On the proceedings of the International Congress of Hydrology and Climatology at Biarritz, October 1886 / by G.J. Symons.

  • Symons, G. J. (George James), 1838-1900.
Date:
[1887]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the proceedings of the International Congress of Hydrology and Climatology at Biarritz, October 1886 / by G.J. Symons. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    10/18 (page 52)
    about three miles from Bayonue Is very agreeable, being liued almost through- out with lofty plane trees. The great want in Biarritz seems to be gardens and squares inside the town, the almost fabulous prices asked for good sites for building seems to have prevented the authorities from preserving open spaces for future requirements. The numerous villas have their own private grounds; but if the town is to continue a gem, some of the land now offered for sale must be reserved for public use. Cambo.—The first excursion was to this little station, which is about 12 miles south-east of Bayonne at the foot of the northern slope of the Pyrenees, with a large level plain to the north and hills of considerable height immediately to the south of it, near enough, that is to say, to make pleasant pedestrian excursions. The baths are near the river and not 200 ft. above sea-level; the principal hotel is much (perhaps 100 ft.) higher, and commands a landscape which, at the time of my visit, strongly reminded me of the lowlands of Scotland. (By the bye, there is a Cambo in the county of Fife. Is there any connection ?) There are two classes of water, one containing sulphur at 72° F. and one containing iron at 59°. I am not aware of any meteorological observations having been made either at Upper or Lower Cambo, but the air is said to be very pure, and so mild that the season extends from April 15th to November 15th. Bayonne.—Bayonne is sometimes quoted as a health resort, but I consider that its claims to that title must be but small; some parts are certainly very unliealthy, and although there are very shady woods around the ramparts, it seems to me that Bayonne should be regarded rather as a small copy of Bor- deaux, i.e. as a commercial centre, than as a health resort. Dax.—This is a very important station, celebrated even in the time of the Romans as d'Aquse Tarbellicas and d'Aquse Augustte, as will be seen on referring to Pliny L. XXXI. Cap. ii., which Holland thus translates:— There is in maner no region nor coast of the earth, but you shall see in one quarter or other waters gently rising and springing out of the ground here and there, yeelding fountains in one place cold, in another hot; yea and other- whils there may be discovered one with another neere adjoyning: as for example, about Tarbelli,' a town in Guienne and the Pyrensean hills, there do boile up hot and cold springs, so close one unto the other, that hardly any distance can be perceived between them. Dax is a low lying town on the bank of the Adour and only 40 ft. above sea-level, though it is 20 miles inland and 40 miles along the course of the Adour. The special characteristics of the place are, firstly, the enormous volume of its hot waters ; secondly, its mud baths ; and thirdly, its sedative climate. As regards the hot springs one yields 1,200 cubic metres (26,426 gallons) per diem, at the temperatui'e of 147°'2 ; the basin in the middle of the town into which this spring discharges is about 50 ft. square, and even on the warm day of our visit was steaming away as if two or throe locomotives were standing inside. The station is one at which mud baths are largely used, but of course I Home think Baiou in France.