The Republican journal., 1901-03-28

ward end of the little peninsula on
which the city is built. 1t .looks diff
cult climb, but proves comparatively
easy if you follow guide through
certain dirty alleys and zig-zag paths of
I gentle slope. There are only two streets
of account in Ajacco--t the wide and
handsome Cours Napoleon, and Rue
Fesch, running parallel the whole length
of the tongue of land. These are cros-
sed by numerous lanes, where filth,
disease, prowling ours and naked chill
dren seem to justify the unfriendly
criticism of the French who dislike
CorsicanS as much as the COrsicans dis
like them-that the island people are
the dirtiest in the world.
Nothing more delightful can be i'm
agined than a sunny afternoon on top
of San Giovanni. Not a cloud in the
sky, not a ripple in the shining sur
face of the Mediterranean; the singing
of birds, the cheerful hum of human
life, the delicious odor of fruits and
flowers; an atmosphere warm without
sultriness, balmy and serene. All
around blooms luxuriant italian vege-
tation - citron and lemon, orange and
myrtle, almond, chestnut and olive
and in tbs midst lies the peacefully
! idyllic little city and half hidden under
its ancient elms. The houses are large
and high, but of no architectural merit.
Their grey jalousies are characteristic
OF Corsica, where grey paint is as COM
mon as green in Italy, blue in France,
! and white in Spain. Whatever the
Ajaccans may lack, they can truthfully
boast some of the finest promenades in
| Europe Besides the elm-shaded Cours
Napoleon, the Strand, the Esplande,
the Corso, there are numerous small
parks; and, most beautiful of all, the ia
| nous Place du Diamant, stretching
along the shore till merged in the tree
fringed Strand. Its water-side is faced
by broad stone breast-work, from
which may be had charming view of
the Gulf, surrounded by groves and
gardens; while on the other side rises
a stately church and a great military
hospital, backed by green hill.
Toward evening, all these deserted
promenades suddenly grow lively, when
military bands play and people gather
in groups to gossip and listen to the
music. They are peculiar race-these
Corsicans-generally gaunt of visage,
swarthy of complexion and stern of
mien, but with magnificent eyes, in
whose somtre depths you read undying
vendettas. Just such eyes that Corsi-
can mother must have had, who, in the
last struggle of the islanders for indie
pendence, brought her young son to the
patriotic general and said: "Take him.
He is the last of four brothers. You
have had the other three" Though by
no means good-looking, those women
have superb figures, erect, robust and
with Juno-like carriage-the latter, no
doubt, resulting from their lifelong
habit of bearing heavy water-jars on
their heads from the public fountains.
When i'll festive garb, they wear bod
ices Of black velveteen and short skirts
FIN all the hues Of the rainbow. with
clumsily wrought silver ornaments in
their ears and on neckS and fingers.
Enormous silver pins, topped with eff
gles of butterflies, beetles, lizards,
liberty-caps or sword hits, are stuck in
their abundant black hair-'-the front
being generally hidden under a black
lace veil, or a fazzolette of light-colored
stuff, tied under the chin, as the Tuscan
women wear it, allowing little curls to
stray over the temples. Both head
coverings are second-cousins to the
| Spanish mantilla, the South American
manta and the Mexican rebosa. If re-
ports are true, one owes great deal to
the fazzolette, for when Corsican wo-
men go bare headed, it is painfully
manifest that they are as unkempt as
the fair but frail Andalusians of the
lower class, who since time out of mind
have enjoyed the sobriquet of NAL
penadas, Gladly combed.''
AS to the men of Corsica they seem
the most unsocial and sullen of crea-
tures-always standing apart, idle, lean
and scowling. They wear short trousers,
shabby jackets of velveteen, or of some
coarse wooden cloth that resembles
horse blanketing, and felt hats with ex-
aggerated brims slouched down over
their eyes. Every one of them looks as
if he followed brigandage as profession
and had blood-rusted daggers concealed
about his person; but 1 am told that
they are now harmless lot, like wolves
with their fangs drawn-except for eter-
nal feuds among themselves. Their worst
vice is incurable incidence, work of any
sort being entirely out of their reckon
ing. They lounge all day around the
fountains and see their wives and daugh-
tiers lifting the huge water jars, without
ever offering hand to help. One longs
to touch off little dynamite in their
vicinity, to see if anything would move