Smyrna times., 1889-04-03
CORSICA'S CAPITAL.
THE STRANGE AND INTERESTING
OLD CITY OF AJACCIO.

Its Huge OblOng HOuses-An Island of
Great Forests snowclad Hills and Olive
Orehards-The Chestnut Staple Food
for Man and Beast.
The island of CorsicS is most striking
and imposing in its nature and scenery.
A compact cluster of mountains, rising
from the blue depths of the Mediter-
ranean and uniting in small space all
the characteristics of mountainous re-
giOns, it may be considered as their epit-
ome-a pocket edition of Switzerland or
Norway. Only 100 miles from one slen-
der tip to the other, and about half as
wide, it contains a magnificent chain of
snowclad heights, crowning a lofty
plateau that embraces nearly the
whole island. Monte Rotondo is 0,O53
feet high, Monte d'Oro $500, while Monte
Clnto and others almostequal these. In
deed, some calculations have made
Monte Cinto the highest. Beside those
| have named l have just counted on the
map seven peaks of about Z, 900 feet each.
Following the general plan of the earth's
arrangement, as exemplihed in Italy.
Norway and our own country. the
mountain chain runs nearly north and
81. tn, nearer to the western than to the
eastern coast. To the west the eleclivitv
is more steep and abrupt, to the cast
more gentle, slOping out into alluvial
plains; to the west the deep harbors and
lofty prOmontories, to the east the more
fertile and thickly inhabited regions.
WHAT THE TREES ARE.
Not more than one-tenth of the soil is
cultivated, but there are no deserts and
but a small proportion of barren heights;
the mild climate and humid air have
wrapped the island in robe Of luxuriant
forests. These forests are the pride and
glory of Corsica and are quite uneuualed
in Europe. Chestnut trees grow in such
abundance that their fruit forms the
staple food of the inhabitants, eaten
roasted or boiled during the season and
ground into -four for preservation, chest
nut flour costing in the market only
about half as much as wheat flour, and
being used chiefly in the form of polenta.
or pOrridge, though the natives boast of
. N'fNAAtJ WV NAAAAGANA1 way - Ol COOKING
chestnuts. The nuts also serve as food
for the horses and mules, and their
cheapnCss and ease of production have
done much to keep the native population
in an indolent and degraded state, an ef-
feet similar to that of the bananas and
yams of the West Indies upon the people
OF those countries. The finest timber
trees also abound-they supply most of
the French and Italian navy yards and
have been renowned from the most an
cient times, beach, pine, cork, larch and
oak. One species of oak (Quercus ilex)
which bears a small leaf like a holly.
priclly at the edges, is especially valu-
able. The wood is very dark, and so
heavy that cubic foot Of it will weigh
seventy pounds; the famous oak of
Great Britain only weighing fiftv-Gve
pounds to the foot. There is one species
Of pine that formerly grew here so luxu-
rlantly that it was known as the tree Of
Corsica, and attained an enormous
size, but unfortunately it is now almost
extinct, in consequence of fires and care
less treatment. This wonderful forest
region we have not yet seen, as it exists
chiefly in the interior of the island.
where there are counted fortv-four
forests belonging to private domainsand
l67 belonging to the community. Near
he shore the hills are almost entirely
covered with olive groves, the valleys
between them being laid out in fields |
md gardens, but everywhere, by the |
shore and inland, where there is nothing
Use, there is "macchie." This macchie,
otherwise spelt "makis" and called |
scrub by the English, is really more like |
! jungle; a thick interviewer growth of |
1ush and tree, myrtle, arbutus, heath. |
'leander, scrub oak, prickly pear and a |
thousand other shrubs, forming an al |
most impenetrable wilderness. which
las played an important part in Corsi-
an history and manners.
OF RESPECTABLE ANTIQUITY.
Ajaccio lies curving along the edge of
he bay Of the same name. in the form
If a horseshoe, the hills rising close be-
lind it. It has l,ut fl,roo 90, g..