At half-past eleven we passed through the village of Belesten (20 miles), and a little beyond, when once more among the fields, came in view of a curious sight.  Among the many fields, variously cultivated, was a square one dotted over with small manure heaps in rows.  On the top of several of the heaps, native aprons (belonging, we presumed, to girls at work in the vicinity) were neatly placed.  Was this a new fashion of rearing mushrooms, or a native invention for the propagation of aprons?  No one could say, so we have given it up!

Further on we noticed a lovely little village among the trees on the hillside to the left; our coachman called it Louvie la Haute, and we have heard no other name, as it is too insignificant to be mentioned in a guide-book.

One peculiarity of this valley seemed to be the wearing of frilled gaiters or leggings by the women.  They seem to supply the place of stockings and shoes, being visible from just below the knee, and descending well over the instep, so as to hide everything but the toes.

It must have been market-day at Laruns (233/4 miles), for when we arrived there at noon the streets were so full of carts and people that it was a matter of difficulty to get past.  If the extra bustle had betokened one of the fetes, of which the chief is held on August 15th annually, we should have been far from disposed to grumble, since it is at these Laruns fetes alone now that the old picturesque Ossalois costumes can be seen.  M. Dore has depicted a few natives in these costumes at their devotions in the ancient church that stood beside the route; but no one is likely to do so again, as the edifice—­when we passed it—­was falling into ruins and looked in a deplorable condition, the finely-sculptured doorway being partly hidden by the fallen debris.  But not only the church, but more or less the whole village, seemed in a tumble-down condition, and this appeared to us especially strange, as everywhere around prosperity seemed to reign; and further, since the railway from Pau, which was to be opened this year, appeared nearly completed, the fact of Laruns being the terminus at this end of the valley ought to render it yet more prosperous.

Just inside the village we crossed the bridge over the almost dry bed of the Arricuze (beyond which the old road to Eaux Chaudes branches off to the right), and then traversing the Gave d’Ossau, we continued under the trees along the ancient route to Eaux Bonnes.  But not for many minutes, for, where the old road which leads to the Bear Grotto also begins to ascend, the new route strikes up to the right, and continues with an easy gradient to the point where it forks (24 miles), the continuation to the right leading to Eaux Chaudes, and the branch to the left—­which we followed—­to Eaux Bonnes.

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