IN THE ISLAND OP CORSICA. 393 



broad, and may be called the garden of the ifland; 

 but, on leaving this vale on whichever fide we will, 

 Corfica refumes its fad and arid afpecl. We come to 

 bare unfruitful mountains, efpecially towards Nebio. 

 But they yield very beautiful porphyry: from hence 

 was fetched the whole quantity ufed for the chapel of 

 the annunciation of Mary at Florence. In the river 

 Caccia is found red-ocre. 



Nebio has nothing good but its dale, which is 

 bounded by the golfo of St. Florence, and at prefent 

 is quite defencelefs ; but it is of great importance to 

 the ifland. Whoever mould make himfelf mafter of 

 this golfo, may eafily penetrate into the dale, and 

 without any impediment take poffeffion of the heights 

 that extend over the provinces of Baftia and Belagna, 

 and from thence overrun the whole ifland. Accor- 

 ding^, the Corficans gave up all for loll, on feeing 

 that we had once fecured this pafs. 



Saint Florence is a wretched town on the golfo of that 

 name. The air is here very unwholefome from the 

 fame caufe that neceffitated the inhabitants to defert 

 Porto-Vecchio. It might here be corrected with as 

 little trouble as there ; and, in my opinion, this ought 

 to be done before they begin to work at the fortifi- 

 cations ; in the mean time they pafs the whole year at 

 Saint Florence, and the prefent commandant has long 

 made his abode at this place. 



From this fhort description, you may perceive that 

 the commerce of - the ifland, at this moment, is not in 

 the moft flourifhing condition. Accordingly the ba- 

 lance is eighty thoufand livres per month againft us, 



as 



