390 LETTER FROM A FRENCH OFFICER 



fore underfrood in the country. Formerly too they 

 made fait ; why mould they not make it Hill ? The 

 growth of corn might likewife come again into practice, 

 if more attention was 'paid to the draining of the 

 moraffes. 



In Corflca there are neither, wolves nor rabbits ; but 

 foxes are here in plenty, Itxong enough to worry and 

 devour young lambs. All fpecies of animals are fmaller 

 here than elfewhere, and feem as if degenerated. The 

 hogs, quails, and pidgeons, are excellent ; fowls and 

 game are moderately large, excepting the wild-boar, 

 which is neither large nor wild. The fim. of the Me- 

 diterranean are not to be compared with thofe of the 

 ocean. They bear the fame relation as pond fim to 

 river fifri. 



Corlica contains between 130,000 and 140,000 inha- 

 bitants, as well natives, as French and foreigners. 



The illand produces gold, lilver, copper, iron, lead> 

 fulphur, antimony, bafalt, chalk, rochallum, zinnabar, 

 jafper, porphyry, and marble of various colours ; like- 

 wife yellow topazes^ both of the pyramidal and cubic 

 forms. 



The beffc ftane for building is called travertina. It 

 is very hard, and fo difpofed that it makes the whole 

 thicknefs of the wall. There is plenty of cryftal in the 

 mountains of Cagna, Cazinca and Niolo. 



Along the coafl: grow white and red corals. The 

 black are imperfect madrepores. The rocks of cape 

 Corfo are covered with corallides. 



The 4 ecies of pine, called here carricio, is a fort of 

 cedar, which is highly prized both on account of its 

 beauty and its goodnefs. This tree grows to the height 



of 



