ayonne, Lord Wellington
followed Soult with the remainder.

The new clothing for the different regiments of the army had, in the
mean time, been gradually arriving at St. Jean de Luz; and, as the
commissariat transport was required for other purposes, not to mention
that a man's new coat always looks better on his own back than it does
on a mule's, the different regiments marched there for it in
succession. It did not come to our turn until we had taken a stride to
the front, as far as La Bastide; our retrograde movement, therefore,
obliged us to bid adieu to our division for some time.

On our arrival at St. Jean de Luz, we found our new clothing, and some
new friends in the family of our old friend, Arcangues, which was one
of the most respectable in the district, and who showed us a great
deal of kindness. As it happened to be the commencement of Lent, the
young ladies were, at first, doubtful as to the propriety of joining
us in any of the gaieties; but, after a short consultation, they
arranged it with their consciences, and joined in the waltz right
merrily. Mademoiselle was really an exceedingly nice girl, and the
most lively companion in arms (in a waltz) that I ever met.

Our clothing detained us there two days; on the third, we proceeded to
rejoin the division.

The pride of ancestry is very tenaciously upheld among the Basques,
who are the mountaineers of that district. I had a fancy that most of
them grew wild, like their trees, without either fathers or mothers,
and was, therefore, much amused, one day, to hear a fellow, with a Tam
O'Shanter's bonnet, and a pair of bare legs, tracing his descent from
the first man, and maintaining that he spoke the same language too.
He might have added, if further proof were wanting, that he, also,
wore the same kind of shoes and stockings.

On the 27th February, 1814, we marched, all day, to the tune of a
cannonade; it was the battle of Orthes; and, on our arrival, in the
evening, at the little town of St. Palais, we were very much annoyed
to find the seventy-ninth regiment stationed there, who handed us a
general order, desiring that the last-arrived regiment should relieve
the preceding one in charge of the place. This was the more vexatious,
knowing that there was no other regiment behind to relieve us. It was
a nice little town, and we were treated, by the inhabitants, like
friends and allies, experiencing much kindness and hospitality from
them; but a rifleman,