2. The second arrondissement takes its name from A or Ar9des, a small town with a college and 1539 inhabitants, situated at the northern entrance of the beautiful valley of lAvedan, on the left bank of the Gaveel'Azan, a feeder of the 0ave-de-Pan, 18 miles S.S.W. from Tarbes. St.-Pe, situated in a country rich in copper- and lead mines, on the right bank of the Gave-de-Pau, 7 miles N.W. from Argeles, has a population of 2972, who manufacture nails and box wood combs, and export roofing-slates. Lourdes, 5 miles E. from St.
stands on the Gave-de-Pau, and is built at the meeting of five high roads round a rock, surmounted by an old castle of the counts of Bigorre, and on the sloped of a ravine which is traversed by a torrent. The houses are pretty well built, but from the nature of the ground tho streets are irregular. The town has a tribunal of first instance, and 4146 inhabitants. It is a very ancient place ; remains of ancient towers, said to be of Roman construction, are seen here. By the treaty of Bretigny, this town, with the rest of Bigorra, was ceded to the English as part of the ransom of the French king, John. The history of Lourdes forma an admirable story in Froissart. A few miles S. from Argeles, at the small village of Pierrefitte, the road diverges into two branches, which lead, through narrow gorges sepa rated by a mountain mass above 7000 feet in height, to the famous hot springs of Cauterctz and St.-Saurcur. Cauteretz is about 7 miles from Pierrefitte. The road which leads to it Is cut with great engineering skill, and presents some of the finest mountain scenery in this part of the Pyrenees. The baths are very numerously frequented in July and August. About 6 miles from Cauteretz is the famous Pant-d'Espagne, a bridge consisting of a number of pine-trees thrown across a narrow chasm in the rocks, into which two mountain streams leap and unite, while the sides of the ravine are covered with dark pine-foresta, diversified here and there by granite cliffs that shoot up into spires and pinnacles. Not far from the Pont-d'Es' prigne are the Lac-de-Gaube, the largest tarn among the Pyrenees, and near it the Vignemale, one of the highest mountains in France. (PenteNees.) Tho road to the baths of St.-Sauveur passes through Litz, 9 miles S.E. from Pierrefitte, the narrow gorge presenting scenery similar to that already noticed. Luz is a clean village, situated at the foot of the Pie-de-Bergoms, a high mountain of easy approach, commanding a magnificent view, and on a crystal stream that flows with great rapidity through the ravine in which the town stands. The population of Luz is 2640. The church, which was built by the Ternplars, is a remarkable structure, a good deal resembling a fortress. Half a mile S.W. from Luz are the hot baths of St.-Sauveur, and about 2 miles N.E. are tha still more famous baths of Bariges. Baregea is inhabited only during the summer and autumn, at which time it is visited by about 1300 invalids. The springs are the highest in the l'yrenees ; the winters consequeutly are long and cold, so that no population remains, except a few people who take care of the houses in the v illage.
3. The third arrondissement is named from its chief town, Bagn,3res de-Bujorre (the A quensis Vicar of the Romans), 481 miles S.S.W. from
l'arie. It stands in 43° 3' N. het., 0° 8' E. long., on the left bank of tha Adour, and has a resident population of 8335 in the commune. Tho town is celebrated for its medicinal baths, which are much fre quented from Nay to the end of October, during which time the population is increased to about 15,000. The town stands at the foot of a limestone hill, from the sides of which the medicinal waters flow which supply the public and private baths. There are about 70 baths, which vary in temperature from 90* to 135° Fahr. The waters of all the baths differ only in temperature ; they are clear and without any peculiar taste, aperient, and tonic. Bagnerea is perhaps the neatest and lest-built town in the south of France : the streets are wide, well laid out, well paved, and watered by streams from the Adour. The environs are very beautiful and extremely fertile: there are delightful walks in the valley of Campan and along the banks of the Adour. The town contains a library and reading.rooms, and an establishment with accommodations for dancing, reading, bathing, gaming, theatrical performaneee, kke. There are also a college and an hospital for the poor. Some manufactures of woollemstuffs of good quality, serges, crapes, and other fabrics are carried on here ; paper is also mauls factored. Quarries of fine marble are worked near the town. Campan is a well-built town, situated ou the Adour, about 4 miles S.S.E. from 13agneres, in a very rich and fertile valley, and has a popu lation of 4058, who manufacture woollen-cloth and paper, and export marble from the quarries in the neighbourhood. There is a large grotto near the town filled with beautiful crystallisationa. The valley of Campers is at the source of the Adour, and comprehends in reality two valleys, one of them watered by the Adour, and the other by its feeder, the Trasports. The delightful scenery of the valley of Campau forms ona of the attractions of the neighbouring watering-place, Bagneresele-Bigorro, the most frequented of this part of France. The mineral riches of the valley constitute however its chief claim to notice. It is celebrated for its fine-grained marble of different colours, some of purple and white with veins of green, and some of deep red veined with green and white. The marble quarries of Campan have been long worked by the government for the embellialonent of the royal residences of France. The valley of Campan is one of the most fertile in the department ; and the flocks, orchards, and gardens, which its inhabitants generally possess, enable them to live in com fort. The Pie-du-Midi-de-Bigorre, which overlooks the valley, rises to the height of 0544 feet.
The department forme the see of the Bishop of Tarbes; is included in the jurisdiction of the High Court of Pau, and within the limits of the University-Academy of Toulouse ; and belongs to the 13th Mili tary Division, of which Bayonne is bead-quarters. It returns two members to the Legislative Chamber of the French empire.
(Dietionnaire de la Prance; Annuaire pear 1853; Annuaire du Commerce; Papers.)