The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-04-14
Natural Resources of Corsica.

The Hon. S. s. Cox, in his letters to the
New York World, gives the following &C.
count of the natural riches and salubrity
of the island of Corsica:
"Above the region of chestnuts is that
of the live oak then the big larches, $50
feet high; then the beech and birch and
then the ever-during SHOWS. In saying 80
much for the chestnut, it would be unfair
to omit the olive. The tree does not grow
here so large as on the Riviera coast, but it
is very productive. If there were one tithe
of the expense and time put upon the olive
here as on the coast, the yield would be
immense. The olive requires care and
skill the luchosi, who are mere laborers,
do not give these. All the care given to the
olives is by the women. The olive requires
water, and water here can only be had by
directing it into reservoirs and thence to
the roots of the trees. The olive is indigo
mus to Corsica. Birds bear the stones about
the isle. These little olive-plantcrs are al
most as thick as the leaves in which they
hide and carol. When these bird-borne
seeds grow up they are called savage
olives Not many years ago the authori-
ties took census Of the savages. They
then numbered twelve millions. Two years
ago Corsica showed at fair 25O different
specimens of olive oil. We're this land in
America, with its sweet SUI and energy Of
soil, as yet unworn by tilling, what reve-
nue. it would bring How many of these
young savages would be civilized How
they would set off esthetically speaking
with their sombre green the pale pink bios
SONS Of the almond and the gorgeous pink of
the peach How the rich verdure and golden
fruit of orange and lemon would contrast
with the foliage Of that tree which has been
made sacred by it's memories of Olivet
and the Holy Land! How the endless
macchie, the myrtle tree, the arbutus,
with its red, ripe berry, and the Taurus
tinus, instead of furnishing material for
cooking, would make this island a magnif-
cent bouquet, worthy to be laid before the
Olympians! Yet many Of these fragrant
and beautiful! plants are being made into
charcoal. The bright, blue flags Of smoke
which float here and there upon the noun
tain sides proceed from the carbon-makers.
The heayy-laden carts We meet have their
sacks full of black diamonds-for is not
carbon of the diamond? The cuisine Of
France, so celebrated, is lighted by the
Goals which are made from the most aro-
mstic plants known to the gun and earth.
But work is not in this people. Out Of two
millions and q quarter of acres of which
Corsica is composed it is estimated that only
one. Sir- -hundrsdth part is under cultivation.
In land where the seasons are one-eyen
as the sun is one-and where perpetual
vegetable life is the law, the great body Of the
25O, 900 people Of the island are content
with chestnuts and the memory Of Paoli,
goats curd, and the glory of Napoleon /! In
stead of soldiers every rywhere seen, we might
see less goatherds, more shepherds, and
still more laborers in vineyards and around
olives. In the elder day Rome WIS mis-
tress here. There are innumerable traces
of her power and greatness. Witness the
ruins, coins, aoueducts, and theatres This
isle then had 100000 Of peorlc, Now
the laborers are imported, and the French
Government pays ten dollars to holp Corsica
while she gets one in revenue! Yet the
isle is rich in so much undeveloped wealth.
Not to speak of wines and woods, olives and
oranges; its granite, its marbles, its por-
phyry,--all precious stones, incident to its
mountains-are here found in abun-
dance. Lead is found at Barbaggio.
But there are two things lacking
capital and enterprise. Now that
Corsica is being recommended by eminent
physicians rs health resort, even supe-
rior to the Riviera of Italy and France,
travellers will come. They will observe.
They will print their observations. AL
ready my eminent friend DR.. Ribton, Of
Ajacoio, has published a well-written
volume, full Of facts and deductions, show.