and thence into Bayonne!  This drive may be prolonged in two directions:  firstly, by crossing the Nive and the Adour to the Guards’ cemetery (where those who fell in the sortie from Bayonne 1813-14, are buried) at St. Etienne; and secondly, by following the bank of the river for some distance (past the market), and turning up into the country by way of St. Pierre to the Croix de Mouguere.  This latter makes a splendid picnic, and the locality is a rich hunting-ground for entomologists.

There are four other excursions that we must not omit to mention, viz., Cambo and the Pas de Roland, St. Jean de Luz, Fuenterabia, and San Sebastien.  All of these, with the exception of the first, can be reached by rail, and as far as St. Jean de Luz the road from Biarritz [Footnote:  There is a more direct route to Cambo from Bayonne.] is common to all; so that to save space we will only mention it on our way to Cambo.

Starting at an early hour with plenty of provisions, we bowled down to the Negresse station, crossed the line, and ascended the hill above Lake Mouriscot, at the top of which Bidart—­the first of the Basque villages—­comes into view.

Guetary (3 miles), standing on a hill to the southward, was next seen, and in due time we reached St. Jean de Luz (8 miles), a town of over 4000 inhabitants (possessing a very good hotel and baths, and some historical buildings), situated on a strip of sand between the River Nivelle and the sea.  Here the road to Cambo branched off to the left, inland—­the high road to Spain continuing near the seaboard—­and frequently skirting the Nivelle as far as St. Pee, we passed on by Espelette to Cambo.  The Hotel St. Martin there, which generally attracts visitors for a few days at least, was not our destination; so we took a glimpse at Fagalde’s celebrated chocolate factory and the old churchyard high above the river—­while our horses were being changed—­and then resumed our journey to the Pas de Roland. [Footnote:  So-called from the fable that Roland, coming to the place and wishing to cross, found the rocks barring his passage, so kicked them, whereupon they parted for him to pass between.] The scenery now became very charming, the winding river (Nive) adding much to the general beauty, especially where it dashed out from between the rugged rocks of the gorge with which Roland’s name is associated.

After exploring this narrow pass we found a suitable place for luncheon and sat down.

In returning, we halted near the village of Itsatsou, to gather some of the lovely scarlet anemones [Footnote:  A fee of 1 franc for one person, or 2 francs for three, is expected for admission into the fields.] which grow near there, and cover the fields with such a blaze of colour as makes them conspicuous from a long distance.  The rest of the journey in the cool of the afternoon was very pleasant, but our route was the same till reaching Bidart, where we curved to the left, and came by a branch road (previously mentioned), via the Villa Marbella and the Falaises, back to our hotel.