Page:An Account of Corsica (1769).djvu/78

68 great many rivulets, which serve to enrich the country, and keep it constantly fresh.

It hath been said, that with proper care and expence, some of the Corsican rivers might be rendered navigable; but this, I think, would be a very idle project; for their courses are exceedingly rapid, and when there has been a great deal of rain, the torrents which tumble from the mountains often bring down large fragments of rock, which would dash in pieces any vessels that they should encounter.

There are many mineral springs, both of the hot and cold kind, in different parts of the island, which the inhabitants of the country find to be very efficacious for the cure of most distempers; and people of skill, particularly some French physicians have examined them by, a chymical analysis, and approved of them.

Corsica is extremely well supplied with fish. I never indeed could hear of any other fish in their rivers or fresh water lakes, except trout and eel. These however are found in great plenty, very fat, and of an uncommon size.

But the rich treasure of fish for Corsica, is in its sea; for on all its coasts, there is the greatest variety of all the best kinds, and in particular a fort of ton or sturgeon, and the small fish called