North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-05-19
VOLUME XIII--NO. 35,


now abroad seeking restoration to health,
writes very graphic letters to the New
York World. His description Of Corsica
is quite elaborate and very entertaining.
We extract: ...
| APPROACH TO THE ISLAND.
The fine bay of Ajaccio is spread out to
the view. 1t is surrounded on every side
by mountain ranges. Many parts are now
snow covered, and their sides chsckered
by shade and sun. The air was balm !;
not alone because the exposure was to the
southwest, and the bay was so inland as
to be protected from the mistral or sea
breezes but because the air was so
freighted with the perfume of the noun
tains. Will your readers in New York,
where you are on the same line Of latitude
as Corsica, believe that here, at 80 de-
grees north latitude, the very weeds are
the fragrant flowers of the New York
Conservatory! The very scrubs are the
sweet-scented shrubs of the lady of the
Fifth Avenue The very winter air is
redolent with burden Of lemon, orange,
and myrtle aroma, to which Arabia has
no parallel in summer, and the mind of
the stranger no conception till he inhales
it. Do you remember what Napoleon
said, from his rocky island prison Of St.
Helena? "a rodeur embellishments la
Corse, les yeur termes." Now, as write,
in the afternoon, in villa with open
window, with gentle breeze blowing
across the bay from the sea toward Corte,
the realization Of Napoleon's words is
faithful to safety. The heraldic shield Of
Corsica once was that Of Saracen's head,
with eyes bandaged. 1t seems as if there
were here such an afiuence for one sense,
that sight was superAuous. Besides, we
have nightengales in plenty, whose song
is odor to the ear.
As we pioughed our path up the bay,
we asked one of the passengers the ques-
ton asked by many stranger before !:
Nv hat are those beautiful little houses, so
oddly made, lining the shore ?'' "Thcse
are the villages Of the Dead" The dead
livid in these towns, as an Irish friend re-
marked to me soon after, on our converse.
ton about these mortuaries. Cemetaies
there are none, and since, while among
the mountains, we found many Of these
places of sepulture. Each family which
can afford it has private mausoleum. 1t
is nothing here to decorate the little gar
dens around the tombs. The cypress,
evergreen flowers, and shrubs which no
winter strips of foliage or fragrance, by
their own energy of vegetation, and with
out even the care of the bereaved, here
preserve in picturesque and perpetual
sweetness mournful memories Of the loved
ard lost.
| MEMENToEs OF NAPOLEON.
Aiaccio would not be accounted much ex-
cept for its bay and healthy situation,
were it not the birthplace of the most re-
markable man of the past thousand years.
1t has a fine gallery of paintings, but that
is gift of one of the Napolconic connec-
tons, Cardinal Fssch 1t has beautiful
marble chapel, but that is mausoleum of
the Napoleon family. 1t has an old
cathedral, where Madame Letitia was
accustomed to take the young Bonaparte
to mass. 1t has some fine villas but
chief among them, which we visited, was
that of the Countess Bacciochi (stilI Bona
partsl, which that lady, just dead, has left
to the young Prince Imperial. All the
streets bear Napoleonic names. The cafes,
also, are named after jerome, or some
other of the family. But chief among the
souvenirs of the great family in the house
where Napoleon was born. 1t is situated
next door to hatter's. looked in upon
the halter at his work looked through
the grated windows of his shop, and there
unconscious Of his ennobling proximity,
he was beating way at his trade. The
house where the prince of the earth frs,
drew breath is next door to hatters
"We shall all meet at the hatter's," saith
the homely proverb. But let me be more
precise:
Passing up narrow street into the
heart of the town. you come upon the
place Letitia then upon little open spot
ornamentcd with tropical palms, shrubs
and flowers. This plot was opened by
} the mother of Napoleon, by tearing dowr
a house in front Of her own. She used
the house on one side of the plot as sta
BILE and coach-house. My halter is oppo
site. The woman who showed US tht
premises was formerly waiting woman
Caroline Murat. She lives in the ole
stable opposite my halter, which is neatly
fitted up. Upon the front of the Bona
parte mansion there is an inscription
that within this house Napoleon was born
The house is large-four stories-stone
evidently one of the best of it's day. l
is hardly excelled even yet in Ajaccio. !
shows that the family were ''well-to-do'
in the world. In fact, Madame Letitia
family (the Ramolinis) were rich, and ha.
many estates upon the island. When sh
died, she bequeathed most of her furniture
to members of her family. The presen
Emperor has collected most of the article
and replaced them in the hoase. Gu
conductress told US what each ohjec
meant, and whose room this and that was
The second floor was the Madame's bed
chamber, dining room, salones, &c.
quite comodious. The floor above it wa