would expect in so southern a latitude, owing to the rocky foil of the country, to the perpetual currents of fresh air through its valleys, and to the temperature that proceeds from some of its mountains being half of the year in snow; and this is also one great cause of the salubrity of the climate, in which Corsica has much the advantage of Sardinia.
The Ilex, or ever-green oak, is very common here, and gives the country a cheerful look even in the depth of winter. The lemon, the orange, the fig and the almond trees, are also frequent. There are, however, few walnut trees, and the apple, pear, plumb and cherry are not remarkably good, which is probably owing to no care being taken of them. Corsica has the pomegranate in great perfection, also the Indian fig and the aloe; which last is said to flower here, as well as in the East.
The Corsican mountains are covered with the arbutus or strawberry tree, which gives a rich glowing appearance as far as the eye can reach. Indeed the island is very like the country which Virgil describes as the feat of rural felicity:
Glande fues laeti redeunt, dant arbuta sylvae:
Et varios ponit foetus autumnus et alte
Witis in apricis coquitur vindemia faxis.
