acclivity of a hill, is completely exposed. As in Provence, the earth during great part of the year is parched up for want of rain; in summer the heat is oppressive, and the dust lies thick upon the ground. The best period for a short residence here, or at any of the towns in this part of France, is in September, October, or November, though at this time the rains sometimes continue for days together with but little intermission. To certain individuals, however, the climates of Montpelier and Marseilles. would not be unsuitable, as in those labouring under some kinds of asthma, or bronchial relaxation, without a tendency to inflammation. Some dyspeptic and rheumatic invalids would likewise find themselves benefited by this kind of climate, which, however, may be also met with in some of the towns of Italy, which present more agremens for a winter residence, without the inconveniences of Provence. Montpelier is the seat of one of the three Faculties of Medicine in France, the other two being at Paris and Strasbourg; but its reputation as a medical school is not so great as formerly. The town is not handsome; its streets are mostly narrow and badly paved; the number of inhabitants exceeds thirty thousand. The celebrated Promenade de Peyrou, at the most elevated part, commands an extensive view of the surrounding country, and of the olive-clad hills in the distance, among which numerous white villas are interspersed, and is embellished with an equestrian statue of Louis XIV., as also with a fountain supplied by a modern aqueduct of considerable extent. There is another much frequented promenade, the Esplanade, at the opposite extremity of the town. The objects principally worth visiting are, the Musee Fabre (a collection of pictures presented to his native town by the individual whose name it bears, among which are a few by first-rate Italian masters), the cathedral, and the school of medicine. But few English reside at Montpelier. House-rent and provisions are cheap, though poultry, eggs, and butter are very scarce, as also throughout Provence, on account of the deficiency of pasturage and grain in the country. These articles are consequently brought from other parts, principally from Toulouse. Cette is a town of considerable importance in a commercial point of view, from the constant transmission of merchandise and produce by means of the Canal du Midi, between Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Marseilles. There are also manufactories of claret, champagne, port, and other wines, which supply Italy, and most of the towns along the Mediterranean. A steamer leaves every morning to cross the salt water lake of Thau (a distance of eight miles), into which the Canal du Midi opens, the passengers and goods being then transferred to the canal boats. At the extremity of the lake, opposite to Cette, are the baths of Balaruc, which are a good deal frequented in the season, chiefly by persons from Montpelier, Toulouse, and other parts of the south. There is only the establishment, and one or two other houses, where visitors could be accommodated. The springs are saline, containing principally muriate of soda, and a little gas. They have a high reputation in rheumatic, and especially in paralytic cases. The Canal du Midi, by which water communication of the two seas is effected, though projected during the reigns of several of the French kings, was commenced and finished under Louis XIV. It is not, however, so available as it might be if the Garonne, near Toulouse, were deeper, so as to be navigable at all times. There are eighteen locks on the Atlantic side, and forty-six between Toulouse and the Lake of Thau. The banks are for the most part protected from the action of the water by rushes planted for the purpose. Hills are in several places pierced to admit its passage. One of these grottoes, termed Mal-pas, is 170 metres long, 25 feet wide, and 22 high, the sides and roof being built up with masonry. It is crossed by more than 100 bridges, and passes beneath 55 bridge aqueducts. The boats are drawn by horses, and, on account of the delays at the numerous locks, thirty-six hours are required to perform the journey from Cette to Toulouse, so that the diligence through Beziers is much more expeditious. When the railroad is completed, the transit of the canal will doubtless be altogether superseded. The country through which the canal passes no longer presents the aridity of Provence, but is rich, fertile, and in many parts highly picturesque. At Carcasonne, the snow-tipped summits of the highest of the Pyrenees rise upon the view, and on approaching Toulouse, the whole range becomes more distinctly visible. CHAPTER III. TOULOUSE-PYRENEAN BATHS-BAGNERES DE LUCHON-BAGNERES DE manner. TOULOUSE, the ancient city of song and troubadour, is said to have existed before the foundation of Rome. It lies in a beautiful and fertile plain on the right bank of the Garonne, crossed by a handsome bridge of brick. The population amounts to sixty thousand. The streets are narrow, thronged, and noisy; several of the shops and cafés are handsome, and decorated in a showy There are two or three fine squares, the Place Lafayette and especially the Place du Capitole, one side of which is entirely taken up by the Hotel de Ville; on the first floor of this building is a large hall, the Salle des Illustres Toulonnois, containing busts in terra cotta of the many celebrated characters born at Toulouse from the time of the Romans to the present. Here are held the meetings of the Academy of the Floral games, which awards prizes to the best compositions in poetry. The annual meeting and distribution of the prizes take place in May. In an adjoining apartment is the statue of Clemence Isaure, the founder and patroness of these games, |