It was during this negociation that Don Lewis, in converfation with a friend, made a remark on the Cardinal, pregnant with important truth, and which it is, to this day a conftant rule in Utopia to infcribe in letters of gold, in the beginning of the Inftructions given to every ambal fador and negociator, before he proceed on his miffion to foreign parts.

"The Cardinal," faid the Spanish minifter," has one defect; but it is a radical defect, and the greatest a negociator can have he is perpetually contriving horv be may deceive thofe with whom he has to treat."

In the fame little ifland took place the exchange of the chivalrous Francis I. who had been made a prifoner at the fatal battle of Pavia, in 1525, for his fons, who were to remain in the hands of Charles V. as hoftages, for the fulfillment of the engagements contracted by their unfortunate father.

Francis, after haftily embracing his children, was landed in his own dominions, where inftantly mounting a charger provided for him, he drew his fword, flourished it over his head, and calling out, "I am once more a king!" gallopped off in the midst of his enraptured attendants.

This fpot was, in days of yore, called the Ifle of Pheasants; certainly not from its having been a favourite abode of those birds but fince the Peace of the Pyrenees, it has retained the name of the Ifle of the Conference.

It is low and marshy, and often overflowed at high tides, or floods in the river. There was no refifting the temptation, we, therefore, by a small extra-payment, were allowed to step on it for a couple of

minutes.

At last we were landed in Spain, and proceeded down the river-bank for about a mile to frun, now a fmall town, but once, it is laid, much more confiderable.

It is cuftomary here for travellers to prefent themselves before the Alcalde, to have their paffports verified; but we had other reasons for waiting on this magiftrate: we purposed to return to France by Fontarabia, which lies at the mouth of the Bidaffoa; and for this purpose, a fpecial permiffion was neceffary, becaufe the custom-house is established at Frun.

This permiffion we readily obtained, together with a licence to carry out of Spain a much larger fum of fpecie than we could poffibly want.

Thefe matters being arranged, our guide conducted us to what he called a MONTHLY MAG. No. 116.

good inn, which had much the air of a great barn, with an arched doorway in the end towards the street.

In one corner we put up our horfes; in another lay a fow with a litter of thirteen ; the third corner ferved as a kitchen; and in the fourth were placed the beds. Notwithstanding thefe unpromifing appearances, we made a hearty breakfast on Spanish bread, Dutch cheese, and French wine, all of excellent quality; and about nine in the morning, pursued our journey for St. Sebastian.

At run we quitted the great road to Madrid, opened and kept up across the Pyrenean ridges, with great skill, and at a very confiderable expence.

This road was throughout fo much improved, that, for the first time, a diligence had been lately established, to run regu larly between Bayonne and Madrid.

Our route turned down weftwardly to the right, croffing a fucceffion of low hills and vales, covered with wood; but here and there prefenting a cottage in the midst of a spot of cultivated ground.

This road we were told was used only during fummer, and that in the winter, travellers generally took another route.

Travelling three hours, at a flow pace, we came to Leffo, a village fituated at the S. E. extremity of the bay or harbour of Port Paffage.

Here we fent the guide and horfes round the bottom of the Bay, to wait for us on the other fide, and embarked in a large boat, rowed by four women, who, in half an hour, landed us in the town of Pallage.

This bay, or harbour, is formed by the fea entering through a narrow winding inlet, across a high rocky ridge of hills, which line the fhore, from the mouth of the Bidafsoa to St. Sebaftian. Its name is Jayjquivel, a word meaning in the aboriginal language of Bifcay, the Shoulder of the mountain, as being a protuberance from the Pyrenees, abutting on the fea.

The mouth of Port Paffage lies in N. lat. 43°. 20'. 10". and in long. E. from the marine obfervatory at Cadiz, 4o. 21′. 30". The width, at the entrance, is about ninety fathoms; but it diminishes in fome places to fifty, farther up the inlet, which lies, in general, in a direction from N. N. W. to S. S. E. on a length of nearly of a mile.

The fea, after piercing through the ridge of Jayfquivel, fpreads over a large tract of low ground, at the mouths of three rivulets, affuming the appearance of a bafon, entirely land-locked. This 4 A

bafon,

bafon, however, is fo fhallow as, at low water, to become dry, excepting juft in the channels of the rivulets: fo that veffels drawing more than ten feet of water, muft remain in the inlet or entrance, towards the inner end, in from three to five fathoms depth at the lowest ebb.

It is high water here at fall and change, at three o'clock, when the tide rifes twelve feet.

The tradition of the country is, that, in ancient times, the inner bafon was very deep; but that it has been gradually fhallowed by the accumulation of materials brought from the mountains after rains: and the tradition has probably been founded on obfervation of the fact.

When we were at Port Paffage, there were two fifty-gun fhips and fome frigates at anchor in the entrance; but, from the appearance of the town, docks, forts, &c. government feemed to have paid but little attention to the place.

It is true, indeed, that only a fmall

number of veffels can be accommodated here, and that great care is requifite in going in and out, in order to keep clear of thofe at anchor, as well as of the rocky fhores, which fpring fuddenly up from the water's edge, to a great heighth, on both fides.

As we had heard a great deal about the excellence of this port, our expectations were raifed, and confequently disappointed: but the coup d'oeil of the bay, with its arms rearing up between the rifing grounds; the magnificence of the entrance, cut through a mountain, intended, as it were, by nature, to ward off the attacks of the ocean; these and many other particulars, of which we had neither heard nor read one word, gave us very high pleasure. It has been already mentioned, that we were rowed across the harbour by women. The men of all this north coast of Spain, a most hardy, active, and enterprifing race, inhabiting a very mountainous tract, which affords but little employment for them on fhore, are ex-. tremely attached to a fea-faring life.

At this time they were abroad in

the

fishery and other branches of navigation; fo that home labour, of various forts, had entirely devolved to the females; of whom fome, from their frequent intercourfe with British veffels, made a fhift to exprefs themselves in tolerable Sea-English.

All along this coaft, the inhabitants are extremely ready to go off to veffels appearing near the land, to pilot or tow them into port. Thofe of Port Paffage and St. Sebaftian have a peculiar regu

lation, by which the boat which first reaches the vessel at fea, must of neceffity be received; and each perfon in her is entitled to demand twelve reals of vellon, or about half-a-crown fterling.

The other boats may, or may not, be engaged, at the option of the commander of the veffel; but, if engaged, their crews are entitled to only nine reals, or 22 pence, each perfon.

Our female failors recounted endless ftories of the lofs of fathers and brothers, hufbands and fons, in th-fe dangerous ftruggles, often in the most boisterous weather.

The variation of the magnetic needle at Port Paffage, in 1787, was found, by accurate experiments, to be zo deg. 40. min. wefterly.

(To be continued.)

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

Tent OEDIPUS, concerning the SarHE obfervations of your correfpondcophagus of ALEXANDER, did not, till within thefe few days, fall in my way.

In page 4 of your Magazine for February, is the following paffage :-"The last sen- . tence, Sir, was falling from my pen, when I received the information that Mr. Clarke, who has deserved well of the world for his refearches, is now employed in adducing proofs that the Sarcophagus of the Mufeum was really the tomb of Alexander!" Allow me to acquaint Œdipus, that his information is erroneous; for Mr. Clarke's teftimonies on this fubject were adduced above twelve months ago; and, to fatisfy the curiofity of friends, liberally communicated to them. Let me add, as they are now in the prefs, the public will foon perceive, that, if CEdipus were a stranger to them till the time of his writing, he is more of a conjurer than himself is aware. DAVUS.