The Republican journal., 1912-07-04
Around Cape Corsica.
II

five feet in height. Holsters and crav.
fish are caught in great numbers here.
being sent away to the large centers on
the continent.
1t was at Morsiglia that Pierre first
made US acquainted with the "Ameri.
cans". These are the persons who hay-
ing shipped as cabin boys aboard some
sailing vessel, in the early days of the
last century, went to South America or
the West Indies, and after many vicissi-
tudes and hardships saved enough money!
to engage in coffee and sugar planting.
amassed large fortunes which they came
periodically back to Cape Corsica to
spend, and incidentally to end their DAYS
in peace in the homeland, leaving their
descendants to initiate their example.
These houses have prosperous, we'll
kept air, are painted white, and have
small flower gardens in front. We could
thereafter easily pick out the abode of
| any American" in every subsequent
Cape Corsican village we passed through!
From Morsiglia to Pine we drove along
a fine bit of coast with rocky indentations
along the beautiful Gulf of Also. It
was dusk as we drove in to Pine and to
the comfortable Celestori inn. There
we had little difficulty about lodgings,
as we had not thought it necessary to
telegraph ahead. But a Belgian professor
kindly consented to give US his double
bedded room in exchange for ours of
single solitude. Pine is a thoroughly
charming little village, 1000 feet above
t, e sea. We visited the interior. of a
Genoese tower and saw many more
American" homes. The bay is wild
and mournful. We drove on to Canari
the next morning early, amid enchanting
scenery, and halted a moment at Marnca
to visit the Pisau Church of the Assump-
ton, built in 1853, which also contains
several excellent paintings bequeathed
to it by the ever-generous Cardinal
Fesch. The roadway continues along
the towering bluff above the sea-shore
and shows many curious rock formations
until the almost deserted little commune
of Albo is reached, literally smothered in
wealth of Pancratium lilies in bloom,
which filled the air with most delicious
fragrance. We gathered large bouquet
to deck our luncheon table.
Between Albo and Nonza the scenery
surpasses itself in grandeur. Words are
too poor to do it justice.
Nonza, which has existed from earliest
times, is built on top of perpendicular
rock five hundred feet above the level of
the sea. 1t counts 5O9 inhabitants and
has strange history. St. Julia, young
African virgin was martyred at Nonza
in 439 or 440 A. D., by the Vandals, who
tore away her breasts, and threw them
on the ground. Instantly, upon that
very spot, spring of purest water
gushed forth. We saw the fountain!
Nonza is also the scene of an heroic Incl
dent. When the French subdued Corsica
in 1853, Nonza stubbornly held out. The
attack was fierce, but just as fiercely was
it resisted. Finally the garrison agreed
to surrender if allowed to walk out free,
and with all the honors of war. This
was granted, and to the infinite surprise
of the besiegers the old Captain Cascella
appeared alone, fairly bristling with
pistols and muskets. ''Where is the
garrison?" Numbered the French COM
mander, the General of Grandmaison, II
am the garrison, Sir" was the reply.
This noble episode suggested to the
italian romancer, Guerazzi, the idea of
his thrilling tale Ga Torra di Nonza.
The road becomes now less wild and
for while leaves the seacoast altogether
to traverse a fertile valley with tiny
river shaded by uxurant growth of
wild oleanders. The scene wildly recall
ed the grassy slopes of Capernaum by
the Sea of Galilee.
When we arrived at the Col de St.
Bernardina we branched off towards the
town of St. Florent, or San Florence, as
lilC tolloiio 81 tliuolSoily Scll ll IL w DIS
founded in l440 by Janus Campo Fregoso.
1t has a fine position, fronting on a mag
nifcent bay, fully as large as that of
Ajaccio, but this beautiful gulf is seldom
used except by the fishermen. HOLSTERS
abound and are justly celebrated all over
the island.
! Napoleon said, est. Florent has one of
the happiest situations know. 1t is the
most favorable for commerce; it touches
France, and is adjacent to Italy; its land
ing places are secure and convenient and
its roads would receive whole fleets. l
would have built fine large town there,
which would have been capital
But alas and alack for St. Florent, Ma
poleon was already at St. Helena! To-
day it is, as H. Seton Merriman says in
''The Isle Of Unrest" "a small place,
with Ichabod written large on its crumb.
ling houses" St. Florent is a wonder
fully beautiful little place, with its land.
locked bay and its river gliding lazily
down to the sea. We were loath tc
leave the peace and quiet of it's deserted
quays, the old world charm of it's irregu.
lor bo,eoe op6 bo rap;ol -,