Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-07-01
THE1SLAND OF CORSICA.
NAPOLEON BoNAPARTE'S. EARLY HOME
AND IFS PEOPLE.
n vengeful Race Yet Generous and
Free-hearted withal-Dominated by
the French-The Bloody Vendetta an
Outgrovvth OF Centuries.

~O-------~~~N-
the French-The Bloody Vendetta an
Outgrovvth OF Centuries.
! The Island of Corsica, being off the usual
lines of travel, is seldom visited by tour
lists. nor are they encouraged to UNDER
take 1t in the 0surse Of tour, as it's popu-
lation have acquired not altogether un-
deserved reputation for crime. For many
reasons, however, Corsica is interesting to
the enterprising traveller who sees At to
undertake an examination Of its rural dis
tricts, and tour through the heart Of the
island will we'll repay the curious student
Of human nature. The territory to be
traversed Is by no means considerable, as
Corsica is about 116 miles long by fifty
broad in its widest part, and contains 5000
square miles, being therefore about as
large as Delaware and Rhode Island to-
gether. Within this comparatively limited
district it comprises, however, as large
variety Of scenery as can be found in any
other part of Europe. Lying almost with
in the tropics, the lowland districts are
marshy and malarial, while it's mountains,
some nearly 10000 feet in height, are at
their tops covered with perpetual snow,
and down their sides floating glaciers as
genuine in character, If not as great in ex-
tent, as those to be seen on Mount Blanc.
Numberless little rivers, fed by the SHOWS
OF the mountains, pour down through
gorges which they have cut for them
selves, and after short course, find their
way, bya more or less direct route to the
sea. There are plains as level as the fields
Of Holland; there are districts of rolling
land closely resembling that Of the best
counties in Virginia; there is mountain
scenery equal in grandeur to that of the
Alps; there is, in short, a variety to glad
den the heart and delight the eyes of the
artist and painter.
Although situated under favorable cli-
mate, although blessed with fertile soil
capable OF bringing to perfection the vege-
table productions of any part of the globe,
Corsica is little favored in the character Of
Its inhabitants; they are not fond of farm
work, and out of the more than 2,000,0
acres of arabic land in the island, less than
600, 900 are cultivated, and this very badly
A large portion of the island is covered by
forest; still larger portion by a species
of brushwood; plants Of hundred kinds,
mostly fragrant boomers, combine to pro-
duce the densest thicket or jungle to be
found outside of India. Here and there
the brush is cut down or cleared out in Or
der that grass may grow for the benefit Of
the herds; but as the Corsican sheep and
goats browse upon the mountains, some
times far above the timber line where the
grass grows with great abundance, even
this precaution for providing them pas
ture is generally neglected, and they pick
up their living where they can.
The population of Corsicais mixed race,
for the island has been ruled successive
ly by the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians,
the Greeks, Romans, Goths and Vandals,
to say nothing of the Pisans, the Genoese
and the French, who have come in later
times, and the unfortunate Corsicans seem
to partake, in a manner, at least, of the
combined bad qualities of all their ances-
tors. Their faults are innumerable, and
have too often been dwelt on to render a
dissertation either pleasant or profitable.
But they have some good qualities; they
are iberty-loving, open hearted, gener-
Gus and hospitable. The Corsican peasant
at whose house you stop for a meal will be
insulted at the offer of pay. The Corsican
shepherd will go miles out of his way to di-
rect you in the right road, and will haught-
| lily refuse gratuity for his services. Even
the Corsican innkeeper will not make you
out bill, but will, as q late tourist ex-
presses it, give shot," apparently off
| hand at what he thinks you owe him
and his charges are always extreme
| ly moderate. The manners of the Mid
| die Ages prevail in the heart of the
| island, a sort of feudal system with
| humblest Corsican considers himself the
| equal of the richest land owner.
The nominal character of the French
| authority is best seen in the light of the
| fact that the vendetta is still recognized
| in Corsica as an acknowledged method OF
administering justice. The vendetta IL
an outgrowth of centuries Of maladminis-
tration by the Genoese and Pisans. The
| Genoese conquered the island SO far as the
sea coast was concerned, and put dowI
with remorseless hand all attempts al
open rebellion, but during their admins.
| tration the execution Of the laws was 6
merely nominal thing the Genoese judges
| held up justice for sale, and that at
| price which made 1t unattainable by the
poor. Rich murderers could escape; thost
| who had no means were punished, the
| poor had no recourse against the rich, anC
these took the law into their own hands
With due allowance for the difference IL
the national characteristics of the two
| people, the vendetta is to Corsica wha
the administration Of lynch law was some
| years ago in certain porcions Of the min
ing States-a protest against the law ant
inefficient administration Of justice.
| At present the vendetta prevails in Cor
sica with as much virulence as ever. Al
classes of people go armed to the teeth
the shepherd, elsewhere peaceable, in Cor
sica carries loaded musket, pair of pis
tolls in his belt, and usually has concealed
somewhere on his person q murderou
stiletto. Tho slightest insult is sufficien
to provoke deadly feud; quarrel whicl
elsewhere would end in a few blows, IL
Corsica is the beginning of long series o
murders. A man is killed; his relative
would consider themselves dishonored
they failed to kill his murderer; then tn
| friends of the murderer retort by killing
the second slayer, and go goes the bloot
stain, from family to family, for genera
ton after generation. So prevalent wa
the vendetta system during the early par
of this century, that in the twenty year
beginning with 1921, over 1000 murder
were crmmitted in population of les
thru 100000 men.
The greatest honor in Corsica is in hav
ing given birth to Napoleon, and it's great
i est show place is the house where he wa
born. 1t is in Ajaccio, one of the bes
towns in the island, and the future En-
peror was born in one of the best house
of the town, for the Bonaparte famil
were by no means so poor as they hav
been represented. The house is still
:. famous show place, for although tn
1 80 % II