MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



475 



two senators are still deputed from 

 Raj^usa to Constantinople to re- 

 new the friendship. 



In the above-mentioned treaty 

 it was stipulated, that theRaguse- 

 ans should pay the Grand Seignior 

 an annual tribute ; in consideration 

 of which, they have the exclusive 

 privilegeof selling saltin the Turk- 

 ish dominions. 



Ragiisa produces very little in it- 

 self for the purpose of trade, ex- 

 cept a small quantity of oil ; the 

 salt which they sell to the Turks is 

 partly found in the peninsula of 

 Stagn (part of their territory), but 

 principally imported from Sicily 

 and Sardinia; wool, wax, iron, 

 hides, leather, &c. are brought by 

 land carriage from Turkey, and 

 exported from Ragusa to Venice, 

 Ancona, Apulia, Trieste, &c. : 

 they import linen and woollen 

 cloth from Trieste and Leghorn, 

 timber for ship-building from Al- 

 bania, ma!-ts from Istria, hemp 

 and flax from Ancona, pitch and 

 tar from Venetian Dalmatia, &c. ; 

 their country produces fir-timber, 

 but very little fit for ship-buildiirg, 

 and no iron, flax, or hemp — Their 

 principal wealth and support ari- 

 ses from their shipping, which is 

 not only sufficient for all the pur- 

 poses of their own trade ; but also 

 enables them to act as general car- 

 riers for other nations almost all 

 over the Mediterranean, and some- 

 times they are freighted beyond 

 the straits of Gibraltar to Portugal, 

 England, &c. 



The whole state contains about 

 2G0 merchantmeu of 100 to GOO 

 tons each, besides several smaller 

 vessels which are employed in the 

 coasting trade of the Adriatic, and 

 they have in all about 5,000 sea- 

 men. The ships carry guns for 



their own defence, and have the 

 Grand Seignior's firman to protect 

 them from the Barbarian cruizers. 



It is a law in this country that 

 no ship shall be absent from home 

 more than 3j years at one time, 

 for which purpose passports are 

 granted by the government for 

 that period; and when a ship re- 

 turns from such a campaign (as it 

 is called) if she is not ireighted 

 back to some part of the Adriatic, 

 she is obliged to bring a cargo of 

 salt home to Ragusa : when a 

 captain outstays his time, or fails 

 in any of these particulars, he is, 

 on his return home, tried by the 

 overseers of navigation, and, if 

 found guilty of any criminal neg- 

 ligence, is punished by a fine or 

 imprisonment. 



They have no political connex- 

 ion with the Venetians ; neither 

 pay them tribute, nor receive pro- 

 tection from thenr^, nor have they 

 done it in the captain's memory, or 

 at any former period, to his know- 

 ledge, being two rival powers in 

 maritime affairs, whose interests 

 are toodiscordant to admit of much 

 friendship, and occasion some de- 

 gree of jealousy ; but when the 

 generalissimo of the Venetian gal- 

 leys enters the port of Ragusa 

 (through contrai^ winds, &c.) the 

 senate render him some degree of 

 homage as master of the Adriatic. 



The whole country of Ragusa 

 and all its dependencies do not con- 

 tain more than 60,000 inhabitants : 

 its civil government is aristocra- 

 tical ; both legislative and execu- 

 tive power being vested in the 

 senate, which consists of about 50 

 families of nobles, who are for- 

 bidden to intermarry with the 

 commonalty. 



These senators choose from 



