CORFU. 



fll 



Corfu, marshy grounds on the coast : and fish is also plentiful 

 *»'"¥ ■" ' in the surrounding seas. Corfu has, therefore, few 

 sources to maintain a numerous population, as, indepen- 

 dent of goats, apparently indigenous, from the milk of 

 which a quantity of cheese is made, all quadrupeds, ei- 

 ther for draught, for the saddle, or for subsistence, are 

 brought from the continent. 



The total population of the island amounts to 60,000 

 persons, dispersed in the town of Corfu and 85 villages. 

 About 12,000 dwell in the town, and the villages con- 

 tain from 150 to 2000 each, besides those in detached 

 cottages and hamlets. It is probable that the popula- 

 tion is decreasing, from the want of encouragement to 

 commerce, and the unsettled government of all the Io- 

 nian islands. We know that it anciently was an inde- 

 pendent power, which could send out fleets and armies, 

 and whose alliance was courted by other states. At 

 present, its political division is into four provinces, of 

 which the largest, called Mezzo, is situated in the center 

 of the island, and the other three, Lefchimo, Agiru, and 

 Oros, lie to the west, east, and north. 



Compared with the natural advantages possessed by 

 Corfu, neither agriculture nor commerce are sufficiently 

 extended among its inhabitants, the principal causes of 

 which arise from their invincible repugnance to labour, 

 and, until lately, from the ill judged restraints of the 

 Venetian government. Other sources have been found 

 in the poverty of the peasant ; and the territorial pro- 

 perty of the island being vested in a few individuals, 

 who, wanting capital themselves, are obliged to obtain 

 it at a great premium, while they have an uncertain re- 

 turn ; the surface also, though susceptible of improve- 

 ment, is not peculiarly adapted either for the plough or 

 the pasturage of heavy cattle. Wheat is chiefly culti- 

 vated, which is of excellent quality, and produced in 

 the proportion of seven to one ; but the whole that is 

 raised does not exceed two months consumption of the 

 island, and therefore a supply for the other ten months 

 is required. The wealth of Corfu may be said to consist 

 almost solely in olives, and this, in a great measure, 

 from the encouragement long ago held out by the Ve- 

 netians, who promised a specific reward for the planta- 

 tion of each tree. The island was soon after entirely 

 covered with olives, and their propagation is still con- 

 tinued ; so that, though destitute of woods, numerous 

 copses every where appear. There are now three mil- 

 lions of olive trees on the island, of four different species, 

 the mir lades, glicoglieydes, codiglyes, and ye.noglies, which 

 last are the most common. The second species produ- 

 ces two kinds of olives, and those of the third, being 

 the largest, are reserved for salting. There are 1080 

 oil mills, or presses, and the inhabitants are enabled to 

 export annually 300,000 jars, each containing 33 pounds 

 of oil, of a yellow colour, and thick consistence, which, 

 in respect of quality, ranks the fourth in European 

 commerce. The olive tree produces fruit only once in 

 two years ; but circumstances are so favourable to its 

 cultivation, that the product of oil might be doubled or 

 even tripled. From a defect of hands necessary to be 

 employed, according to the most approved modes of 

 culture, the inhabitants plead that they are obliged to 

 await the course of nature, instead of seizing those op- 

 portunities which might be converted to the best ad- 

 vantage. The mode of extracting the oil is equally im- 

 perfect as the treatment of the plant. 



A small quantity of wine is likewise made in Corfu, 

 of a deep red colour, and very strong. Principally 

 from mismanagement, and neglect of the vines, the 



whole does not exceed four months consumpt of the 

 island, which leaves 30,000 casks of 1 36 pounds each 

 to be imported for use. The care of the vines is su- 

 perseded by the attention bestowed on the olives, and, 

 as if they were plants of the same nature, both are 

 cultivated but once in two years. When preparing the 

 ground for olives, vines are planted as a secondary ob- 

 ject along with them, and when the period of greatest 

 maturity approaches, it commonly becomes necessary 

 to root them out, that the others may be preserved. 



In ancient authors we have glowing descriptions of 

 the beautiful gardens of this island, but at present 

 no remains of them are to be found, and horticulture 

 is in as degraded a state as the cultivation of those 

 plants on which the subsistence of mankind materially 

 depends. 



A quantity of salt, sufficient for exportation, is pro- 

 cured from three different places, Eftimo, Castrades, and 

 Potamos. It is carried to Albania, from not being so fine 

 as to render it acceptable in Italy ; and even in Albania 

 it bears a lower price than what is imported from other 

 places. Gall nuts, and liqueurs in small quantities, are 

 the only other exports from Corfu. All the oil is car* 

 ried to Venice ; the other commodities to Leghorn, 

 Trieste, Ancona, and Constantinople. 



It is universally admitted that the island is suscepti- 

 ble of great improvement, and in the hands of a liberal 

 and enlightened government might more than support 

 itself; but instead of being profitable, it proved ex- 

 tremely expensive to the Venetians. The territorial 

 owners of the island, independent of being indebted to 

 the advances of the Jews established in Corfu for ena- 

 bling them to carry on their agricultural operations, 

 were under the necessity of dealing with commercial 

 connections of the same Jews established in Venice, for 

 the disposal of the produce. Thus they could not be 

 said to have all the advantages of free trade in export- 

 ing their staple commodity, burdened with such restric- 

 tion by the mother country. 



The imports to Corfu are equivalent to at least seven 

 months consumption of the year. The inhabitants are 

 totally dependent on other countries for all the larger 

 quadrupeds, for a large supply of grain, and many ar- 

 ticles of wearing apparel. Grain from the Morea and 

 Romelia forms the principal import; besides which, 

 600 horses, 7000 cattle, and 1 0,000 sheep and calves, 

 are annually brought from the same quarter. Salt fish 

 is imported, in time of peace, from England, Holland, 

 Leghorn, and Genoa ; wine from Dalmatia or the Ar- 

 chipelago, woollen and cotton cloths from Trieste and 

 Smyrna, Indian goods from Constantinople. Turkey 

 gains chiefly by the trade of Corfu ; nevertheless, the 

 total balance is in favour of the island, as the value of 

 the exports exceeds that of the imports by about one- 

 twelfth. 



Almost the whole trade is carried on in foreign bot- 

 toms, for the only vessels lately belonging to it were 

 two or three barks, of above 300 tons each, and a 

 few galliots, which visited the neighbouring islands. 

 The inhabitants have so few products of industry to 

 offer to other countries, that it cannot be expected they 

 will soon require additional shipping. 



Tire island is provided with three harbours, or rather 

 roadsteads. That of Gouin, about two leagues from 

 the town of Corfu, is the best, consisting of a bay a 

 mile in diameter, completely land-locked, and with 

 deep water close to the shore. Small quantities of na- 

 val stores were always kept in an arsenal there in the 



Corfu. 



