SARDINIA. This large Mediterranean island is well provided with forests ; the best timber is in the mountainous districts. The cork tree grows very large and in great quan tity in the northern part of the island. Timber is very scarce in the plains, and the want of roads prevents the people from making use of that of the mountain forests. Dwarf mulberry-trees grow in abundance. The vine is extensively cultivated, both soil and climate being highly favourable to it ; and though the process of making wine is still very imperfect, Sardinia produces some excellent wines. Malvasia, or Malmsey, and Muscat are both Sardinian wines. There are several extensive olive-grounds, but the oil has not yet been largely exported, although • this branch of commerce is on the increase. Cheese is a great object of rural economy ; it is made chiefly from sheep and goats' milk, and being steeped in brine it has a salt bitter taste. Little butter is made, as the treatment of cows is not well understood, and fodder is scarce. Tobacco is grown in some districts, and is a royal monopoly. Salt is' a monopoly of the government, and a profitable branch of the royal revenue. The salterns are round the gulf of Cagliari, at Oristano, .Terranova, and on the northern coast west of Porto Torres ; they are worked by convicts 'sentenced to the galleys, but the excavation of the mounds and the carriage of the salt is a labour forced on the adjacent.villagers, for which they receive a small compensation. Flax is cultivated to a small extent, and is woven into linen. Wool is coarse, owing to the flocks being neglected, and it is manufactured into coarse cloth for the peasant-Y. A bettor quality of cloth and fine flannel are made of lambs' wool.
The fisheries of Sardinia are very produc tive, especially-the establishments for taking the tunny fish, which are on various parts of the coast. The fishery lasts from April I July. Most of the tunnies weigh from 100 In 300 lbs. ; and all the parts of the fish are turned to account, most •of them being salted. Most of the tunncries are let to foreigners, who ship off the produce to various ports of the Mediterranean, and a compara tively small proportion is used in the island.
There are fisheries of anchovies, sardines, coral, and pearls off the coast. The coral is polished and worked into necklaces, earrings, and other ornaments, at Genoa, Leghorn, Marseille, and Naples. The pearls are of in ferior quality.
Sardinia was noted in ancient times for its mines, which were worked to a great extent, as is attested by vast excavations and remainc of foundries. Gold and silver mines were at one time worked. Mercury, iron, and lead are met with in various parts. In the eastern mountains are found porphyry, basalt, ala baster, and marble. Chalcedonies, jaspers, carneliens, sardonyx, turquoises, and rock crystal, are found in the mountains of the west.
When we speak, in England, of the king of Sardinia, we allude to a kingdom which in cludes much more than the island of that name ; it includes Sardinia, Savoy, Piedmont, Genoa and Nice, all of which are now undo-. one king. The Continental States of the king of Sardinia have several fine carriage roads across the Alps and Apennines, which intersect their Territory. The plains of Pied mont are well supplied with canals, chiefly for the purpose of irrigation. The staple pro ducts for exportation are silk, rice, hemp, wine, and oil. The principal manufactures consist of paper, silks, woollens, linen, glass, and cotton yarn-, The importation of colonial articles and English manufactures takes place chiefly through the port of Genoa. A con siderable'trade is carried on with Switzerland and Germany by the Lego Maggiore and tho road of Mount St. Bernard leading to the Grisons. The commerce of the three prin cipal ports of the Sardinian States, Nice, Genoa, and Cagliari, is illustrated by the fol lowing statement for 1846 : Ships which entered and declared at Vesse.s. Tons. Crews.
Genoa 4692 576,705 39,743 Nice 5192 309,309 32,270 Cagliari 721 70,018 6,711 — — — 10,008 066,022 78,724 The exports of British produce and manu factures to the Sardinian States in 1848, amounted in value to 011,9021.; besides thc produce and manufactures of other countries, The imports from those states into England consist chiefly, (and indeed almost entirely) of silk.