344 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



foes, should that protection be withdrawn. Thus, 

 although inwardly chafing at being compelled to dis- 

 gorge a large part of the hard -won lx>oty for which 

 they frequently perilled their lives, they did not dare 

 to withhold the tribute, nor to omit the rich presents 

 which they were in the habit of making to certain 

 influential persons about the archducal court. In re- 

 turn, the ports of Austria on the Adriatic were open 

 to them to build and repair vessels, or obtain supplies 

 of provisions ; every species of indirect assistance was 

 afforded them, and more than once, when some of 

 their number had fallen into the hands of the Vene- 

 tians, their release, as subjects of Austria, had been 

 demanded and obtained by the authorities at Gra- 

 diska. On the other hand, the claims of Venice for 

 satisfaction, when some of her richly laden merchant- 

 ships had been captured or pillaged, were slightly 

 attended to, the applicants put off from day to day, 

 and from year to year, with promises and excuses, 

 until the weak and cowardly republic, seeing that no 

 satisfaction was to be obtained by peaceable means, 

 and being in no state to declare war against her 

 powerful neighbour, usually ended the matter by 

 ceasing to advance claims, the prosecution of which 

 only tended to her further humiliation. 



It was Easter Sunday in the town of Gradiska. 

 The strict religious ceremonies with which the Pas- 

 sion-week was commemorated at the court of the 

 youthful but pious Archduke Ferdinand were at an 



