The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-21

$500 ~ 80 ilNt W the lttilC III HIS DlTlH
| Ajaccans are fond Of comparing Their
gulf to the Bay of Venice; but one re-
sembles the other about as a starless
night resembles MONDAY. This is
more like some vast inlet in the Scot
fish highlands or ford in the wilds, of
| Norway, The prospect brightens as
you near the end of the gulf Groves
and orchards fill the fertile valley of
! the Gravona; suburban villas and
! blooming gardens nestle among the
trees; and some curious cemeteries, or
| chapel-tombs, are passed, which excite
your deepest interest and a self-prom-
Use to investigate them at nearer range
! before you are many hours older. The
inner harbOr appears to be given over
/ entirely to native fishing-craft and
/ private yachts floating the flags of eve
/ ry country under the sun. Nowhere
else can such q collection of yachts be
seen; and asking an explanation, you
are told that because this is the safest
harbor in southern Europe. Every
yachtsman that crosses the Mediterra-
mean makes Ajacca bay a favorite an
chorage, while he HES himself overland
/ to all the show-places on the continent.
| No doubt the twenty four lighthouses
that are ranged around the small cir
cult of the island-which is only about
a hundred miles long by half as wide
add to its popularity among amateur
navigators.
The city of Ajacco occupies a narrow
tongue of land, extending some distance
into the bay and tipped by an antique
castle. A wonderful avenue of elms
leads up from the landing, and is pro-
longod through the Cours Napoleon, by
which you seek the Hotel Germania"
As Corsica has long been a province of
France, you naturally expect to hear
some French spoken in it's streets, and
are astonshed to learn that the univer-
sal language is Ttalian-strangely cor
rupted, However, the island belonged
to Italy at an earlier period, before the
patriot Paoli Gin. 1859 melted the peo-
pie to fight for independence, which
they enjoyed only fourteen years when
subdued by the French. Corsica lies
much nearer the italian coast than that
of France, being only about ninety
miles from Genoa and less from Rome;
and it's people hate everything French
too intensely to ever learn their Ian
guage. Though Ajacco is the capital of
the island, the see of a bishop, the res
idence Of a project and the seat of a
garrison with a considerable commerce
in oil and wine, and population of sew
enteen thousand, it is as quiet as a
country village on Sunday BY day the
streets are almost deserted, and the
few people you meet evince neither in
terest nor curiosity, but appear too in
different, or discouraged, to raise their
eyes from the ground. Among all the
lazy tribes of the south, these Corst-
cans are said to be the LATEST, and the
little work that is accomplished in the
island is mostly done by women. But
the historic names that greet your eyes
at every turn recall some stirring mem
cries; the COurs Napoleon, Place de
Bonaparte, Place de Letitia Ramolino |
Place du Diamant, Rue Fesch, Street of
the Little King of Rome, and so on. |
The ghost of the Man of Destiny con- |
fronts you everywhere, froc the house |
where he was born lin the Rue st. |
Chares), to the cathedral where he was |
baptized, the garden in which he played |
under Mother Letitia's watchful eye, |
sand dozens of counterfeit PRESENT. |
ments" on hanvas, in stone, marble |
and bronze. The first obiest you en-
counter, at the head of the landing |
stairs is q marble statue of Napoleon, |
on top Of a tall granite pedestal, turn
ing his back upon the humble city Of
his nativity and looking out upon the
world he failed to conquer, He is map
wrapped in a Roman toga
and crowned with a wreath of bay; his
right hand grasping a rudder, which
rests upon ball representing the earth
An inscription at the base states that
the monument was presented to the
city by King Joseph in 1912. Close be-