The _Homme Noir_--a fearful spirit with large black wings--may frequently be seen perched on the summit of the highest peaks, shaking from his pinions showers of hail, which break the early flowers and crush the rising corn.
There are persons, even now--though they are rarer than in the time of that acute discoverer, De Lancre--who are believed to deserve the name of _Poudoueros, Hantaumos, Brouchos, Mahoumos_, for they are votaries of the evil one, and many spells are requisite to avoid their "witch knots," and "combs of care," &c.
Presages can be drawn from the croak of a magpie, from the rush of waters, and the howling of dogs.

If a flower is seen to expand on a barren rock, or in a place where there is no other vegetation, it is looked upon as an augury of an abundant harvest throughout the country.
But if a tree spreads its branches over the roof of a house it announces all sorts of misfortunes: the sons of that house will perish in a foreign land: the lovers of those daughters will be faithless: the parents will be abandoned by their children, and die in aged destitution.
If a single rose is left "-- --Blooming alone, Its lovely companions all faded and gone;" and if it grows with its beautiful head inclined towards a cottage, woe to the inhabitant; he has but a brief space of existence left him! Let every one beware of insulting the fountains; for if a stone or any rubbish is thrown into their waters, the person doing so will perish by thunder! At the entrance of the Vallee d'Aspe, on the Spanish side, is St.
Christine, where formerly stood one of those _hopitaux des ports_, erected by benevolence for the safety of pilgrims and travellers.

This was called, in a bull of Innocent III., _one of the three hospitals of the world_; but it has been long since destroyed.
The forests of Itseaux, Gabas, Benou, and Irati, were formerly the most considerable in this part of the Pyrenees: that of St.Engrace is still very extensive.

About a century ago the forest of Itseaux was so thick, and so little known in its vast extent, that more than one person was lost in its depths.

A singular circumstance occurred at that period, which may give an idea of the perfection of its solitude.