D A L M A T I A. 



565 



Towns. 



Minerals. 



Dalmatia. ductive soil, but by no means in a proper state of cul- 

 "■" '^T mm/ ture. Besides the large rivers now described^ there 

 are many more of considei-able size, on whose banks 

 there is a great deal of beautiful and romantic scenery. 

 There are also several lakes of large extent, and well 

 stored with fish. The principal of these are Vrana, 

 Scardona, Sebenico, Rastoc, Saschero, Desna, Sablachia, 

 and Morino. 



The principal towns of Dalmatia are Zara, Spalatro, 

 Sebenico, and Salona. Of these places, which are on 

 several accounts worthy of notice, some description 

 will be given afterwards. It is remarkable, that so few 

 of the multitude of towns which formerly existed in 

 this country are now to be seen. Not only are their 

 walls and monuments destroyed, but they are absolutely 

 depopulated. This unusual fact is probably to be 

 traced to the contests carried on by the Venetians and 

 Turks ; the former of whom were too feeble to protect 

 their conquests, and the latter at too great a distance 

 to retain them. In consequence of this, nothing but 

 plunder, devastation, and carnage, followed in the train 

 of those wars in which these two powers so long con- 

 tended for the dominion of Dalmatia. 



Dalmatia abounds in marble. It is to be found both 

 white and variegated. Generally it contains the re- 

 mains of vegetable and marine productions ; and some- 

 times it is pervaded by matter of volcanic origin. Its 

 quality is various ; some of it beautiful and excellent, 

 but a great proportion of it false or dull in the colours, 

 full of gravelly particles, harsh therefore under the 

 chissel, and not susceptible of a fine polish. There are 

 masses of gypsum near Scign, and in other places. 

 That which is found near Scign is of a finer quality 

 than that taken from Ancona, which is used at Venice. 

 Many parts of the countiy indicate the existence of 

 volcanoes at a remote period. This is the case parti- 

 cularly at Krin, which is situated in the course of the 

 Cettina, and at Knin, which lies near the source of the 

 Kerka. Marie of the most perfect whiteness is met 

 with in the district of Zara. In the grottos from which 

 the Cettina takes its rise, there is a great quantity of 

 6talactites ; and petrifactions of various kinds abound 

 throughout the whole country. There is a mine of 

 ironstone not far from Scign ; and mines of the same 

 substance are also found in the territory of Knin. In 

 ancient times this country produced a vast quantity of 

 gold. Pliny relates that in the time of Nero it furnish- 

 ed fifty pounds of gold per day ; and Martial gives it 

 the appellation of terra aurifera. Now, however, this 

 metal is never met with ; neither is there any proof of 

 mines of silver and mercury, though that is the com- 

 mon opinion and report among the inhabitants. In the 

 island of Bua there is an extensive mine of asphaltes. 



Dalmatia is a rich, entertaining, and instructive field 

 for the antiquarian. Of the many objects which de- 

 serve his attention, are the triumphal arch at Pola, call- 

 ed Porta Aurea ; the amphitheatre and temple at the 

 same place ; the palace of Dioclesian, &c. at Spalatro ; 

 the walls of Asseria or Podgrage ; and the ruins of Sa- 

 lona. 



The islands on the coast of Dalmatia are extremely 

 numerous: Lis.ia, which is about thirty miles in circum- 

 ference, and has a temperate climate, some fertile val- 

 lies, and a good fishing coast ; Pelagosa, which is com- 

 posed of lava, is subject to frequent earthquakes, and 

 has all the appearance of being recently produced by 

 a volcano ; Lesina, which is 44 miles long, and 8 at its 

 greatest breadth, rocky and sterile in the heights, but 

 covered with corn and fruit trees on its coasts, and better 



Antiqui 

 ties. 



Islands. 



peopled than any other of the Dalmatian isles ; Brazza, Dalmatia. 

 which is 32 miles in length, and not more than 9 in s ~~~y~- 

 breadth, is rough and mountainous, produces wine, 

 however, and cattle, but is liable to be parched ; Ulbo and 

 Selva, which are well inhabited, have plenty of cattle, 

 but want good water, and produce little corn ; Uglian, 

 which would be productive if the inhabitants had suf- 

 ficient skill, and if, like almost all the other islands in 

 that quarter, it were not deficient in water ; Arba, which 

 is 30 miles in circumference, contains about 3000 inha- 

 bitants, and produces sheep, grapes, olives, and some 

 corn ; Zuri, &c. &c. 



The people of Dalmatia may be divided into three inhabi- 

 classes : those who reside in the towns on the coast ; tints, 

 those who live wild on the mountains ; and those who 

 inhabit partly the mountains and partly the vallies. The 

 first class are properly Italians. They have all the Italians, 

 characteristics of that people. They speak the same 

 language. Their religion, manners, and customs, are 

 the same. They are distinguished by the same habitu- 

 al politeness, the same innate servility, the same irre- 

 soluteness and timidity, the same want of every thing 

 great and patriotic, the same love of intrigue, duplicity, 

 cabal, and superstition. In short, they exhibit all those 

 features of littleness and degradation, which usually 

 mark a people, who, though originally virtuous and 

 mighty, have first become enervated by corruption, and 

 then being subdued by foreign powers, have added all 

 the evils of national slavery to those of luxury and licen- 

 tiousness. They are just what we have been taught to 

 consider the Romans in the last period of their dege- 

 neracy. 



The second class consists of a small but growing num- Haiduck' 

 ber of miserable beings denominated Haiducks. These 

 are not to be regarded as a distinct nation, according to 

 the opinion of some writers. The word haiduck sig- 

 nifies originally the chief of a party or a family. In Dal- 

 matia, it is employed to designate a criminal, fugitive, 

 assassin, or highway robber ; and, in fact, the Haiducks 

 are of this very description. They live like wild beasts 

 in the caves and forests of the mountains, exposed t» 

 all the rigours of the seasons ; wandering amidst preci- 

 pices that are almost inaccessible ; clambering from 

 rock to rock, that they may discover their prey at a 

 distance ; carrying off oxen and sheep, to feast upon 

 their flesh, and make shoes of their skins; breaking 

 into shepherd's huts, and taking by force whatever they 

 need ; and sometimes so urged by hunger and necessi- 

 ty, that a party of four will not only attack, but over- 

 come and pillage a caravan of fifteen or twenty Turks. 

 Against the Turks they have a native inveterate hos- 

 tility, which they take every opportunity of gratifying. 

 Religious zeal, inflamed by the language of their eccle- 

 siastics, increases the hatred which, from various other 

 causes, they bear against that people. A Haiduck thinks 

 himself a man of great consequence, when he has suc- 

 ceeded in shedding the blood of an Infidel. The Hai- 

 ducks, savage as they are, have some of those traits of 

 generosity which are generally found among tribes in 

 the same stage of society. Travellers are liable to be 

 attacked and plundered by them ; but they are faith- 

 ful to every traveller who has the prudence and the 

 courage to put himself under their protection, and trust 

 to their fidelity. In this case they are never known to 

 deceive. It is surprising, that the Haiducks are so for- 

 bearing to the people in the maritime parts of the coun- 

 try, whom they look on as the author of all their cala- 

 mities and misfortunes. Another shade of ferocity ad- 

 ded to their character, an augmentation of their nura- 



