Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-04-23

The Hon. s. S. Cox, in his letters to the
New York World, gives the following ac-
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 so
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
ofsJhe expense and time put upon the olive
here rs on the coast, the yield would be
immense. The olive requires care and
skill ; the luchosi, who are mere laborers,
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
nous to Corsica. Birds bear the stones about
the isle. These little olive-planters 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 $50 different
specimens of olive oil. We're this land in
America, with its sweet sun and energy of
soil, as yet unworn by tilling, what a reve-
nue. it would bring How many of these
young 'sayages would be civilized! How
they would set off Rsthetically 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
las been made sacred 10y its memories Of
Olivet and the Holy Land How the end
less macchie, the myrtle tree, the arbutus,
with it's red, ripe berry, and the Taurus
cooking, would make this island a magnifi-
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 heavy-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 10y the
Goals which are inaO0 from the most aro-
matte plants known to the sun and Garth
But work is not in this people, Out of
two millions and u quarter of acres of
which Corsica is composed it is estimated
that only one-sir-huatlredM part is under
cultivation. In land where the season s
are one--even as the sun is one-and
where perpetual vegetable life is the
law, the great body of the 250, 900 people
of the island are content with chestnuts
and the memory of Paoli, goats curd,
and the glory OF Napoleon +! Instead Of
soldiers everywhere seen, we might see less
goatherds, more shepherds, and still
loln
olives. In the elder day Rome was mis-
tress here. There are innumerable traces
Of her power anG greatness. Witness the
ruins, coins, aqueducts and theatres This
isle then had 100000 Of people Now
the laborers are imported and the French
Government pay ten dollars to help Corsica
Whllo 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; it's granite, its marbles, its por-
phyry-all precious stones, incident to its
mountains-are here found in abundance.
Lead is found at Barbaggio. But there
are two things laokiDg-capital and enter
prise. Now that Corsica is being recon-
mended by eminent physicians as health
resort, even superior to the Riviera of
Italy and France, travellers will come
They will observe. They will print their
ODsefVat1OnS. Already my eminent friend
DR.. Ribton, of Ajacco, has published a
well written volume, fall of facts and de-
ductions, showing the advantages Of Cor
sica over all the world for its eli
matte and remedial influences in
pulmonary disorders. Hitherto the
island has been so far aloof from the
ordinary routes of travel that few have OBJ
served even what has fallen under my eye.
think the very wildness, not to say mac
feasibility, of these mountains (before the
days-of French engineering), with their
great forests and ready subsistence, have
had much to do in forming the Corsican
character. They have left Corsica fifty
years behind its nelghbors. The people
are made hardy. independent, and defiant,
but vengeiul and lazy. But they were full
of heroes. Della Rocco, Sampriero, Paoli,
Napoieon-a constellation-and, 1 may
add (for / have seen him, yet alive, in his
own garden, where his great General, Ma
poleon, planted lemons and wandered
when boy, General Sebastian-tbese
illustrate the martial daring and obstinate
character of the Corsican. The people are