some important and interesting conver

sation.

them set forth clearly why it is that there are so many crimes.

The reason is threefold:First, the mal-administration of justice.

Second, the spirit of clanship, which it engendered, and which now fosters that injustice in its turn.

Third, the laxity in enforcing the licensing laws with regard to the carriage of arms.

In many parts of the island every fourth man we saw carried a gun. The pig-driver followed his pigs with a carbine over his shoulder; the peasant, eating his dinner by the roadside, carved his bread and cheese with a knife that was practically a dagger. Our trusty driver, apparently the most peaceable of men, caught sight of a wood-pigeon when we were passing through the forest of Aitone; he turned to snatch

pocket thereof a pistol ready loaded. Given, an excitable people, a quarrel always ready to break forth, and a weapon always at hand, and the result of the equation may be reckoned upon with tolerable certainty.

The men of either party will live in the same village for years, and never -speak; nor will they take any notice of each other, save to exchange a mutual scowl as they pass. Sometimes even the hostile factions will not walk on the same side of the street. In Colomba," Prosper Merimée relates how one clan appropriated the north and east sides of the public square, while their opponents never crossed it except by the west and south; and he describes the commotion aroused in every breast when the hero returns after some years absence, and, totally oblivious of the local etiquette, is seen unconsciously walking upon his enemy's side of the way. Heads are thrust out of every window, the gossips run together, "What can this portent mean? Is there to be a shameful reconciliation up his greatcoat, and pulled from the after all these years? Or rather, oh, glorious thought! is it not a studied insult? . . . a challenge thrown out the very day, nay, almost the very hour of our chief's return, showing that our ancient wrongs are not forgotten, but that the vendetta is to be pursued as M. Cadella Baye was appointed to keenly as it was in his father's time?" the chief justiceship in the autumu of Such a trifle as this may lead to a whole 1891. He told us that on the very day series of assassinations. Where the of his first arrival in Corsica he heard a minds of men are kept in a constant noise in the street, and put his head state of irritation, it needs but a spark out of the window. Two men were to kindle the ever-smouldering embers having a violent altercation, and after of hatred into flame. A dog shot in a the mutual abuse had gone on for a vineyard was the cause of an outbreak certain time, one of the two whipped between the rival families of Tafani out his knife and stabbed the other, and Rochini, which caused the death of "there, in the public street of Bastia, no less than eleven victims; but behind by daylight, under my very eyes." the petty incident cited, in the act of" And what happened ?" Oh, nothaccusation, as the "motive" of the ing! nobody took any notice; the crime, there was the concentrated es- wound was not fatal, but it might have sence of years of accumulated rage. been." "But how is it these things Bourde says that in some of the villages do not get into the newspapers ?" in Corsica he had seen men who, by the incessant persecution of their enemies, were wrought up to such a state of excitement that they were positively fearful to look upon. He adds that he has read several recent works "On the Criminality of Corsica," but that they have all the same fault. They none of

66

"Well," replied a journalist of Ajaccio to whom the question was addressed,

66

partly from a sort of local patriotism ; we do not desire to expose our wounds to the hostile criticism of strangers. Again, we not unfrequently receive a letter on these occasions couched somewhat in the following terms: "Sir,

1

you have heard, no doubt, of the mis- lines: "In consequence of the unforfortune that has befallen our family. We hope that you will not add to our annoyance by publishing the details of the affair.' We understand, of course, what that means, and as we wish to lead a quiet life, we generally take the hint!"

tunate affair at Soccia, it is probable that the mayor of Guagno will send in his resignation." That was all! I took in the newspaper regularly for a week, for I was curious to see how the affair would end; but there was nothing more; apparently no inquiry, no prosecution of the offenders.

