The Basques resemble in look the Southern Welsh--quick-eyed, neat in
feature, neat in dress, often, both men and women, beautiful. The
men wear a flat Scotch cap of some bright colour, and call it
'berretta.' The women tie a gaudy handkerchief round their heads,
and compel one corner to stand forward from behind the ear in a
triangle, in proportion to the size and stiffness whereof the lady
seems to think herself well dressed. But the pretty Basque
handkerchief will soon give place to the Parisian bonnet. For every
cove among the rocks is now filled with smart bathing-houses, from
which, in summer, the gay folk of Paris issue in 'costume de bain,'
to float about all day on calabashes--having literally no room for
the soles of their feet on land. Then are opened casinos, theatre,
shops, which lie closed all the winter. Then do the Basque house-
owners flee into the moors, and camp out (it is said) on the hills
all night, letting their rooms for ten francs a night as mere bed-
chambers--for all eating and living is performed in public; while the
dove-coloured oxen, with brown holland pinafores over their backs,
who dawdle in pairs up and down the long street with their light
carts, have to make way for wondrous equipages from the Bois de
Boulogne.
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