1851 191 on the sub-prefect (the Prefect lives at Pau), the General of Brigade, the Commandant, and I do not know how many receptions and soirees he proposes attending. The French here live very much in their country houses, as we do at home, and more resemble us in their habits than in other parts of France. The families are more numerous, and mothers stay at home, and bring them up carefully, instead of frequenting theatres and places of public resort. There are other things to remind us of our people and country, consequences, maybe, of the hold the English once had over Guienne. There is, first and foremost, the fine cathedral at Bayonne, built by the English, it is said, somewhere about the time of the Black Prince. It is a very fine edifice, and, tho' built of so soft and crumbling a stone that the more delicate part of the workmanship has been worn away by time, it is likely to be wholly and effectively restored, which is in part accomplished through the munificence of a gentleman of the town, who died lately, bequeathing to the work a sum of 30,000 francs annually to be spent on internal restoration, Government being charged with that which is external. The tracery of the stone-work of the cloister is in progress of restoration, and the ceiling of the nave and aisles is undergoing painting and gilding, as well as more needful repairs, while the whole of the whitewash on the stone-work, with much yellow ochre to boot, is being scraped off, leaving a yellow stone beneath, which has a warm and handsome appearance. Oh ! how I should love to have you or any other of my dear sisters here. My heart yearns for you oftentimes. There is a capital room for you in our house, which is a very nice one, with labyrinths of long oaken polished floors. There is a billiard-room below, in addition to three or four other sitting-rooms, a fountain in front of the house with one hundred gold fish in the basin, two stone statues guarding flights of steps leading from a terrace-garden in which stands the fountain, and large orange trees along the walls in their capacious green tubs ; china vases full of geraniums decorate the centre, in the old formal French or Italian style of regularly shaped group-beds, and there is some extent of ground and wood behind the house, all kept up by the gardener and his brother, who live at the lodge, and all this got for less than we paid for Marchadlier's itage last year. We are situated with regard to Bayonne about the distance of
