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(once in vogue) o f Browallius, and others, -that the apparent rife
o f the waters, is to be deduced from the fubfidence o f the land.
The Venetians ar'e: particularly enabled to judge o f the reafon-
ablenefs' o f this fyftem, by comparing and examining the changes
in and about'their city.
O f the City and Dijiriib o f N ona.
The ruins’ pf Nopa, which ought to furnifh abundant materials,
to gratify the curiolity o f antiquaries, are fo buried, by
repeated devastations, to which that unhappy city has been expofed,
that rarely any veitige o f them appears aboveground.
I went thither, in hopes of finding Something worthy o f notice,
but was difappointed. Nothing is to be feen, that indicates
the grandeur o f the Roman times ; neither are there any
remains o f barbarous magnificence, to put one in mind o f
the ages in which the kings p f the Croat Slavi, had their refi-
denee there. It lies on a final 1 ifland, Surrounded by a harbour,
which, in former times, was capable o f receiving large ihips;
but is now become a fetid pool, by means o f a little muddy
river that falls into it, after a eourfe o f about fix miles, thro’
the rich abandoned fields o f that diftridt. The ancient inhabitants,
turned this water into-another channel, and made it run
through the valley o f Drafnich, into the fea; and the remains
o f the bank railed by them for that purpofe, are ftill to be feen.
Notwithstanding, however, the depopulation o f this diftridt,
and the dreary, Situation o f Nona in. particular, the new inhabitants
have not loft courage; and animated by the privileges
granted to them by this molt ferene republick, are endeavouring
to bring the population and agriculture once more into a flourishing
Slate, Proper drains for the water, would not only render
der that rich territory habitable, but moreover very fertile; and
the brackiSh marfh, that Surrounds the walls o f Nona, is well
calculated to fupply a confiderable quantity o f fifli, efpecially
eels. The government, generoufly granted the inveftiture to
private perfons, who. already draw no inconliderable advantage
from the fiihing; and did they but adopt better, methods, they
might every year, fait many thoufands. o f eels, which would
greatly anfwer our internal commerce,, and fave, at leaft, a part
o f the money, that goes out o f the country for foreign fait fiih.
T o the left o f the city o f Nona, the walls o f fome ancient ruinous
buildings appear; which probably in ancient times,, were Situated
on the main land, though now furrounded.by water. The
fea forms a narrow channel in this place, which is eafily fordable,
and,, at low water, the ftnalleft boat can fcarcely pafs. The
neighbouring village, corruptly called by the Morlauhi, its inhabitants,
Privlaca, and by thofe o f Zara, Bremlacqua, Seems
to have taken its name from the ford, which the Latins ufed
to call brevia aqua. This divides the diftridt o f Nona, from,
the contiguous ifland o f Punfadura. The coaft o f Br-evilacqua
is very high, and cut perpendicularly in: fuch a manner, as
difcovers very diftindtly the various Strata o f the fubftance, whereo
f they are compofed. Thefe Strata, are moftly fandy or gravelly,
and. feem manifestly the depositions o f fome ancient
river, which is now no longer feen. Some o f thefe Strata, and
efpecially the lowell, by the filtration o f the water, are hardened
into Stone, forming pieces of trunks as it were, o f OJieo-
eolla, perpendicularly ranged together. In fome parts o f this
coaft, juft above the furface of the water, the marble appears,
that forms the bafe o f the fluviatile ftrata. T he fame kind of
marble is alfo feen, further within land, and probably formed
prominences, before the lower lands were filled up, and levelled