Читать книгу The Totall Discourse of the Rare Adventures & Painefull Peregrinations. The Long Nineteene Yeares Travayles from Scotland to the most famous Kingdomes in Europe, Asia and Affrica онлайн

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The windes favouring us, we weighed Ankors, and sayled by the Iles Brioni, so much esteemed, for the fine stones they produce, called Istriennes: which serve to beautifie the Venetian Palaces. About midday I saw Mount di Caldaro, on the foote of which, the auncient City of Pola is situated, having a harbour wherein small shippes may lie. True it is, this Port is not much frequented, in respect of a contageous Lake neare to it, which infecteth the ayre with a filthy exhalation. I saw hard by this place, the ruines of the Castell di Oriando, the Arke Triumphant, and the reliques of a great Amphitheatre. This Pola was called by Pliny, Julia pietas; and it standeth in the South-east part of Istria. Continuing our course, we passed the perillous gulfe of Carnaro.

This gulfe or bay of Carnaro, runneth in North, and by East 50. miles within land, at the narrow entry [II. 46.]whereof, it hath a part of Istria on the West, and the Dalmatia on the East: The Venetians use to keepe alwayes certaine Gallies at the mouth of this bay, on the Dalmatian side, to intercept the cursary of the Scoks: In the bottome of this Carnarian gulfe are placed Senna, Gradisca, and Novagard, the chiefe Cities of Croatia: the people which inhabit these Townes, and the adjoyning Countrey are called Scoks, a kind of Dalmatians, being of a robust nature, courageous and desperate: Their weapons are broad two handed swords, long Skenes, carrying targets at their girdles, and long Gunnes in their hands: They are marveilous swift on foote, and dayly annoy by land their neighbouring Turkes with inrodes, fetching away great spoyles and booties, of The Scoks live under the house of Austria.cornes, cattell and horses: And by Sea with Frigots and Brigantines did ever and often vexe the Venetian commerce, in their owne domesticke waters: The great losses which from these incursive people the Venetians had from time to time received, and the other dammages they inflicted upon the Turkes in their trafficking with Venice, for whom the Venetians are bound by former articles of peace, to keepe harmelesse within their owne gulfe from all Christian invasions, was the onely and urgent cause that moved the Venetians to wage warre with Ferdinando then Duke of Grasse, and now Emperour, Anno Domini, 1616. And besieged Gradisca to their no small disadvantage, both of charges and losse of men: For the towne being strongly fortified with walles and munition, and 2000. Scoks within to defend it, would often at the neare approaching of the enemy make a salley forth on horse and foote, giving many miserable overthrowes to the Assailants: To the which detriments, for twenty dayes space I was a testator, being after my returne from Affricke in my second travels, as [II. 47.]I was going for Hungary, Moldavia, Valecchia and Transilvania, taking this countrey in my way: And one morning at the breake of day, I saw 800. Scoks issuing out of towne, make bloudy havocke of 3000. of the Venetian army: Croatia.This part of Croatia is exceeding fertile, abounding in cornes, wines, bestiall and pastorage, though then by lawlesse, and turbulent souldiers, it was miserable defaced.