The Republican journal., 1912-03-28
IN AJACClO.
Nv,

WIN tne extraordinary quality of being
adaptable to either foot, appreciable
when one is in hurry, we started ont
one early morning over the Sierra, to the
sheepfold of Lamuccio and the Co, do
Cacalo, where perfect representation
of a deaths head may be seen in an
enormous mass of grey granite boulders
and descending perpendicularly down
through the Maquis, with only goat
trail to guide US, we presently emerged
upon the familiar coast road which leads
to the Sanguinary Islands.
More than half way down we stonned
to admire the view near a tomb on the
mountain side. The roof had blown
away years ago, tall fig tree grew up
within the walls. We climbed on a pile
of stones heaped against the tomb and
looked inside. o, Horror! The collins
had burst open and four grinning skele-
tons looked up at us! We hurriedly de-
parted, commenting on the wierd
strangeness of things in this wild, pic
turesque, lonely. forsaken country.
The sea was calm and of deep green
color. 1t was just after storm. The
children were hunting shells and delicate
cup sponges among the seaweed strewn
along the beach. Several Corsican
women were washing out clothes in the
shallow holes worn by the action of the
sea in the rocks. Others were STANDING
barefooted in icy water where some tiny
stream from the mountains emptied
itself into the bay. The motley collec-
ton of garments was afterwards spread
out to dry on the sand or grass, each ar
ticle having its own stone, or piece of
rock, to prevent it from being blown
away.
After passing the unsightly gas house,
placed on one of the finest bits of land
on the whole coast, we reach the Chapel
of Notre Dame du Mont Carmel, COM
monty called Chapelle des Grecs, be-
cause some Greek refugees used this
chapel when they were expulsed from
Paomia in 1871. The chapel was built
in 1882 by the pious widow Artilla, whose
husband, Paul-Emile Pozzo di Borgo, COM
manded the pontifical troops in Corsica,
in 1919.
We now come to the City of the Dead,
or Corsican Appian Way, as it has ap-
propriately been called. In Corsica
years ago the dead were all piled in pell-
nell in one common, deep, large, round
pit, which was kept tightly covered. AS
each body was thrown in it was covered
with quicklime. This barbarous method
was not tolerated by the French when
they came into possession Of the island,
though it continued in use in some of the
smaller villages until within forty years
ago. Each family subsequently was
given the right to bury its dead wherever
1t chose. In its own garden if it wished
Then arose the custom of having sepa-
rate family tombs, like country villas,
some of them with small semi-tropical
garden in front facing the sea- Thus we
read the names of the Farinacci Family
Liz LoLOlli, Vic OSSldIll, lIG hdl1ldIOHl,
and the Lambruschini., One stately
tomb in massive grey granite bears the
sonorous inscription, IN Latin:
ain -Eterna ct Sancta Domini Pace
A beautiful garden surrounds this
tomb, and 9 ante pillars with bronze
wreaths, no, glasses, and inverted
torches, enclo> the whole. A few wards
farther on is the village cemetery
Here are many more tombs and solitary
graves. | real the names of many
strangers from over seas, who having
come here to seek renewed health and
vigor had put aside all mundane things
and found instead life eternal. The in
scriptions are in differing tongues. One
IN Italian to young bride is es-
pecially pathetic and beautiful:
"Vale Dulclssime Vale Diectissime, Desid-
eratissme!'
The French graves are all adorned
with the quaint bead work wreaths with
artificial wire flowers, so dear to Gallo
hearts. They have the advantage of not
fading and are emlnently practical and
show a thrifty spirit. But it looks
strangely out of place in this land, where
the bloom is riotous enough, and the
most beautiful flowers car be had for the
mere trouble of picking.
Nearly all the Corsican women wear a
plain black dress and jacket with black
handkerchief tied around the head in
Madonna-like fashion. 1t is land of
many funerals, and the time of mourning
extends over longer period than is the
custom elsewhere. Five years, they tell
me, is assigned for relation, and all
ones life for father, mother, husband
and child! 1t is no wonder that gay
colors are so seldom seen. The Corsi.
cans are an independent, proud, unruly,
sad, serious race.
, Leaving the cemetery we come tc
Ariadne, the rustic villa belonging te
, the Grand Hotel in Ajaccio. Here one
may play tennis and croquet, sip a glass
! of wine or coffee. or take afternoon tea
PAnglaise. 1t is in ideal surroundings
; The waves dash up against the vel