48 



CROATIA. 



M.iJ.c-. 



£ake& 



Mines. 



vfhieh the plain ofTuroposia, so famous for its privileges, 

 forms a part. 



The principal rivers of Croatia are the Save and the 

 Drave, the former of which has its source in the Alps of 

 Carniola, and the other in the Tyrol; and are both na- 

 vigable. Tiie rest take their rise in the country, and 

 emptj their waters into these rivers, or lose themselves 

 in 1 he cavities of the mountains : except the Zermania 

 and the Reka, which, after a snort course, fall into the 

 Adriatic. Of these the Unna and the Culpa only are na- 

 vigable. The Unna rises at the foot of mount Chemer- 

 nicza near Szuha, and has such an abun lant supply of 

 water, that it is navigable almost the whole length of its 

 course. The Culpa springs from mount Szegina, and cros- 

 sing Croatia from east to west, passes into the Save near 

 Sziszeg. Such as have their springs in the mountainous 

 regions, present at once deep and rapid torrents, which 

 rush with impetuosity through the narrow clefts of the 

 rocks- and some of them form magnificent cascades, 

 particularly the Siuinchieza, which has 43 beautiful falls, 

 jetting in motion an equal number of mills. Many of 

 these rivers, when swelled by the rains, or by the melt- 

 ing of the snow, overflow their banks, and spread their 

 waters over the country. The valleys are then converted 

 into lakes ; and, the subterraneous canals being fre- 

 quently choked up with mud, it is often long before the 

 waters can force a new passage for their escape. Con- 

 siderable damage is annually sustained by these inunda- 

 tions, particularly in the military district of Carlstadt, 

 the country of Dubitza, and in the neighbourhood of the 

 Drave ; and to them must be attributed the formation 

 of the immense marshes which are to be found in many 

 parts of the country. The marsh near - the village of and Kapella, and indeed throughout the whole western 

 Ternowacz extends over SGl acres; and that of Che- division of the country, except in the vicinity of the sea, 

 memicza, in the district of the regiment of Kreutz, covers the snow generally lies for eight or nine months ; and in 

 about 10,000. There was formerly another in the same the narrow defiles on the heights, it sometimes continues 

 district of 8000 acres in extent, which has been com- the .whole } r ear. The most prevailing winds are the 

 pletely drained by the exertions of the Archbishop of north; north-east, south, and south-west. Those which 

 Agram. Of the lakes in Croatia, those of Plitzvicza, on blow from the continent are dry, but those which come 



which that of Esuber is the most considerable, and it Crania, 

 produces only about 1000 quintals of iron annually. It-—- *~\ — ** 

 is said that, there were formerly mines of silver at Stre- 

 bcrniak and near Novi, but no attempt has been made to- 

 recover them. Some gold is gathered by the peasants 

 in the bed of the Drave, between Mahrburg and Dernje, 

 for which they receive from the king three florins twenty- 

 four kreutzers for every ducat weight. The quantity 

 produced in this way amounts annually, upon an ave- 

 rage, to from 15,000 to 18,000 ducats. ' Salt, blue and 

 green vitriol, coals, and sulphur, are also found in Croatia : 

 and quarries of beautiful marble abound in different part* 

 of the country. AIT the bridges and parapet walls on the 

 Caroline road are built of marble, and also many of the 

 houses in Fiume, Zeng, and Porto Re. 



Of the mineral waters of Croatia, the most frequented Miireral 

 are those of Jamnicza and Laszina, the one on the left, waters, 

 and the other on the right bank of the Culpa ; and of its 

 hot wells, that of Tceplicza, which was known to the Ro- 

 mans, has the highest temperature, being 4.0' of Reau-i 

 mur. The only salt spring at present known in this 

 country issues from a rock near the village of Szlana ; 

 and fifteen pounds of its water contains three drams of 

 common salt. 



The climate of Croatia is very unequal, and is not to Climate. 

 be measured by its geographical position, but depends 

 entiiely upon its relative situation with respect to the 

 Adriatic, the Alps of Carniola, or upon the elevation of 

 the country ; while, on the coast, the thermometer of 

 Reaumur stands at 17 degrees in other places, it will 

 scarcely'exceed 8 or 9 at most. In the militaiy district 

 of Carlstadt, on the mountains of Wellcbit, Plissivicza 



the heights of the Little Kapella, are most deserving of 

 notice. They are eight in number, and communicate 

 with one another by immense cascades, which has a very 

 beautiful and striking appearance. Two of them are 

 surrounded by steep and rugged rocks, which render 

 them completely inaccessible ; and they can only be 

 viewed from the top of the precipice, from which it is 

 fearful to look so low. Notwithstanding, however, this 

 profusion of water, and the frequent inundations to which 

 this country is subject, it is very remarkable that the in- 

 habitants are sometimes exposed to all the inconvenien- 

 cies of severe drought. During a dry season the springs 

 are exhausted ; the beds of the torrents are empty ; and 

 water for the common purposes of life is often brought 

 from a distance of nearly four or five leagues. 

 - Croatia contains several valuable mines of iron, cop- 

 per, and lead; but most of them are entirely neglected, 

 and none of them are wrought with any degree of spirit, 

 though there are immense forests in their neighbour- 

 hood and of no other use, the only mines, at present 

 wrought, are the copper mines of Szamabor, whose 

 iinnual produce is about 2000 quintals; and the iron 

 mines of Esuber, Brod, Mrslavodicza, and Kossna; of 



from the sea are almost always accompanied with rain ; 

 and it is no uncommon circumstance on the coast, to 

 have six months of wind and rain, and a severe drought 

 the rest of the year. The north-east wind is here most 

 piercing and violent; and during winter often rises into 

 furious storms, which devastate the whole country.* 

 The only spot in this district which is free from its ra- 

 vages is the narrow plain of Zermania in the regiment of 

 Licca, which, being sheltered by the mountains, enjoys 

 a temperature equal to that of Italy, and produces all the 

 fruits peculiar to that climate. 



Though Croatia presents several beautiful and well 

 cultivated valleys, }'et it may, in general, be considered 

 as a barren and ungrateful country. The soil partakes 

 much of the diversity of the climate. In the mountain- 

 ous regions, except in a very few spots, it is stony and 

 perfectly sterile; and towards the sea, one sees nothing 

 but naked rocks, despoiled of every particle of vegetable 

 earth by the impetuosity of the winds. The lands, how- 

 ever, which are situated in the, north and east, and are 

 watered by the Drave, the Save, the Culpa, and the 

 Unna, are more fertile. They are enriched by the mud- 

 which is deposited during the inundation of these rivers; 



Soil. 



* " II est difficile," pays Hacquet, " sans l'avoir connu par sa propre experience de se figurer combien ces vents tcrribles du nord- 

 c-st sont dangereux, particulierement sur les cotes : tantdt its precipitent irresitiblement dans les Mots de la mer Ies homines, et les 

 quadrnpedes, tantot ils les jettent cpntre des rochers. Beaucoup de personnes perissent aussi par une grele de gros cailloux, que 1'im- 

 pvtuosite de J'air souleve comme des morccaux de paille. Ce vent, qu'on appelle la bora, 'est accompagne d'un froid si penetrant, 

 qn'il devient mortel aux persor.nes qui en sont atteintes e:i pleine campagne." 



