S A R 
673 
S A R 
Principal towns on the continent, with their populations:— 
Genoa. 
.... 76,000 
Coni. 
.... 17,000 
Turin .. 
_ 65,000 
Vercelli ...... 
.... 17,000 
Alessandria.... 
.... 30,000 
Mondovi .... 
.... 14,000 
Nice . 
... 19,000 
In Sardinia. 
Cagliari ....... 
Sassari. 
.... 25,000 
SARDINIA, a large island of the Mediterranean, situated 
to the south of Corsica, between Lat. 38. 55. and 41. 17. N. 
and long. 7. 57. and 9. 51. E. The geographical division 
is into the two nearly equal parts of Capo di Cagliari and 
Capo di Sassari; the former being the southern, the latter the 
northern part of the island. The political divisions are into 
marquisates, counties, baronies, &c. The form of the island 
is oblong; its length from north to south is 162 miles, its 
breadth between 60 and 70; its superficial extent, 
including the islets on the coast, amounts to 9250 square 
miles; its population, by a late return, does not exceed 
520,000. 
The surface of the island presents a pleasant variety of 
hill and dale. The hills entitled to the name of mountains 
extend from north to south, inclining a little to the western 
coast. In the south the hills are of little elevation. Two 
rivers, the Oristano and Flumendoso, are of considerable size, 
and there are various small streams throughout the island. 
On the sea-coast is a number of small fresh water lakes, and, 
as in the south of France, a number of eta tigs or bays of 
the sea, nearly inclosed by the land. The larger bays or 
gulfs of the sea are those of Cagliari and Santa Rosa in the 
south of Algheri, and Oristano on the west, and of Sassari 
on the north coast. The promontories are Capo Falcone 
On the north coast, Capo Mulgarin on the west, Capo 
Teulada and Carbonara on the south, and Capo Monte 
Santo and Comino on the east. 
The climate of Sardinia, like that of most islands, has . 
less intensity of heat or cold than is common in continental 
countries under the same parallels of latitude. The winter is 
mild, snow falling only in the mountains, and seldom lying 
long. In summer, the heat is felt to excess only during a 
few months, so that the unhealthiness is local, and produced, 
as in other half cultivated countries, by marshy vapours. 
The soil, with the exception of a few sandy tracks along 
the coast, is in general fertile, affording, even under a 
wretched system of agriculture, a return of from 15 to 20 
for the seed of wheat; in some places much more. Several 
of the mountains contain valuable minerals, particularly 
lead and silver. The vines of Sardinia may be compared to 
those of Spain ; and in favourable years, quantities of grapes 
are lost for want of casks to receive the liquor. The olive 
also forms a great object of rural economy; and in a less 
degree, the mulberry, the lemon, the orange, the fig, and 
in the warmest situations, the pomegranate and palm tree. 
Sugar, cotton, coffee, and indigo, might be cultivated in 
the warmer valleys; but all is backward in this country, the 
interior of which contains extensive tracks of desert, and 
still more extensive forest of aged oak, chesnuts, and cork 
trees. Even horses range in a wild state in these unfre¬ 
quented spot*. The domestic breed of horses and horned 
cattle would be good, were attention paid to the pasture; 
but meadows and artificial grass are here as yet only in their 
infancy. Hogs, sheep, and goats, are uncommonly nu¬ 
merous. The wild animals in the woods are stags, wolves, 
hares, and foxes, as in the rest of Europe. 
Sardinia is very favourably situated for commercial inter¬ 
course, having a number of good harbours, while no part 
of the islaud is above 40 miles distant from the sea ; but the 
want of wads, the thinness of population, the deficiency of 
capital, and the general ignorance and indolence of the 
people, have as yet prevented a beneficial operation of these 
advantages. The best harbours are those of Palmas, Nova, 
and Cagliari. In the last, or rather in its bay, whole fleets 
may lie at anchor in any kind of weather. But this island 
can boast of no manufactures, except some coarse linens and 
woollens; no exports unless raw produce, such as com, 
-Vox.. XXII. No. 1531. 
cattle, salted provisions, the proceeds of the tunny 
fishery, hides and skins, fruit, some wine and brandy, but 
above all, large quantities of salt. The climate is favourable 
for the evaporation of salt water; and vast quantities of salt 
are shipped in the bay of Cagliari, at the moderate price of 
6if. per cwt. The total annual exports from Sardinia may 
be averaged at half a million sterling. 
