Observations on some parts of European Turliey, 189 



robberies are the more horrible, from the circumstance that the 

 robbers always carry away with them, the heads of their victims, 

 in order to serve as a trophy and obtain a remuneration from 

 their bishop or chief. This latter personage often pays reluc- 

 tantly, and offers remonstrances ; but all to no purpose, as his 

 power is limited. The Pasha of Scutari is also obliged to 

 reward those who bring him heads from Montenegro, a thing 

 which happens almost every day. The only vineyards in 

 Montenegro are those near the Lake of Scutari, along the 

 Moratscha (Moracca of maps), and near Bielopavltzi. 



The cretaceous system forms all the hills around Scutari ; 

 the lake of which contains some rocky islands of limestone. 

 The Scutari basin is so much protected from the northern 

 winds, that the heat is very oppressive during summer ; but 

 the climate is, on this account, favourable for the growth of 

 Mediterranean plants, such as the pomegranate and orange 

 tree. The olive tree also occurs there ; but its true native 

 country commences more to the south at Durazzo. Owing to 

 the quantity of stagnant water, fevers are common in Scutari 

 during summer. 



At Scale, on the Drin, the cretaceous limestone is compact, 

 apparently without fossils, and of a yellow or greyish white 

 colour. Similar characters are observable in the limestone 

 forming the hills east of Scutari. At the base of these hills 

 there are numerous villages and vineyards, whose green tint 

 forms a strong contrast to the grey barren rocks. To the east 

 of Alessio, the same limestone forms conical hills like those of 

 Antivari, north of Scutari. More to the south, they extend 

 east of Durazzo to Berat. The acroceraunian or chimerian 

 chain, with its sandstones, belongs to the same formation, which 

 probably crosses over to the Ionian isles, and along the coast 

 to Prevesa. These mountains exhibit frequent examples of 

 natural fires, similar to that of the pietra mala in the Appe- 

 nines. The limestone ridges around Janina appear to be older, 

 and analogous to those of the Pindus and the Tschar. 



Large springs, issuing like rivers out of the rock, occur in 

 this formation, as in the older limestone districts. In Monte- 

 negro, the Czernojevich issues as a river from the chalk at the 

 distance of one and a half leagues north of the Lake of Scutari. 



