. Wayfaring in France, from Auvergne to the Bay of Biscay. cal buildings the town can show nothingof interest. I dropped into Dax on the eve of its annual/^.The next day at an early hour the town was fastfilling with sightseers and revellers from all thecountry-side. The majority came from the villagesand hamlets of the rich valley of the Adour in cartsdrawn by horses, donkeys, and oxen. A spectaclehad been announced for the afternoon, the mostirresistible form of amusement that these Southernersknow. It was announced as Courses de taurcaux;landaises et espagnolles. I had heard about thecourse
. Wayfaring in France, from Auvergne to the Bay of Biscay. cal buildings the town can show nothingof interest. I dropped into Dax on the eve of its annual/^.The next day at an early hour the town was fastfilling with sightseers and revellers from all thecountry-side. The majority came from the villagesand hamlets of the rich valley of the Adour in cartsdrawn by horses, donkeys, and oxen. A spectaclehad been announced for the afternoon, the mostirresistible form of amusement that these Southernersknow. It was announced as Courses de taurcaux;landaises et espagnolles. I had heard about thecourses landaises, but had never seen them, so Ipaid for a seat in the great wooden amphitheatrewhere the feats of prowess and agility were to takeplace. The building had been constructed hastily,but with considerable science. In general design itwas almost identical with that of the Roman amphi-theatres, such as we see them at Nimes and arena was enclosed by planking about five feethigh. Around this ran a passage, and then after THE ADOUR AT DAX 525. < DOO < aXH another partition the seats for the spectators began,and were continued upward in receding tiers to aheight sufficient to afford accommodation for several 526 IN THE LANDES thousand people. Some ten or twelve doors openinginto the arena indicated the stables where the beaststhat were to provide the amusement were kept. Thebuilding was open to the sky, which was of thatdusty blue so characteristic of a burning day inSouthern Europe. The sun struck full upon theassembled multitude, but everybody was too intentupon the programme to care about the heat. The exciting moment comes. A band of Spanishbull-fighters step into the arena, for politeness decreesthat the foreigners shall have the first innings. Theyare all fine specimens of the human animal, tall,square-built, strong, and agile as panthers—perfectathletes. They wear the picturesque and showycostume of the toreador and matador. One of thestable-doors is n
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1913
