T he archives o f the community o f Arbe contain fome aacient-
papers that are truly valuable, and they are ibept with great jea- >
lo u fy ; ' by them it appears,^ that, itvthe^levenih century,?; gold
and filk were not rare among the inhabitants. ] Arbe was fubjeil
to the kings of Hungary, afterwards' it became dependant on
Venetian feudatdrie's, and; at laflr,’ - was taken under the immediate
dominion'of the moft ferdnei republick, by which a governor
is appbihfediiibedaWtke tifle^f^eaunt’an&captain j that
dignitywa’s-held, Whet? Twds; there,s ;wiitbi<gre3,t honour, refti--
tade, ahdjafffleni:'d,?l-by®gh0r'T6fhttinfbfBaroz.2i, owh.o wis: e~-
q-ually beloved and refpected by the inHsbitanflSi> .-'The nnmher
o f people cm the iflahd-HbeS not much exceed <thrbe«thoufand f<aillsT:
diftributed in a few psfffhesi51 'Which tdightv b e ’dfbeiatedrbyha':
fmall number o f priefts. Y e t, through a monftrous inconfiftency.
that falls very heavy on the poor inhabitants, they ha,ve to man-
tain no lefs than three convents o f friars, and as many o f nuns,
befides the toafiderable charge o f mear .fixty-jprifiils, wb9 hj&vyw
very feanty 'providon’j ¡This numerous 'dergyc.isagdiyirppd.rby;
Monjignore GiannaKtonio D a li' OJiia, a very learned and worthy
prelate', adorned with’all the: good qualities, .jand fooial. virtues,
that conftitute a trueand fefpedtable philofopher.,
■ The cMmate o f Arbe is nesie o f the ihappiefhj ( A®, wintpr fea-
Ibn is horrid, efpecially when, agitated by? the violent, northerly
winds, whichToxaetiines transform the intermediate fpaipqs into
winter, andcanfe the lhmmeriitfel£t<^.i#fapjteph;.Tiiefe,furious,
winds do great damage tp the iilandj.i particularly; in the winter
and fpring. Two- years ago, about twelve thoufand iheep periili-
ed in one night, o f cold, in the common pa (lures o f the mountain
t. where, according to the cuilom over all Dalmatia, they are
left in the open ait the whole year round. The fait fog .raifed
.... . . by
by the dreadful commotion o f the waves, which often roars,
between ’the mountain o f Arbeland the oppoiltc alps, in the narrow
channel o f Mcrlaeca, 'confjmes all • jhedtdds .¡pfythe plants,
and corn, i f it happens , to be .drove upon the iilaiul .by the wind;
and it is ’followed by a cruel, fcarci ty o f every kind,, o f produit.
This calamity communicates its baneful iniluence even to the
fefh o f the animals 1 c ft on 111 c pafiuresp.that beco mes, ill-tailcc],
in conieqrvence!of ?the:birtf€FiKf£ìj nfd?bfadr’Upuprbmelit .o f . the
;fcod. • iAftt^ing vfrpniitbefet4fSfgièift^6i^»i#é.PÎÇd'iÈW^f
healthful, ;’nor .OughrthéfcCQnflant.fnpamenjfevei-fJainpngr,thetin:T,j
habitants to be attributed' to-? its inf|^np;Çpi;,a^,they. nro, ’
probably,: derived from upvyhoksfome food,; and a Imtâ ..of life
differing little from that; o f the liott&irtots. , , ,0 .., boindiifliiCrâjnefliÎhêani^
iïo'tilhém s<ioŸ ' Vaflenq ^oltddinwn Ilsrriì
The appearance o f the ifland is exceedingly pleafant, nor do I
know another in Dalmatia, that, in this.refpe®, .pan ;b>? compared
to it. On theveaft it basta very, high : tnqfln,^ini ;;;Qf;tthe;
iaihe‘ fttbflâ'nee: as ‘the Morlacca, : o f whifch it- was. 1 pnpe fa -fpart.,
A t’ the Yóòt' of'titis*inountain, the reitof. the ifland’ is extended
to !tWé weftward, and divided into; beautiful, and fruitful plains,
mterfperfed with little hills,- fit to bear the. rjchfift produits,,, A i :
'flie extremity, that looks, to the north, a delightful promontory,
1ËÉ® Eòp&rd^tftreftbswmto the fea-y: it isf-rtolwncdi.W'iihdigrle
:hilfij; ’wHich':alfnbit'1juite ¿ncibfid aififle”ctiltivatpd pMniof.hiear;]:
th ii1 pfortiohtdfy àie the twô ‘fnidtl' iiiandsrof'ïS'.'Gregorio,?,and?
CiMi, ^erVu&ful tSîih'ëpherds'and’flÎher«.’ t^hé'coaft-of Aaihéy,’
ffiâiiWcës^lh'è-’MbfWfcea'fi^ufitaiftê,RÉ qbite.dteep.nand inaccetb,
dbìé;7 f!àhd'ihè' i^ahhëP b'etX^ô'en: them'isrfôctremélÿ dange^M;..
being exjkifetP to’YuriouS -winds; randcwithoutf a fingi« port ¡oli.
either fide': The lotìg,’ and-narrow ifland o f Dolin, lying.para!«
lèi to’ theiilàtìd # Arb%,.nlong>ihei.Ooaft of Barbada,-forms a
Y y 2 channel