The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-31
CORSICA AND ITS PEOPLE
.,oorREsoUs ISLAND WHERE
TIE ~ .poLEoN WAS BORN

,,..,a If Murder -
L'1.9 oooerstions-Clergymen Looked
Last 80 T-no,-Bandits and Brigands-
eora Beautiful scenery
The island Of Corsica sSH narL iscged
~ -, * a beautiful sight DarA' Jasseu
MOI n-.3, set of by the FAINT dawn risins
noun .di,-' bsbind its central range, unging
graduai.5 1st peaks with delicate plnks'
the 'oP-- LIAR mass dark against the SKY.
leaving w ~bits streak of foam marks the
A IAN. "A the steamer steams on.
coaS' - obains. valleys, Promont tories and
H. e. principal peaks become denn ca Tue
.uo features in TIE landscape are
pieu0 oa rocks. dark forests, dense SCRUB.
IuEso +be entrance TO the bay Of AJacclo
Do i,- - stands les lies SGngmndiTeS,
stan inbospiable and repulsive. For
uoi - -, an horr we steamed down the bay,
oiO1' dronned anchor before the quays of
Aio.cio We land by cockle-shel ooats on
wide quay, from when runs up Une Iiac9
H1ordbe DlaDted with 50. eadlng plane
uu 1 - faathery palms. Tall houses are
trees 80 90 side the doOrways filled with
ou -. anjoving their cigars aud petitS
Hu". The Place is charming lounge,
teI 10 faced by the natives and those poor
mlCn H. 6o,,f monde OF French official
eAiIo'' Sorsicen n, are a stern and sturdy race,
81 .la PASSIONS of the beasts OF the forest
"a the pride Of Beelzebub. They are
+anohIe of much true selt-devotedness and
1--we but their hatred IS Intense. whole
hearted. terrible. -, ...;,-. A., ,,...
,on1er in Aiaccio: the profound gravity with
I,h;ch the Corscan enjoys his cherished
l5oJce fan. aiente his inordlnate love of to-
bocco and the lordly contempt with which
be treats his womankind. Indeed, the posi-
zion of women is one of the stumbling
bIocls r. the well.intentioned visitor to this
r,ictnresoue island. Politeness to women
viii not be well received. When you accept
an invitation to a CorSlcan table, and ind
his wife and daughters standing and serving
Won. making no attempt to taste food or
enter into conversation, you must not offer
a seat or look surprised. 1t is the custom of
the country. the islanders are free-aud-
easy people, and, though by no means ire
lglous. nave fashion of making fun of
their shepherds. AS a general rule the Cor
sican rural clergy are recruited from the
small peasantry. These men turn out only
too often narr0w-minded bigots, or happy
go-iucky parsons of the 81 orting and bon
Uipant type. Many OF them are ambitious,
most of them restless and meddlesome. To
the populace the priest is a "black beetle
a fair butt for everybody to poke fun at. A
goodly number of them grow tired of this
and enter the French military and naval
services, frequently making excellent and
dashing chaplains.
noticeable feature in the landscape on
approaching town or village is the num-
Der of small, white, plain or Gothic build
ings. forming kind of irregular fringe
some distance from the village. Each of
these small buildings is family tomb, built
amid the family acres or on private ground
by the roadside. Many of them are often
placed 10 most picturesque spots, amid we'll
kept grounds or on the slope OF bleak
mountain-side, like that of the Pozzo-di-
Borgos, standing out white against the grim
gray mountain some miles above Aiaccio.
The people are a serious, solemn race, tax
ing their every pleasure in a doleful
spirit, as anyone will testify who
has heard a party of Corsicans
enjoying themselves GA sour wine and
blood-curdling uoceri or bulIato. The
Uocer1 are kind of hymn, generally sung
by women on waking" the dead. In for
mer days few Corsicaus out of childhood
ever died natural deaths. They either met
their fate in the pursuit of some vendetta or
oppressive invaders. Under these circum-
stances the custom arose of gathering all
the friends and relations of the dead man to
say their last good-by. Some inspired
songstress of the clan or village would com
pose hymn detailing the facts of the tragic
event and recounting the qualities of the
departed.
One of the first walks is to a haIlowed
spot OF AJaccio-Napoleon's grotJo Of his
beautiful mountain scrab he seems to have
ever retained vivid recollection; in his
exile he exclaimed: IA Podeur seul je de-
vlnerai Ia COrse.n Many of the rocks form
splendid watch-towers, lifting their heads
above the sea of green macchi beneath.
"hlle close to the ground the shelving rocks
al1ord shelter for man and beast. On the
estate OF "Agnone," at Coti- Chiavari. and
racing AJacclo, there is collection of huge
rocks on small plateau overlooking the
sea Here in the wear 1871 dwelta hermit
VINO Judlclously brought his masonic skill to
pear IN completing the work of nature. It
IS comfortable enough dwelling, with a
fireplace and chimney, doorway, win
dow, cupboard, and a ledge outside
wnereon the faithful might place their of'
ferings. At the back Of this cavern ia a
second huge rock with large hole in its
lace, resembling half-scooped-o orange
us mole mad been partially blocked up with
stones and was used as a second room.
lew hundred yards away was a third CIV
ernous rock, lngeniously turned into an ex-
cellent oven. In those DAYS these hills wers
one mass of forest and macchi, almost i'm.
penetraole, save by the one or two foot.
pains. IL was the favorite rendezvous Of
AJaccien outlaws, for ne myrmidons of the
powers that were dared enter its fastnesses
where every oak tree and arbutus marks
Ine resting place Of some victim of the ven.
delta. "a 'Do 'en-
ms same vendetta is an amusing mas
e " 10 the taclturn and lazy Corsicau. A
Corslcan Is very tenacious. His love of his
na1lVe SOIL, of the poor patch of ground be-
4ueathed to him, and descending from gem
oI aI!on 10 generation, is intense and all an
'orolng. 10 keep hold of that laud the Cor
slcan VIII do anything. He will not shrink
II ON violence; CHASTITY murder and bloody
.10SSacre are molly when undertaken in such
cause. But they are cautious. In a
I eeeIU case piece OF real estate was to be
~ lUeu among three cousins on the death of
d Instant relative. The two cousins nearest
~ KIN 10 tne deceased, Directing to the third
tIdu having any portion of the spoil. for
oaQe his tilling the land which the law
ta given him. They posted themselves
oehlnd their own particular fig tree arDed
YIN Iong-barreled sbotguns. The tabooed
COUSIN roamed arou d his village disconso-
l1Ie and discontinued, but as surely as he
n,pproached the forbidden spot up started
us Two lmplacable kinsmen, as watchful
a q stern as fate. One night he left his
4a' X novel stealthily, with double bapreled
u loaded with Slugs, and approached the
lalai spot. AT last he halted sighted the
.earest cousin, took aim and shot him dead