empty. 



" If our enemies wear hard cuirasses, our defenceless bodies are 

 nimble and agile. For five years, day and night, has the siege 

 continued without rest or break. 



" For one of our men that falls, fifteen of theirs are stricken 

 down. They are many, we are few at length we have made 

 peace. 



" The strength of the hardiest oak dwindles away as it grows 

 higher up the mountain side. The city of the Tiber is far distant, 

 but Uchain our chief is great." 



