an island of the Mediterranean, separated by a narrow channel from the western coast of Italy. It is situated in long. 10° 9'. 24". E. and lat. 42° 49'. 6. N., and is about seventy English miles in circuit; but the coast is very winding and irregular.
Elba is supposed to have been first peopled by a colony of Etruscans; but it was afterwards occupied by a body of the Greeks who founded Marseilles. It subsequently fell under the dominion of Carthage, and was taken by the Romans during the first Punic war. In the second, Elba supplied iron for naval and military purposes, and was considered as one of the states which had saved the republic. In the contest between Sylla and Marius, the adherents of the latter fled thither for refuge, and Elba became thus involved in prescription and devastation, from the effects of which it never recovered under the Roman dominion. In modern times it became attached to the commercial republic of Pisa, under the auspices of which it rose to a comparatively flourishing state. On the annexation of Pisa to Milan, Elba, with Pianosa, Monte Cristo, Piombino, and other territories, was formed into a little principality, which continued for about two centuries in the hands of Gherardo d'Apiano and his successors; though it was repeatedly occupied as a military station by Charles V. and his ally, the grand duke of Tuscany. Being thus involved in the wars of that monarch with the Porte and the Barbary states, Elba became exposed to the incursions of the Turkish corsairs. It was laid waste with fire and sword, once by Barbarossa, and twice by Dragut, and it has never fully recovered from these ravages. Under Philip III. it fell into the possession of Spain, and that prince ordered the construction of Porto Longo, which proved a barrier against the incursions of the corsairs. Several transferences afterwards took place, the result of which was, that after 1735 the king of Naples had possession of Porto Longo, and the grand duke of Tuscany of Porto Ferrajo. Elba continued in this state till the French revolution, when it first became part of the kingdom of Etruria, and was then annexed to France. It afterwards attracted a remarkable degree of attention by becoming the temporary residence of Napoleon Bonaparte. Upon his second downfall, Elba was ceded to the grand duke of Tuscany.
The island of Elba is entirely filled with mountains, which are formed into three distinct clusters, separated by a valley, which widens as it approaches the sea. The highest are those situated on the western part of the island, the pinnacle of which, called Monte Capanne, rises upwards of 3000 feet above the level of the sea. The greater part of these hills present an arid, rugged, and often ruinous aspect; but a few are embellished with myrtles, laurels, wild olives, and other verdant shrubs. The western part is almost entirely composed of granite, which forms also the basis of the soil in this quarter of the island. Rock crystal abounds, and is often found in large masses, but somewhat injured in its transparency, and, when combined with alum and slate, it produces numerous varieties of calcedony, particularly that called cachalony. The eastern mountains are composed of serpentine and schistus, and abound with aluminous mixtures; but they are chiefly distinguished by the iron which they contain.
Except husbandry, which is wholly that of the spade or the hoe, the chief employment of the inhabitants consists in mining, and iron is the chief article of exchange.
The population in 1778 was estimated at 8000, but it has since risen to 12,000 souls. The Elbese are a race differing in many respects from that which inhabits the continent of Italy. They are well made and robust, and often attain a great age without experiencing ailment or infirmity. They are brave, active, hardy, laborious, and at the same time kind-hearted and hospitable. They are, however, very irritable, and impatient of contradiction. They are almost universally ignorant and credulous, yet have a certain liveliness of imagination, which renders them fond of extravagant and romantic tales. The females are not in general handsome, but to this there are some exceptions; they are generally virtuous, however, and make good wives and mothers.
The principal town is Porto Ferrajo, which contains a population of 3000 souls. The houses are small and inconvenient. Porto Longo is a well-fortified town, with an agreeable and picturesque neighbourhood, and contains 1500 inhabitants. Rio is poor, and is only supported by the great iron mine which is situated in its neighbourhood; its population amounts to about 1800 souls. Other villages and districts are Capo Liveri, Campo, and Mariano.
(Voyage to the Island of Elba, by Arsenne Thiebaut de Berneaud; translated by W. Jordan, Svo, 1814. Tour through the Island of Elba, by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, Bart. 4to, 1814.)