cure—­A spring scene—­A billiard-playing priest—­A well-placed pavilion—­The Valentin and its cascades—­Through solid rock—­Gaps in the road—­A grand scene—­Wanted, an artist—­A fine torrent—­Professional fishers—­Lucky guests—­Musings—­Poor Mr. Tubbins—­Bonnes v.  Chaudes—­Over the Col de Gourzy—­Peculiar teams—­Guelder roses—­Spinning.

Next year, travellers with luggage will probably be able to reach Eaux Bonnes in a much shorter time than now, since the railway ought then to be in working order as far as Laruns; but at the period when this was written, the only choice of conveyances lay between a clumsy diligence and a comfortable carriage.

Very few people would be likely to hesitate between the two, provided they were not travelling alone, and in that case even, they would probably only take the former as an “experience.”

The “diligence” which starts from the Hotel de la Poste at Pau has three compartments, for a seat in any of which the respective charges are 8 frs. 80 cents, 7 frs. 70 cents, and 6 frs. 60 cents.  The “first-class” seats—­which are of course the best—­are placed behind the driver, and a large dusty-looking hood shields the passengers from the rain, but not from the dust, nor, since it is black and low, from the heat of the sun.  The position therefore, even with ample accommodation, is a trying one, but when tightly packed, and wedged in with luggage to boot, on a warm summer or even spring day, the lot of an individual during the 5-1/2 hours’ journey, with only a half-hour’s break between, would, like the policeman’s, be certainly not “a happy one.”

When a party are going it is of course cheaper to take a carriage, which may be had for from 35 to 50 francs to do the trip in one day, or at the rate of 25 francs per diem, taking it for two days or more.  As the distance between Pau and either Eaux Bonnes or Eaux Chaudes is 271/2 miles, and the distance of the one watering-place from the other 61/4 miles, the actual mileage from Pau and back again is 611/4 miles, to perform which in one day, and see the two towns as well, is a feat—­though often done—­hardly to be recommended.  At least two days should be given to the task, and we do not think they would be regretted.

The heat in Val d’Ossau during the summer months is very great, and the lumbering old diligence usually runs during the hottest part of the day; we preferred an early start, and by half-past six were on the road, meeting a few people apparently wending their way towards the market, with flowers and vegetables for sale.  Crossing the bridge and through Jurancon, where hardly a soul was astir, we sped along the dusty road to Gan (5 miles), at which town—­one of the chief centres of the wine district—­a road to Oloron branches off to the right.  Here the inhabitants were really beginning to bustle; and as it was getting on towards eight o’clock, they were nothing too early, although they may have held