New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-21

possessing so much of historic incident as
those named at the head of this article
These two islands, Sicily and Sardinia, both
remarkable for beauty OF location and salu
brity of climate, near the western coast Of
Italy, are at the present time undergoing
transformations which have a tendency to
attract the attention of tourists, and those
who may desire a secluded place of retire
ment, and possess an income sufficient to
! indulge in such luxury.
That the natives Of those islands are not
capable of developing the resources of the
territory which they inhabit, and the lack
Of population to accomplish it, is evident
from the information received from time to
| time from those who in their journeys, paw
passing visit there. Upon this subject
says an English writer, sit is inevitable that
distribution of population should run within
the limits set by government laws,
race and language that the fallow
resources of country nominally
civilized and settled shall never be
fairly developed ultil native enterprise
comes in earnest to the rescue. The re-
dundant life of England overAows into
remote colonies in the seas Of the southern
hemisphere, while " the fortunate isles " of
the Mediterranean are neglected and half
forgotten. Setting considerations of dis
tance entirely out of the question, there can
be little comparison between the greater
part of Australasia and the attractions of
some of the islands that lie on the very
threshold of the long overland route, within
few hours easy steam of MarseiIles and
Genoa. Interesting letters from these
islands are being written by a correspondent
Of the London Times, who had been assist
ing at the opening of new section of rail
way. This line is constructed, it is said,
mainly with English capital, and the bur-
den of these letters show that neither will
the Sardinians help themselves; nor will
the Italians help the Sardinians. All allow
ances made, it is strange, indeed, the
supineness the Italians show with regard to
enterprises that might tempt races far less
speculative" Every italian is a gambler by
birth and education. Lottery tickets subdi-
vided infnitesimally are on sale in the most
pOverty-stricken lanes of the cities and in
the most Out-of-the-way hamlets of the
rural districts. The members of the up
per and middle classes have learned to
play, like their neighbors, in rising and
falling stocks. So says an Englishman.
Yet, it may be from the want of patience
and perseverance, or it may be simply from
the want of habit, it is certain that com
binatiOns for enterprises whose success
seems assured by presidents and common
sense are by no means in favor. 1t is not
to be denied that there are substantial OBJ
jectiOns to strangers venturing themselves
or their property in Sardinia, and, doubt
less, it is safe to assume the same dangers
are to be apprehended in Sicily, if we may
judge from its present neglected condition
Sardinia, as the Times correspondent as.
serts, is poisOnously pestilential in places.
The mysterious malaria haunts the mouths
of its rivers and turks about IN the low-lying
stretches of scrub. Whole districts in the
plains are peOpled by inhabitants as CHASTITY
as any the traveller meets in the marshes
between Cistena and Terracina. A GER
tain railway bridge in its construction cost
as many lives as a medium Italian battle
and the Times correspondent tells us that
he met a cOnvalescent station master who
pronounced his own recovery complete, al
though, to all appearance, he was only fit
for coffin. But fever and ague, for such
is the prevailing disease, may be combatted |
with tOnics and precautions, while one
md he tbor 4 -, -, IL
ing, drainage and cultivation, for there are
no great stretches OF dead level like |
the POntine Marshes of the PENN |
sula. And, considering the wealth
of various, sorts that lies behind these,
above and below ground, in regions bracing- |
" salubriOus, it is certain that men of |
Northern race would never have been |
scared from the treasure even by the deadly |
dragons that guard it. The mountains, |
clothed with magnificent forests, are left |
virgin or abandoned to the peasants OF their
skirts, while foreign timber is bringing high
prices in the town below. There are vine
yards and olive gardens, where the wine is
spoiled by carelessness in the making, for
want of accessible markets, and the fruit is
eft to rot and fall, thanks to the want of
'Oads. Above all, the mineral wealth is
jaid to be very great, and to exist in great
variety. With all that, however, it is said
here are very Ineligible reasons why
Italians of the mainland are slow to settle
n Sardinia Swamp poison is a subtle enc
ny that saps the system even when it does
lot kill, and may leave life so much of a
burden that no consolation can be found in
iches. The people, with their blood feuds
md their hot tempers and hasty
znife strokes, are dangerous to deal with.
The roads, or rather the tracks, are often
Unsafe, for the natives are apt to turn
,rigands on occasion when they see any
ne to tempt their cupidity. But these dis
greeable drawbacks exist in Sicily in a
ar less degree, and it is believed to be much
he finer island of the two. Malaria then,
oubtless, is in some places on the Sicilian
cast, and as everywhere else in Southern
Europe there are n1aremn1e, where no sensi-
lie man would risk his health after night
all. But generally speaking, the appear
nee OF the natives is healthy enough.
When they seem otherwise, they are plainly
offering rather from the hardships of their
xistence than from any chronic disease.
.lthough the people are warm-blooded like
Their Southerners, the vendetta is not a
icilian institution and for the most part
hey are good tempered. As for brigandage
has for the most part died down since the
rails and executions that took place
lumber of years ago at Palermo, and of
tie has never extended to the western dis