A notable instance actually occurred during our stay in Corsica. The elec- Those amongst them who felt most tions for the Council-General were guilty would probably at once take to going on all over the island. The can- the macchi and thus help to swell the ton of Soccia comprises several vil- already too numerous ranks of the lages, amongst others Guagno, noted banditti; indeed, the profession is held for its famous mineral springs, and also in such high esteem, that many a man for the turbulence of its people. The will join those ranks for a cause far elections took place in each village, and short of murder. An instance occurred on the morrow the presidents of the the other day. A prisoner, handcuffed, several bureaux were to meet at Soccia, was being taken by rail to Ajaccio. In for the formal declaration of the poll. passing through one of the tunnels, he In consequence of certain disorders managed to escape out of the window that had already occurred, the mayor of unseen by the gendarmes who accomSoccia issued an edict to the effect that panied him. He had committed some none of the inhabitants of Guagno were trifling offence, for which he would get to enter the village that day. The in- but a month's imprisonment at most, habitants of Guagno chose to ignore but he preferred to take to the macchi this order, and sixty of them, all armed, | rather than submit to even this trifling and all angry that their candidate had penalty. been defeated, marched upon Soccia, headed by their mayor. Two gendarmes (not armed) had been placed at the entrance of the village, and warned the advancing troop that they were to come no farther. The mayor of Guagno cried, "Fire!" There was a general volley from his followers, and the two gendarmes fell dead. "They both bore excellent characters; one of them had been twenty-four years in the service, had been proposed for the military medal, and leaves a wife and three children."

Such was the first account in the daily paper of Bastia. It occupied about seven inches of one column. The next day the editor had had time to reflect (or he, too, may possibly have had a significant warning), for in an article three inches long, the account was somewhat qualified, and there was this important emendation: "It seems we were not correct in stating that it was the mayor of Guagno who gave the order to fire upon the gendarmes." The third day there were just two

Nor must it be supposed that the bandit's life is altogether one of hardship. He must be always on the alert, it is true, and at times, when the pursuit is hot, he must rough it in forest and cave, but for the most part he will be in shelter, an honored guest beneath the roof of some friend or relative who will not only give him warning at the approach of danger, but will often volunteer to accompany him; and so strong is the spirit of clan, that these "protectors" will actually lay down their lives for his sake. In 1887, a bandit thus escorted was attacked by gendarmes. The bandit escaped, but in the fierce conflict which ensued, his four "protectors were slain.

Nor is he cut off from the interests of life, or the society of his fellow-men, for his services are in constant requisition. "He has a bandit in his service" is, in fact, a familiar Corsican expression. In other words, you feed, pay, and protect the bandit, and he puts his gun at your disposal. You have a bad debt, he will collect it for you; his

arguments are irresistible! You are the rendezvous. The notice was So pursued by a creditor, the bandit will short there was no time to send for make him give you time. If your land reinforcements; there were only six is devastated by shepherds, the bandit men available, and it was known that will drive them away; if you are a the bandit's party consisted of eight or shepherd, and a proprietor disputes ten. your right of pasturage, the bandit will make him hear reason. In short, the bandit is a sort of deus ex machinâ standing in the place of the law, which is powerless, and of that justice which is no justice at all.

Fortune, however, favored the right. Vuzzoni and his men were at dinner in the house of some peasant protector, and his dogs, usually so keen to scent a gendarme, had apparently been dining too, for they failed to give the alarm till the house was practically surrounded. Vuzzoni started up, crying, "We are trapped!" Firearms were snatched up, and the battle began; those without trying to break in, and those within shooting through the windows at their assailants, who were partly sheltered by a projecting balcony which covered their operations.

His love of power and intrigue will sometimes lead him to interfere even with the domestic concerns of his neighbors. M. Levis relates this curious story, which came under his official notice. A famous bandit called Vuzzoni, took a great fancy to a young gentleman of good family, but poor. "What you want, my friend," said the bandit to him one day, "is a rich wife. "We must end this," cried one of Now I have a young lady in my eye, the gendarmes to his comrade; "he an heiress, only sixteen. You shall shall not escape us this time! Do thou marry her." The young gentleman stand here, I will attempt to scale the was surprised, but not altogether un- balcony, and while Vuzzoni is occupied willing. "How know you the lady with me, do thou take good aim, and would consent?" he asked, "and let thy bullet be mortal!" The atwould her father agree to such a pro-tempt was made, and the brave fellow posal?" "Why not?" said Vuzzoni | received the bandit's charge in his coolly; "you have rank, she has wealth breast, but at the same moment his - what could be more suitable? Only leave it to me." A few days later, he came back, saying, "Well, I have arranged a shooting-party, where you can make the young lady's acquaintance. Put on your best clothes, and make yourself smart, so as to appear to ad-ing foolish in the smart attire he had vantage in her eyes." The party came off, the introduction was effected, and the marriage proposal was broached.

