e o ii s i c a. 



("or-.icu 



Raisins. 



Trees, &c, 



Animals. 



S46 



Spanish wine. The other kind of white wine that is pre- 

 pared at Cape Cargo, most nearly resembles the French 

 Muscat wine called Frontignac. At Furiani, there is 

 prepared a white wine, which might pass for Syracuse, 

 only that it is not quite so sweet, though it is perhaps 

 superior to it. In some of the villages, there is a white 

 wine made, of an agreeable sweetness, and which has 

 the flavour of Tockay. At Vescovato and at Campolo- 

 ro, a wine is produced, which has some resemblance 

 to Burgundy. Throughout the whole island, indeed, 

 there are found wines differing in their tastes, inso- 

 much that it may seem surprising how within such 

 narrow limits, as to the differences of soil and exposure, 

 while often the level of the ground is the very same, 

 there can be produced such considerable diversities. 

 In general it may be observed, that the juice obtained 

 from the grapes of Corsica is so generous, that though 

 even unskilfully prepared, it always pleases, from the 

 agreeableness of the natural flavour. 



Besides the wines, there is also obtained annually at 

 Corsica an abundance of fruit for the preparation of 

 raisins 



The olive tree thrives in every part of Corsica. It 

 appears, indeed, not to have been very early introduced 

 into the island, as it is said that the Corsicans are in- 

 debted for its introduction to the father of the present 

 emperor of France. It now constitutes a principal 

 source of the riches of the country. The olive tree 

 grows here to a greater height and thickness than it 

 does in the southern departments of France. It suc- 

 ceeds better in cold than in warm years, and the oil 

 obtained from it, though not prepared with due care, 

 is yet considered to be of good quality. The lemon, 

 the pomegranate, the orange, the almond, and the 

 mulberry trees succeed also well in this island. Ches- 

 nut trees are very abundant and productive, and the 

 fruit, which can be collected with very little trouble, 

 serves as food both for horses and men. It is per- 

 haps in one view a disadvantage, that a subsistence 

 may here be so easily obtained, as the effect is to 

 render the people indolent, and to throw an addi- 

 tional obstacle in the way of improved cultivation. 

 Aloes flower here as well as in the east ; and the Indian 

 fig is also one of the productions. Several of the trees 

 of this island attain to great dimensions, the oak and 

 other inhabitants of the forest, not less than the fruit 

 trees, indeed a sufficiency of timber might be found 

 here for the establishment and maintenance of a large 

 fleet; and if it could be easily transported, a very great 

 return of revenue might be obtained for the country 

 from the sale of this description of its produce. A 

 ^reat deal of flax is raised in this island ; but though 

 considerable attention is paid to the culture of the mul- 

 berry trees, the quantity of silk that has been procured 

 has never been of much importance. 



The island of Corsica produces all kinds of wild and 

 tame animals. Most commonly, however, they are of 

 a smaller size than those of the continent. The same 

 is the case even with the men of the island, whose sta- 

 ture does not usually exceed five feet. The horses of 

 Corsica are of the Sardinian breed. Like the mules 

 and asses, though small, they are active and strong. 

 The horned cattle are in proportion of a larger size 

 than the horses, but they are inferior in quality. In- 

 deed there is a want of proper pasture in the island, 

 so that generally the cows give but little milk, and the 

 oxen are lean and cadaverous. Grazing generally is 

 much neglected, and the produce of the dairy is in little 



request. Oil, as in Italy, and in almost all hot conn- Corsica. 

 tries, supplies the place of butter, of which therefore -—-v— ' 

 but little is made. Some of the cantons, however, fur- 

 nish cheese of good quality. There are here numer- 

 ous flocks of sheep, which having excellent pasture on 

 the mountains, the mutton is very delicate, and yields a 

 very rich juice. This is in some measure a compensa- 

 tion for the badness of the beef of the country. The 

 sheep of Corsica are in general black or tawny, a white 

 sheep being as rare among the flocks of this island as 

 a black one is amongst ours. The wool is coarse and 

 rough in the pile, which is attributed by the inhabitants 

 of the country to the sheep being of a mongrel breed. 

 Attempts have been made to correct this defect by the 

 introduction of better breeds from England and from 

 Spain; but the graziers assert that the inferior quality 

 of the wool is less the consequehce of any tiling in the 

 breed than of the nature of the pasture. In proof of 

 this it is mentioned, that sheep which yield but a coarse 

 wool in one farm, will, if removed to another in which 

 the pasture is better, give a superior fleece. It is not 

 unusual in Corsica to see sheep with more than two 

 horns : some have as many as six. The muffbli is a 

 kind of wild ram, covered with hair instead of wool. 

 It lives on the highest mountains, where it can hardly 

 be approached ; but when taken young, it is very easily 

 tamed. There are here vast numbers of goats which 

 browse upon the wild hills, and the forests abound in 

 deer. The swine of Corsica, which are very numerous, 

 having all a mixture of the wild boar, and being fed on 

 chesnuts, form a very agreeable food. The wild boar 

 is found on the island in great plenty. The Corsicans 

 are very fond of the diversion of hunting this animal, 

 for which purpose they have a race of clogs particularly 

 well adapted to it. These have a smooth hair, and are 

 something between a mastiff and a strong shepherd's 

 dog, large and exceedingly fierce, but very faithful 

 where they have once formed an attachment. Bees 

 abound in this island. Indeed it has been noted for its 

 swarms of those useful insects, and for its copious sup- 

 ply of their productions from the earliest times. Both 

 the low grounds and the hills are plentifully stored 

 with the plants which furnish those creatures with then- 

 most grateful food. The honej', however, of the island 

 has generally been accounted somewhat bitter, owing 

 to the access which the bees have to the boxwood and 

 the yew. This bitterness is by many considered not 

 disagreeable. The best of the Corsican honey is said 

 to be that which is obtained from Caccia. The wax is 

 noted for its goodness and firmness. There is abun- 

 dance of hares in this country. Foxes are also numer- 

 ous, and they are here extremely large and ravenous. 

 But there are no wolves nor rabbits, and very few ve- 

 nomous animals. 



Of birds, those which principally occur in Corsica girds. 

 are the eagle, the vulture, the wood-pigeon, turtle, 

 thrush, blackbird, and many of the smaller species. 

 There is likewise plenty of game, as partridges, wood- 

 cocks, snipes, and water fowl in the lakes. 



The sea coasts of this island, as well as the lakes and F - 1:hi &Ct 

 rivers, of which it has several, abound with fish. These 

 are in the greatest variety, and of the best kinds. There 

 are particularly noted a kind of thunny or sturgeon, 

 the sardinas a fish of an exquisite flavour, and oysters. 

 The oysters are found on different parts of the shore in 

 beds, and are of a remarkable size. They are in such 

 quantity, that, besides the consumption of the country, 

 great numbers of them are exported to Italy. Beauti- 