Inhabitants .—The interior of this island exhibits a 
degree of barbarism which can with difficulty be believed to 
exist in Europe. The shepherds, and others who do not 
live in towns, are in the habit of wearing a covering of 
tanned leather, or of shaggy goat or sheep skin. They go 
constantly armed to protect themselves from the banditti in 
the mountains: they roam with their flocks over the unin¬ 
habited tracks, enjoying a bare existence, and acquainted 
with no laws but those of their own formation. They make 
large quantities of cheese for sale, and sometimes sow small 
patches of wheat and barley around their temporary dwell¬ 
ings; but they subsist chiefly on fruit, game, and the pro¬ 
duce of their flocks, each family constituting as it were a 
patriarchal association. Though this part of the population 
is inoffensive, the number of banditti in the mountains 
renders it unsafe for any one, whether a foreigner or Sar¬ 
dinian, to venture far into the interior w'ithout an escort. 
The wars in former ages for the possession of the island, the 
ignorance of the government, the absence, as in Ireland, 
of the chief landholders, and the uninstructed character of 
the clergy, are the causes of this great backwardness in so 
rich a country. In the towns, and along the sea-coast, the 
inhabitants are very different, being pleasant in person and 
manners, and though of little information, by no means 
deficient in sensibility or vivacity. There are two universi¬ 
ties in the island, viz., Cagliari in the south, and Sassari in 
the north; but their course of education is very imperfect. 
The Sardinian language has Italian for its basis, with a mix¬ 
ture of Spanish, Latin, Greek, and French words and 
idioms. In some parts a dialect of the Spanish is spoken ; 
but the higher class acquire and speak habitually good 
Italian. One of the great disadvantages of the island, is 
the strange mode of administering justice, the judges being 
paid by an allowance on each sentence, which prevents 
them from having an interest in discouraging delin¬ 
quencies, and gives undue advantages to persons of for¬ 
tune. 
Sardinia is unknown in history, until the time of its 
occupancy by the Carthaginians, who doubtless confined 
themselves to a few maritime stations, from which they 
were expelled by the Romans in the first Punic war. We 
must put no faith in the flattering pictures of this island, 
drawn by some of the ancient geographers and historians, 
except in regard to its natural fertility. The Romans, after 
establishing themselves here two centuries before the Chris¬ 
tian era, continued in possession of the island until the 
decline of the empire, when it was invaded by the Saracens. 
The sea-ports were subsequently recovered by the commercial 
republics of Genoa and Pisa; but the sovereignty of the 
island was acquired by the king of Arragon, and retained 
by the crown of Spain until the early part of the 18th 
century. In the diplomatic arrangements of 1719, it was 
given, in lieu of the island of Sicily, to the duke of Savoy; 
but though it had the honour of conferring the regal title, 
it continues to be governed as a province. 
SARDIS, or Sardes, a town of Asia Minor, the metro¬ 
polis of Lydia, and the seat of king Croesus. It was situated 
between the Cayster to the south, and the Hermus to the 
north, on the banks of the Pactolus, at the foot of Mount 
Tmolus. The citadel was placed on a craggy mountain, 
abounding with precipices, south-east of the town, and, on 
account of its situation, was thought to be impregnable. 
Sardis was a rich and splendid city. Floras calls it the 
second Rome. The kings of Lydia selected it as the place 
of their residence. Strabo represents it as an ancient city, 
not inferior in magnificence to any in Asia; but he considers 
it as posterior to the siege of Troy. Herodotus relates that 
this city was taken by the Cimmerians, who were driven 
8 I from 