Neither the lady nor her father offered any objection; indeed, it might have been scarcely safe so to do; but the father mildly observed that he thought the young people ought to have an opportunity of becoming better acquainted before the matter was finally settled, and as this seemed reasonable enough, a second meeting was arranged. Then the father, driven to desperation, and having no other means of evading the unwelcome proposal, went and gave secret information to the police as to the place and hour of

comrade fired, and Vuzzoni fell back dead. The rest of the party surrendered when they saw their leader fall. But when the captors entered the house they found there also the intended bridegroom, who looked exceed

put on to captivate the lady.

When interrogated before the magistrate as to what he was doing there, he murmured something about "a shooting-party." "A shooting-party?" said the magistrate. "What! in these maynificent clothes!" But the gentleman was too much ashamed of himself to give any other explanation, so he was sent to prison with the rest, and it was only some months later that the truth of the matter leaked out.

Two other good stories told by President Levis I am tempted to give before concluding this article. Two brothers, Cucchi by name, villains of the deepest dye, found the neighborhood of Ajaccio

too hot to hold them, and resolved to | ment to put down banditism in Corsica. take refuge in Sartene. They found a Large sums of secret service money small boat upon the beach, and desired were spent in rewards for the betrayal the owner to put out to sea. "Impos- or capture of bandits, the laws against sible," said the man, "the boat is too carrying arms without license were small for such a voyage, and would cer- strictly enforced, and at the elections tainly founder.” "Do as you are bid," a time always fruitful of bloodshed said the Cucchi, covering him with it was intimated so clearly to the their guns. Under these circumstances authorities which candidate was to be the boatman had no alternative; so chosen, that there was very little scope he got in, and they pushed out to sea. left for the rivalry of the clans to disBut the waves were high, and by a play itself. Towards the end of the little dexterous management, he con- reign of Napoleon III., Bourde says trived to make his boat rock in such a there were but twenty bandits left in fashion that the bandits became vio- Corsica. There are now, under the lently sick. "You see I was right," rule of the Republic, nearly six hunhe coolly remarked, when his passen- dred. gers seemed sufficiently reduced, “you The traveller, indeed, need have will certainly be drowned if we go on little fear; the Corsican is not merthus. You had much better let me cenary, and he prides himself on his put you ashore, and go back for a hospitality. Many a little service we stronger and better boat." "So be received, and, at first, endeavored to it!" gasped the bandits. "Oh, any-pay for, but the unwilling hand and thing is better than this!" They were put on shore, and in due time the boatman returned with a larger boat, but at the bottom of it lay four gendarmes disguised as sailors, and the brothers Cucchi were taken before they had time to discover the trick.

The second story was of a notorious bandit of the name of Bastanasi. He was a man of considerable erudition, had been educated at Pisa, knew Latin, and had belonged to the medical profession. On one occasion he also was going to Sartene on a vessel which stopped at Ajaccio. Knowing that the gendarmes were after him, he did not attempt to laud, but as he had a fine voice and could also play the guitar, to beguile the time of waiting he got out his instrument and began to sing and play.

