Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-04-27
unnnnu OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

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/ which Is said 20 make the most durable
pavement In the world, The cathedral
also in the Via Traverse, IS finely dec
Grated inside but externally Is simply
an eye-sore Perhaps the greatest IN
terest OF the lower town centers In the
fish market. Ever since the days When
| PlIny and Jutenal wrote, the fisheries
Of Corsica have been famous. The Ro-
mans had no liking for the refractory
islanders as slaves, but relished their
fish, which figured as the rarest delica-
cies on the tables Of the great. They are
all h0re--the funny. the raZZa, the an
chovy, the murena, and many others
caught In astonishing numbers, espec-
tally In the deep gufs of southern ana
western Corsica. The eastern side OF
the island rs dotted with large salt
water ponds. separated from the sea by
narrow tongues Of land. but connected
with IL By inlets, like miniature Puget
Sounds. These ponds are fairly alive
with cells. which form the staple fish
diet of the common people; ana the
fishermen, with their nets Of twisted
PUSHES. also take in some of the more
valuable varieties.
The upper town Is almost as interest
ing as the loWer-a and doubtless would
be quite 10 II one were permitted 10
visit It's ancient donl0n-keep. Since II
has been enclosed within the modern
French fort, strangers are not allowed
glimpse inside the walls, There are
several interesting churches in the Ter
ra Nuova. most notable OF which are
the Ste Marie. rich in Corslcan marbles;
and the st. Jean, with It's elegant tomb
Of Comte d. Marboeuf, who governed
the island o score Of years after It's
final occupation by the French. There
is also q civic hospital a considerable
garrison. and a fine promenade called
the Place de ST. Nicholas, facing the
sea In II are the inevitable statues Of
the two Corslcan heroes, Napoleon ana
paoli-.the former as usual. ridiculous
I'm a Roman toga. The modern houses
Of the upper town are In the villa style,
mostly painted white. with grey 1eal-
ousies. BEHIND them soar the dark
green hills 10 the darker mountains;
with some long-forsaken monasteries,
dusky olive-groyes and gardens of
oranges, almonds and lemons.
The suburbs of Bastia afford charm
ing drives. the roads bordered By olive
and Barbary llgtrees, orchards OF
peaches. apfic0ts and pomegranltes,
and gardens in which muscatel grapes
and the plebean fruit known to us as
the tomato (here glorltled as poml
dore apple OF love'O flourish to per-
lection. famed by Mediterranean
zephyrs and kissed by the southern
sun.
While here, you should make the cir
cult of that historic penlnsula-ot
rather, promOntory-n on the map
Cape Corso: though the Journey occu-
pies three days and is not Of the easl-
est The promontOry juts out Into tie
sen about forty miles and has an aver
age width Of fourteen miles. noun
tain range principally OF green
serpentlne, thousand feet high,
traverses its whole length
terminating in tail precipices at the
northern extremity. An excellent ROAD,
of the Route Rationale, runs close
along the shore. The mountains are
covered with chestnut forest, ana the
little poCket-like valleys between them
are perfect gardens Of Verdure' Inc
villages are all perched high on the
mountain side, and each has It's niue
tract Of more fertile land below, culll.
waited TO the utmost, and It's Marina
or bit OF sea-coast. Many OF these
we're protected in by-gone days from
the enemy-notably the Barbary pi-
rates-by picturesque Plsan or Genoese
towers. which are stIll In good con-
d,Ion and the most interesting feature
of the landscape. They are of two lnyar-
able types. the larger ones square, the
smaller ones round, both machicolated,
and generally with the door high up In
The side to which access could only
have been obtained by means Of a lad
der. They usually contain three stories,
the lower one below the enhance and
with no opening whatever, like a Well
the second supported on beams and
with q wooden ceiling; the third, with
vaulted roof to support the terrace,
This vault IS never a true one, depend
ing on keystone, but consists Of sue
ceSsive layers Of slabs, each projecting
beyond that below til they meet ut the
apex. An extensive view was obtained
from the terrace which was surround
ed by a parapet wall. Practically,
these towers were impregnable TO any
means OF attack that could be brought
against them They exist all around
the island, but nowhere so numerousy
as on Cape COrso, which the Barbary
corsaifs most frequently ravaged I'm
= Vft La ri e