Chapter I: Front Matter

CLARET AND OLIVES,

FROM

THE GARONNE TO THE RHONE;

OR,

NOTES, SOCIAL, PICTURESQUE, AND LEGENDARY,
BY THE WAY.

BY ANGUS B. REACH,
AUTHOR OF "THE STORY OF A BUCCANEER," ETC.

LONDON: DAVID BOGUE, FLEET STREET.
MDCCCLII.

LONDON:

HENRY VIZETELLY, PRINTER AND ENGRAVER,
GOUGH SQUARE, FLEET STREET.

TO

CHARLES MACKAY, ESQ., LL. D.,

MY EARLIEST AND KINDEST LITERARY FRIEND,

These Pages

ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

The Diligence--French Country Places--The English in
Guienne--Bordeaux--Old Bordeaux--A Bordeaux
Landlord--A Suburban Vintaging--The Vintage
Dinner 1-20

CHAPTER II.

Claret _v._ Port--The Claret Soil--The Claret Vine--Popular
Appetite for Grapes--Variable qualities of the
Claret Soil--French Veterans--The "Authorities" in
France 21-38

CHAPTER III.

The Claret Vintage--The Treading of the Grape--The Last
Drops of the Grape--Wanderings amongst the
Vineyards--Wandering Vintagers--The Vintage Dinner--The
Vintagers' Bedroom--The Claret Chateaux--The Chateau
Margaux 39-57

CHAPTER IV.

The Landes--The Bordeaux and Teste Railway--M. Tetard
and his Imitator--Start for the Landes--The Language
of the Landes--A Railway Station in the Landes--The
Scenery of the Landes--The Stilt-walkers of the
Landes--A Glimpse of Green 58-76

CHAPTER V.

The Clear Water of Arcachon--Legend of the Baron of
Chatel-morant--The Resin Harvest--The Witches of
the Landes--The Surf of the Bay of Biscay--French
Priests--Do the Landes Cows give Milk?--The _Amour
Patriæ_ of the Landes 77-101

CHAPTER VI.

Dawn on the Garonne--The Landscape of the Garonne--The
Freaks of the Old Wars in Guienne--Agen--Jasmin,
the Last of the Troubadours--Southern Cookery
and Garlic--The Black Prince in a New
Light--Cross-country Travelling in France 102-126

CHAPTER VII.

Pau--The English in Pau--English and Russians--The
View of the Pyrenees--The Castle--The Statue of
Henri Quatre--His Birth--A Vision of his
Life--Rochelle--St. Bartholomew--Ivry--Henri and
Sully--Henri and Gabrielle--Henri and Henriette
d'Entragues--Ravaillac 127-136

CHAPTER VIII.

The Val d'Ossau--The Vin de Jurancon--Pyrenean Cottages--The
Bernais Peasants--The Devil learning
Basque--The Wolves of the Pyrenees--The Bears of
the Pyrenees--The Dogs of the Pyrenees--An Auberge
in the Pyrenees--Omens and Superstitions in
the Pyrenees--The Songs of the Pyrenees 137-155

CHAPTER IX.

Wet Weather in the Pyrenees--Eaux Chaudes out of
Season, and in the Rain--Plucking the Indian Corn
at the Auberge at Laruns--The Legend of the Wehrwolf,
and the Baron who was changed into a Bear 156-166

CHAPTER X.

The Solitary Big Hotel--The Knitters of the Pyrenees--The
Weavers of the Pyrenees--Pigeon-catching in
the Pyrenees--The Giant of the Pyrenean Dogs--Murray
and _Commis Voyageurs_--The Eastern Pyrenees--The
Legend of Orthon 167-186

CHAPTER XI.

Languedoc--The "Austere South"--Beziers and the
Albigenses--The Fountain of the Greve--The Bishop
and his Flock--The Canal du Midi--The
Mistral--Rural Billiard-playing 187-199

CHAPTER XII.

Travelling by the Canal du Midi--Travelling French
People--The Salt Harvest--Equestrian Thrashing
Machines--Cette--The Mediterranean--The "Made"
Wines--The Priest on Wines--_La Cuisine Française_ 200-218

CHAPTER XIII.

The Olive-gathering--A Night with the
Mosquitoes--Aigues-Mortes--The Fever in
Aigues-Mortes--My _Cicerone_ in Aigues-Mortes--The
Pickled Burgundians--Reboul's Poetry--The Lighthouse
of Aigues-Mortes 219-235

CHAPTER XIV.

Fen Landscape--Tavern Allegories--Roman Remains--Roman
Architecture--Roman Theatricals--The Maison
Carrée--Greek Architecture--Catholic and Protestant--The
Weaver's _Cabane_--Protestant and Catholic 236-255

CHAPTER THE LAST.

Backward French Agriculture--French Rural Society--The
Small Property System--French "Encumbered
Estates" 256-264

CLARET AND OLIVES.