A fisherman in the port recognized the voice, and likewise remembered the song. He went and informed the authorities; and it was thus through his love of music that Bastanasi was arrested. "I saw him land," said M. Levis. "The handcuffs were on his wrists, and the guitar was slung round his neck."

look of displeasure made it so plain that to offer money in Corsica was not considered "good form," that we soon gave up the practice, while a few extra words of gratitude would cause the face of the recipient to light up with pleasure and an agreeable sense of patronage. The bandit partakes in the characteristics of his race, and is therefore, as a rule, not dangerous save to those with whom he is at war; but though the stranger may practically wander with impunity throughout the length and breadth of the land, the natives enjoy no such security. The vendetta lives on from father to son, and there is hardly a Corsican, however peaceably disposed, who is not conscious of having at least half-a-dozen enemies, hereditary if not personal, of whose malice he lives in constant fear, and to whose vengeance he may any day fall a victim. The law cannot protect him, for the assassin is almost certain of impunity; he has but to become a bandit, and is thenceforward sheltered and supported by the whole of his clan.

And though the bandit of Corsica has not, at present, the mercenary During the Third Empire, a great taint which is so inconveniently chareffort was made by the French govern-acteristic of the brigand of other lands,

CAROLINE HOLLAND.

it cannot be but that so large a body of by two feet broad, strengthened by men, carrying arms, ruling the elec- planks resting on piquets firmly fixed tions, terrorizing the natives, and living in the sand. Around a group of claires in utter defiance of the law, must runs what is called a blindage, a netting sooner or later prove a very serious of galvanized iron wire, as a protection danger to the State. to the oyster against its numerous enemies, among which the crab is chief; but whelks, starfishes, and boring sponges are dangerous. Many oysterrearers from reasons of economy form a blindage of the branches of a tall and strong heather which grows abundantly in the neighboring forest. In addition to the protection from the attacks of ravenous fishes afforded by these two systems, they also serve to retain the oysters within their limits, and prevent their being carried by seaweed or other cause from one man's park to that

From Chambers' Journal.
OYSTER-CULTURE IN FRANCE.

ARCACHON, in the department of the Gironde, is a favorite summer watering-place for the Bordelais, and a winter health resort for the whole of France. But apart altogether from its reputation as a health resort, it is famous for the supply of oysters which it yields to France and to the world. The of his neighbor. Another plan often oyster industry of France is the largest adopted to ensure further protection to of its kind in Europe, and at Arcachon the precious mollusc consists in the it is carried on in the most scientific formation around the claires of a line and systematic manner. It was about of pignons or young pine-trees, stripped the middle of the present century that of their branches with the exception of the work of oyster-rearing was com- a plume at the top. The pignons are menced here, a work which to-day three yards in height, and at highgives employment to thousands of peo- water, with their waving plumes, act as ple, men and women, in the villages a sort of scarecrow, or under the cirwhich surround the Bassin. The Bas- cumstances, as a sort of scarecrab. sin of Arcachon, with a circumference of about sixty miles, from its physical formation is peculiarly favorable to the rearing of the oyster, being a bay completely protected from the storms of the ocean by a natural breakwater of sandhills, some of the highest dunes in the world. Were the entrance from the Bay of Biscay a deep and navigable channel instead of being, as it is, dotted with shifting sandbanks, the Bassin would form a perfect natural harbor. At low water it will be found to be covered to a large extent by sandbanks, separated by numerous and deep channels; and it is on these sandbanks, called crassats, that the oyster parks are formed in a manner we shall endeavor to describe.

The site of a park having been determined upon, it is divided into rectangular portions which measure forty yards by thirty, and which are called claires. These are separated from each other by dykes of clay a foot in height

The formation of the claires being completed, near them are deposited several wooden frames, like cages, to hold layers of tiles of a length of eighteen inches, the frames themselves measuring two yards long by two feet broad and one yard in height. The tiles have convex and concave sides, and are at first whitened in a bath of chalk and water mixed with a little fine sand; and after being well dried in the sun, they are laid in the frames, each of which holds eight or ten rows. Here they become covered by young oysters to the number of two or three hundred per tile. This takes place during the months of May and June, for it is in May that the spawn appear in the oyster as a liquid substance of milky appearance, and render it uneatable until the month of September. This fact gives rise to the saying, that oysters should be eaten only in those months whose names contain the letter r.

The tiles are left thus to be washed