The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-04-20
EASTERN CORSICA.
FROM B4STIA TO BONIFAZTO-THE
CIRCUIT OF CAPE CORSO.
Fine Scenery and Historical ind Pic
turcsque Objects

tuTchYue ObJecIs.
Especial Correspondence of the Journal
and Courier)
Bonlfazio, Corsica, March 10.-The ri
valry that used to exist between st.
Paul and Minneapolis, Chicago and st.
Louis Omaha and Council Bluffs, was
as nothing compared to that which for
more than a century has ragged between
Bastia in northeastern Corsica and
Ajaccio, midway on the western coast.
In other countries time decides those
strifes, and when one city has indubit-
ably forged ahead the other good ma
turedly gives up it's claim But never
in Corsica, where grudges always grow
in magnitude. Nowhere else would it
be considered sufficient cause for a
deadly duel If two men from the rival
cities happened to meet on the highway.
One of the other is likely to be killed.;
and then the relatives of the murdered
man are in honor bound to take up the
feud and both families are involved in
endless vendetta.
Bastia, on the northeastern coast,
Just below the long and narrow PENN
sula known as Cape Corso, is still the
largest and most important town in
Corsica, though no longer it's capital.
Early as the ninth century the Genoese
made 1t the seat of government, and so
1t remained until 1887, when French
rule divided the island into two depart
ments, named after the two principal
rivers, the Colo and Liamone. Even
then Bastia remained the capital Of
Colo the most important department.
but only for few years, when those di-
visions were abolished and Ajaccio, the
smaller town, became the permanent
seat Of government. The truth is that
nature got some ages ahead of the
French in dividing Corsica. The great
mountain range did the business for
all time, and the people of the north are
as unlike those of the south as the ma
lions that live on either side of the Py-
renees. While civilization and agri-
culture are considerably advanced In
the northern half of Corsica, it's south
ern portion is much wilder as aspect, al
together uncultivated, and it's people
not many degrees removed from barba-
rism.
To the stranger, approaching by sea,
Bastia puts her "best foot foremost"
and poses as much more important
place than she really is. From the port
the whole city is in evidence at a glance
all the streets making rapid descent
from high, horseshoe ridges to the
shore. To the left of the Gala, or land
ing place, a quay runs out into long
molo, tipped by lighthouse. To the
right the small herbor is closed by
enormous rock, black as ink, called Lee
one (the Lion), crowned by dismal
citadel and donjon keep. When the
Genoese governor, Lomellion, built
those Notifications in 1888, Bastia was
then grey with age, and so the settle
ment that quickly grew up around the
citadel was named Terra Nuova, "Nev'
Town to distinguish 1T from the an
cient town along the beach The latter
is known as Terra Vecchia cold
TOWN.; and it's tower-shaped houses,
often seven stories high, crowded close
together and broken out all over with
balconies, seem to stand on top Of one
another as they mount the hill. Their
appearance was accurately described
by an English visitor as ''gnawed, like
go many bones, by the hungry dogs OF
Time" Black with antiquity and rich
in grimy bas-reliefs, they are more
than Italian--they are medieval many
of them dating back to the earliest Pc
Rod of Genoese occupancy. Yet In re-
cent years this oldest town has become
the most modern of the two, having the
best streets, the public buildings and
all the business there is. Bastia, you
al 1fc of
Corsica, and has considerable trade In
olive oil, crude wines, asbestos, pre-
served cedrats In the form of candied
peel and few other articles, which are
absorbed by France. It's Via
Traverse Is one of the handsomest
streets in the island, following the
curve of the shore and built up with
modern edifices. Among |
the latter is the Palace Of Justice, sur
rounded by arcades of pillars in beauti-
full blue marble, quarried near Corte.
But their effect Is ruined by great
deal Of badly painted imitation of the
same marble, all over the building-an
DETACHMENT, when the |
whole island is so rich in the finest mar
bles, alabaster, periphery, serpentine |
auQ STdullG, I'LL 5CdlGGly uSSu, OSfuuoC
the people are too lazy to quarry 1T. |
Yet--who will believe it?-the whole
town of Bastia is paved with marble,
reddish stone of extraordinary beauty,
which is said to make the most durable
pavement In. the world. The cathedral, |
also in the Via Traversa, Is finely dec
lrated inside, but externally is simply
an eye-sore. Perhaps the greatest in
.erest of the lower town centers in the
irs market. Even since the days when
Pliny and Juvenal wrote, the fisheries
If Corsica have> been famous. The Ro-
mans mad no liking for the refractory is
anders as slaves, but relshed their
ish, which figured as the rarest delica-
lies on the tables of the great. They
ire all here--the funny, the razza, the
lnchovy, the murena and many others,
taught in astonishing numbers, espec-
ally in the deep gulf of southern and
western Corsica. The eastern side of
he island is dotted with large salt wa
er ponds, separated from the sea by
narrow tongues of land. but connected
With it by inlets, like miniature Puget
sounds These ponds are fairly alive
With cells, which form the staple fish
let of the common people; and the fish
rmen. with their nets of twisted rushes,
so take in some Of the more valuable
arieties.
The upper town is almost as interest