CATARACTS, AND INUNDATION*. 237 



this effort, accompanied by the Bishop of Derry, afterwards Earl of 

 Bristol, and it appeared to them at the time to be altogether illu- 

 sory. 



Cherso is a fruitful island, at one time belonging to the Venetians, 

 and which was once much more considerable than at present ; here 

 stood an ancient temple to Diana, which formerly gave name to the 

 island, and is noticed by Apollonius of Rhodes. It is situated in a 

 gulf, formed by the south-eastern coast of Istria with ihe shores of 

 Croatia and Dalmatia, latitude 45 10' north. On this island is no 

 river, but a lake which possesses very singular properties ; it is called 

 Jessero, analogous to Jezoro, a word still used by the Poles to ex- 

 press a lake or standing pool. The water is not always constant in 

 its confines; somethnes it leaves "a part dry for three or four years, 

 and then rises again ; at other times it rises above its usual level, 

 and after a certain time forsakes the usurped ground *, The pro- 

 prietors of the contiguous lands sow them, when free of the water, 

 and know how to take their measures by observing the ordinary pe- 

 riods. The first year they sow maize, or Indian corn, which yields 

 no great crop, on account of the weeds that spring up with the grain, 

 and which are not then to be extirpated, but the two or three sub- 

 sequent years they have very plentiful crops by sowing wheat. The 

 fifth year they forbear to sow, expecting the rising of the waters, 

 which seldom fails to happen. In this lake are pikes of above thirty 

 .pounds weight, with tenches, eels, and other fresh-water fish of ex- 

 quisite tuste. 



VENICE, the capital and formerly seat of government of the 

 republic of that name, is situated in 45 26' north latitude, and 

 in 12 4' east longitude from Greenwich, and from its Laguna 

 is entitled to a notice in the present place. It makes a very 

 noble appearance at a distance, seeming, from its being built 

 on a multitude of very small islands, to float on the sea, or 

 rather, with its stately buildings and steeples, to rise out of it. 

 The number of these islands still remains uncertain, some reckon- 

 ing sixty, others seventy-two, and others again asserting that they 

 amount to one hundred and thirty-eight; but the latter must 

 comprehend in their calculation all those places that have been 



See for a similar phenomenon the description of lake Quirknizen, Sect, 

 it. 0. of the present chapter. 



