A tour through the Pyrenees . dies of sufficiently ripe age, veryslender, very lean, very stiff, who, for dignityssake, set their beasts on a trot as we draw nearthem. The cicisbeo is a bony cartilaginous gentle-man, fixed perpendicularly on his saddle like a tele-graph-pole. We hear a harsh clucking, as of achoked hen, and we recognize the English tongue. As for the French nation, it is but poorly repre-sented at Gedres. First appears a long, mouldycustom-house officer, who indorses the permissionto pass of the horses ; with his once green coat thepoor man had the air of having sojourned a we
A tour through the Pyrenees . dies of sufficiently ripe age, veryslender, very lean, very stiff, who, for dignityssake, set their beasts on a trot as we draw nearthem. The cicisbeo is a bony cartilaginous gentle-man, fixed perpendicularly on his saddle like a tele-graph-pole. We hear a harsh clucking, as of achoked hen, and we recognize the English tongue. As for the French nation, it is but poorly repre-sented at Gedres. First appears a long, mouldycustom-house officer, who indorses the permissionto pass of the horses ; with his once green coat thepoor man had the air of having sojourned a weekin the river. No sooner has he let us go, than ablackguard band, boys and girls, pounces upon us ;some stretch out their hands, others wish to sellstones to us ; they motion to the guide to stop ;they claim the travellers ; two or three hold the bridleof each horse, and all cry in chorus : The grotto !the grotto ! There is nothing for it but to resignourselves and see the grotto. A servant opens a door, makes us descend two. I Chap. VI. GA VARNIE. 335 Staircases, throws a lump of earth in passing into alagiine, to awaken the sleeping fish, takes half-a-dozen steps over a couple of planks. Well, theo-rotto ?— Behold it, Monsieur. We see astreamlet of water between two rocks overhungwith ash-trees. Is that all ? She does not un-derstand, opens her eyes wide and goes away. Weascend again and read this inscription: The chargefor seeing the grotto is ten cents. The matter is allexplained. The peasants of the Pyrenees are notwanting in brains. IV. Beyond Gedres is a wild valley called Chaos,which is well named. After quarter of an hoursjourney there, the trees disappear, then the juniperand the box, and finally the moss ; the Gave is nolonger seen ; all noises are hushed. It is a deadsolitude peopled with wrecks. Three avalanchesof rocks and crushed flint have come down from thesummit to the very bottom. The horrid tide, highand a quarter of a league in length, spreads outlike wa
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