The Republican journal., 1901-04-18
handsome, strong-limbed creatures,
with long, silky, brownish-black hair

| handsome, SCrOng-umbed creatures.
with long, silky, brownish-black hair
and each has .four-sometimes six
spiral. horns. The mutton prefers the
loftiest heights, mounting higher and
higher as the sun melts the snow from
the hills. 1t has to come down to the
borders of streams for pasturage, but
scampers back to the region of eternal
SHOWS at nightfall. Like the chamois.
it posts sentinels to watch over the
herds while feeding, and has other curl
GUS habits worth observing. Sometimes
in unusually severe winters, when the
pasture-grounds are deep under snow,
the wild herds are driven by hunger
down into the valleys; and by and by
affiliate with the tame goats and Craze
TRANQUILITY with the focks of the shep-
herds. The mutton affords the best
hunting in Corsica; and when shots are
heard, reechoing from crag to crag, peo-
pie remark that somebody is stalking
''the brothers of the mountains''-wil
goats and bandits-both being lawful
game.
Never was town more picturesquely
situated than Corte, near the centre of
the island, at the confluence of two
mountain torrents that descend from
Monte Rodondo through series of mag
nifcent gorges. There is an old town,
rich in historic associations, and new
er French town of little interest; and
perched high above both is the citadel
which in all ages has decided the course
of events in war. This fortress is the
! AcrOpolis of Corsica, a thousand times
stormed and defended. 1t stands on
precipitous and jagged rock which
rises straight up from the river Tavig-
nano, and can be reached only by a
drawbridge. Its walls and towers, now
crumbling with age and battered by in
cessant strife, look perfectly black The
view from its ramparts must be glori-
Gus; but as the citadel is now included
within the modern French fort, stran-
gers are not allowed to visit it. All
around it are hap-hazzard streets or
rather alleys-winding steeply up hill
and down and reeking with filth. Corte
was the ancient feudal capital of the
island, the seat of the Moorish kings in
earliest times, the capital of Gen.
Paoli's short-lived revolutionary gov
eminent, between the years 1855 and
'69); and the headquarters of the Brit
ish government, under Sir George Elliott,
during the two years that England held
possession of the island. The little
city, of less than six thousand inhabi-
tants has only one street of conse-
quence. ambitiously called the Corso,
and beautified by an avenue of magni-
J ficent elms. But it is venerable with
memories of stirring times. The So
called palace" is easily distinguished,
as it has the only imposing entrance in
the place; and in front of it is a fine
bronze statue of Paoli, raised by popu-
lar subscription in the island The best
monument to his memory, however, is
the school which he established in his
own humble home and endowed with
all his property for it's permanent sup
port. Another house of absorbing in
terest is that of the patriot leader, CAT
? fori, riddled with cannon-ball and pep
pered with bullet-holes from roof to
foundation. The G enoese once availed
themselves of Gafforis absence to as
sault bis house and get his wife into
their power, according to their frequent
policy of using the families of rebels as
hostages. But this true daughter of
Corsica, barricaded the doors and Win
dows of her house and defended her
self for days, gun in hand, with the
help of a few friends who had rushed to
her aid. The house was overwhelmed
with perfect rain Of bullets, and as
the need grew pressing her friends ad-
. viSed her to capitulate. Instead, Mad
am Gaffori brought a keg of powder
into lower room, and seiZing match,
swore to blow up the whole business if
they ceased firing upon the foe. In
spired by her courage, they kept up a
feeble defence, until the husband came
to the rescue with band of Corsicans-
Looking up to the black citadel, you
may see loop-hole in the wall out of
which. at another time, the Genoese
hung the only son of Gaffori. a boy of
fourteen, in order to make his father
desist from the assault. The sight had
a contrary effect, and so franzied the
Corsicians that the boy was rescued,
just in time to save him. After his
father had been murdered; Madame
Gatfori made the young man take a
solemn oath to devote his life to killing
Genoese. FANNIE B. WARD.
Coon Cats