In two days we reached Pampeluna by a more direct road, but the men began to flag, owing to irregular and poor feeding; besides which, we had been marching for thirty-two days, with only two regular halts, since quitting our camp between Toro and Salamanca; therefore, those plagued and suffering from sore feet were under the painful necessity (unless totally unable to proceed), of going on until they got well again. I have often seen the blood soaking through the gaiters, and over the heels of the soldiers' hard shoes, whitened with the dust. The general-in-chief having cleared his right flank, and again condensed his right and centre round Pampeluna, debouched thence on the 4th July, for the purpose of taking possession of the passes of the western Pyrenees, and pushing the enemy's vanguard out of the valley of Bastan into France; which was executed by part of the second division, on the 7th. Our division, forming the left centre of the army, flanked this movement. Our route at first lay through verdant and luxuriant valleys, abounding with apple orchards, groves of chesnut trees, and small fields of Indian corn; from thence we ascended by broken roads, over rugged mountains, which were cracked in many places into vast chasms, overhung with oak trees of enormous magnitude, whose ponderous and wide spreading branches cast their dark shadows over the dried water-courses and natural grottos, formed by the intricate mazes of the underwood, entwining around the peaked and overhanging rocks, which in many places were garnished with wild strawberries. The third day after leaving Pampeluna, we descended from the mountains into the compact little town of St. Estevan, situated on the rocky and woody bank of the clear stream of the Bidassoa, over which a good stone bridge communicates with the opposite side of the river: here we halted, with full leisure to explore the lovely scenery, which on every side encircled this secluded valley. Our curiosity was much excited by the peculiar method of washing in this part of the country, the women squatting, or rather sitting on their bare heels, with their lower garments tightly pulled about them, whilst others stood in the river rinsing the linen, with their only petticoat tied in a knot very high up betwixt their legs, displaying the most perfect symmetry; and it was morally impossible to refrain from admiring the natural and graceful forms of these nymphs.