12 Vegetation of Dalmatia. 



rnissioner of police, both assiduous collectors, who have diligently 

 explored the environs. The first gives gratuitous lessons in 

 botany, out of pure love to his favourite science. At Pago is 

 the d"istrict physician, Dr. Cariboni. At Trau are M. Von 

 Garagnini, a private individual, who occupies himself with the 

 cultivation of forest plants; and Dr. Biasoletto, from Trieste, tra- 

 vel led through Dalmatia last spring, and made many interest- 

 ing discoveries. For myself, I can assert that, during my long 

 residence, and in frequent journeys through this interesting 

 country, I have neglected no opportunity of gaining possession 

 of every thing that could be useful to its flora, as far as my 

 safety permitted me to visit places which had never before been 

 trodden by any botanist ; and I also carefully cultivate all the 

 plants of interest in my garden, so that I am able to make more 

 precise observations upon them. What I regi'et is, the total 

 separation from all advancement of science in the rest of the 

 world, in which I am compelled to live; for there are no means 

 of procuring books in this wilderness, as there are no roads or 

 stage coaches in this secluded corner of the earth, and sea 

 communication is slow and insecure. I must mention another 

 class of botanists whom the traveller should not neglect : these 

 are the wild Morlachens themselves. Like all savages, they live 

 in the open air, and are more attentive observers of nature than 

 would be imagined. They give their own names to the plants ; 

 and, if rewarded for their exertions, they are active collectors. 

 An old pandur in Macarsca, who had accompanied Porten- 

 schlag, in 1818, to the summit of the Biocovo, recollected, this 

 summer, all the stations of the interesting plants collected by 

 him, and knew where to find them again. It is sufficient to 

 show to a Moi'lachen a dried specimen of a plant, or to give him 

 a distinct description of it, and he is sure to procure it. Many 

 collectors have employed this means of obtaining specimens 

 with ease and safety, particularly in the Cattarese district, which 

 can only be visited with a strong escort. 



It has often happened to me, in my solitary wanderings, to 

 find myself surrounded by obliging Morlachens, who, curious 

 by disposition, no sooner guessed the object of my journey, than 

 they offered me their services, and brought me their caps filled 

 with flowers, locusts, butterflies, or spiders (the insects, to be 

 sure, were in a deplorable condition) ; or they dug up living 

 plants for me, or assisted me in finding lizards or serpents; and 

 they were perfectly aware if they were venomous or not. But 

 one must expect a host of questions ; and these people, who are 

 very superstitious, relate anecdotes of all the insects they have 

 found ; of people bitten by snakes, &c. ; and one has great 

 difficulty in ridding oneself of their company. The best means is 

 to give them tobacco or gunpowder. Here, as indeed every 



