Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-06-27
ISLAND OF NAPOLEON.
FAMOUS SCENES AND MEMORIES OF
THE CORSICA OF TODAY.

Birthplace of the Emperor of France.
The Romantic Spot Described by "a
Newspaper Correspondent.
Our ideas of Corsica are, | am afraid,
hiased by the dramatist and the novelist
We think of it as it Is represented to US III
the adventures Of the brothets DE Franchi,
OF through the medium of Nerimee's pct-
nresque COLOMBIA therefore we associate
abe wild Mediterranean island with ven
aettas, savage passions and more savage
soves Less terrifying, but not less pictur
ssque nre the descriptions given by AL
phonse Daudet in the "Lettres de mon
hcu..a written after spending several
weeks In che lighthouse Of Mezzo Mare
with no other companion than the aged
custodian OF the isolated building, and the
seductive pictures Of landscape and yer
sure OF Guy de Maupassant ia "Une Vie"
But II is well known that both dramatist
and novelist are gifted with a glorifed Wis
hon which the ordinary tourist does not
possess, and the lack Of which possibly nc
counts for the divergence Of impressions,
che former are more vivid and poetical, the
latter perhaps the more TO be depended
spOn
II Is not without regret that the travelre
OF today has to reliuqush certain precon
ceiyed IDEAS and TO reuauncc his faith in
the legendary Corsicun vendetta He
hlushes when he finds the native smiling
somew hat ironically az any illusions TO
sher hereditary and sanguinary family
teuds. and. II the truth must be told In all
st. unromantic badness he Grds that the
eo nets which most engross the inhabi
kant- are the establishment OF battle OF
Sewers" after the Nice and Monte Carlo
ayle, while their jealous emulation is cen
tered on pacific exhibition, where besides
Abe rural and agricultural products OF the
Inland are 20 be seen specimens OF rough
o. manufactured marble, granite and
norphyry. old pieces of furniture, carved
woods curious gourds aud richly chased
weapons
GAME AND FRUIT
The climate OF Corsica Is simply perfect,
sAe soft air Is laden with spicy, aromatic
sdors, aud made yivifyiug by the iodine
sxhalations OF a rich marine fora, the long
stretches OF sandy beach are stepped in
warm sunshine, the background Of mount
aans has the luminous green tints OF the
Greek nillsides Existence in those seagirt
ktitudea sinks 20 y bissful indolence
c1fll' .'H'it4Httfls ilfl1 ltlN-ltlllS Nll WIN
revenge uIr absolutely Incompatible with
this dreaus lJcguor, aud the chief interest
Of the lazy hours becomes the recurrence OF
meals The rpicure revels In the varied
and dauty hsh, the most delicate ever
cooked pink like the rocks and blue like
che skies
The game is no less exquisite, notably
e0e famous Corsicar blackbirds so highly
raised by Cambaceres, and which are only
~ their best during the short span be.
tween the lst and 80th OF January, when
they are gorged with the luscious myrtle
berries honey brown In color, and retain
ing the slight bitterness mentioned by
Virgil minglng with the delicious perfume
OF wild flowers, the hroccio the national
white cheese, OF a sweet peculiar flavor:
huge lines, preserved IN sugar and a va
riety OF excellent wines constitute a bill of
fare 70 satisfy the most fastidous gourmet.
The brand OF Santa Lucia of 'lallane was
such a favorite with Nine lRtitia, mother
OF Napoleon / that she would G.ink no
other wine. and had some sent to her in
Paris
THK BoNAPARTE FAMILY
one cannot fail 10 be struck 10y the fact
that the influence, / might almost say the
presence of the Bonaparte family is every
where apparent Inv the Green island AT
Alacclo, on the market place, the women
courtesy before the statue of the First Con
sul, on another square he towers amid his
brothers 10 the garb of "A Roman emperor
Behind the citadel in the cathedral they
show the basin that held the water for his
baptism, aud In the old house the hard sofa
on which he was born, and the trap door
leading 10 the sunterranean passage by
which he escaped TO the harbor one night
when he discovered that he was tracked by
spies
Where he himself is not the members of
his family are. Their portraits are in
the museums their works in the libraries
His mother is buried in the Bonaparte
chapel with the simple epitaph, Mater
Regum His father stands erect 1t the
Hotel de Vile IN q red gold laced coat.
There also are his brothers Joseph in 4
royas mantle Louis IN a gray uniform,
Jerome on a shIp Lucien ahstractedly
dreaming under p tree
By q tragIcni altitheSis the bust of the
King 81 Rome faces the mask Of Napoleon
dead. aud he contrast between these silent
witnesses OF a distant past is painfully &c
cented uy the busy. cheerful hum Of the
bright adjoining thorouAblare
IN TUE CITIES or THE ISLAND.
As long as the traveller fingers in the
cities Aiaccio the capital Bastia, the
chief seaport NiEllvuue and Corte-he
finds q vague resemblance wItl all Italian
towns and flavor OF "a comparatively
modern and Decentralization, with near
ly the same customs ARD cs~~a of Gown
merco aud life, but It Is N aa sa..s..a.
into the heart OF the country that he be
comes haunted by the memories OF old ira
ditious the legends of the Evil Eye, of the
devil and supernatural phautoms which
seem TO have left their impression on the
rugged distorted trees the misshapeu
rocks She toryuous, rushing streams, and
the sombvr mountain duu,es
The western coast, Jagged, scryatod and
wild is the most picturesque, and at the
same time tar the beaIthleSt Every Val
lagc aad hamlet has history or a uuk
with dead past, Barde.iea with itssratue
OF Aamperu Calyt, the ancient Guuoesp
city. Cargese, once q Greek colony and re-
tanning the bastard dialect and religious
rites of Greece AleriA, destroyed hy Seipio,
rebuilt by Scylla aud recalling It's Phocean
origin
Evpry civilization has marked with its