ipontaneoufly to any princej but they are now almoft all loft,
through the decay o f population. Yet in this place, where
every thing that contributes to the pleafure o f life is wanting,
the archdeacon Sovich lives contented with a philofophical mediocrity.
He is a man diftinguifhed for true piety, as well as
for bis profound knowledge of the ancient Illyric tongue, and ¡his
cordial hofpitality.
LoJJin Grande, called Lojjinium in the records o f the middle times,
/lands on that part o f the iiland which has the name o f Ofero,
towards the fouthern extremity : it contains about fifteen hundred
inhabitants, among whom are many commanders of (hips.
T he houfes are fufficiently well built. They diflil a quantity
o f ilrong liquors, which are little or nothing inferiour to the
heft in Dalmatia,
LoJJin Picciolo, a few miles diftant, is built on the curvature
■of a hill which forms a very narrow ifthmus. The houfes lie
towards the fouth eaft, around the harbour called the valley of
Augujlus, from an old tradition, that that emperor wintered
there with his fleet. They form a very agreeable amphitheatre
from the top to the bottom o f that half-moon. Every houfe
has- its little garden, where the odour and verdure of the orange
•trees continue the whole year round. This alternation o f houfes
and verdure revived the idea, which, by reading the travels of
the celebrated Andrea Navagero, in Spain, I had conceived of
the Morefque habitations, which,, when that gentleman went
Ambaflador, were not altogether deftroyed in that kingdom.
T he inhabitants o f LoJJtn Ptcciolo amount to about feventeen
hundred. They cultivate their little hills with fome degree of
induftry, though in that refpeil, they are far inferior to the inhabitants
habitants o f Cherfo. Many o f the inhabitants are employed ia
the fiihing, and at fea. The women are extremely robuft, and
accuftomed to carry very heavy burdens on their head, as well up
hill as down.
The people of this country are generally quite the contrary o f
cleanly,- and the children particularly are quite luathfome. The
fmall pox did great deftrudtion not long ago, and the marks
that remain on a great number o f perfons, have deformed them
in an unufual manner. We thought the- inhabitants o f LoJJih
Picciolo were no great lovers o f ftrangers; and this is perhaps the
effeft of a habit o f thinking of gain on every occafion. The want
of hofpitality is the general defedt o f commercial countries, as-
on the contrary, the mod generous and cordial hofpitality is
pradtifed by nations deprived o f commerce. The iiland, at this
place, is not a' mile in breadth. At the eaft end o f it, there is-
a church o f ¡S'. Martino,, which has a good pidture on the great-
altar.
Lubinice and Caifole, are at prefent villages o f little confidera>
tion, though they were more remarkable in paft ages. Theyh
a v e . t w o 'collegiate churches officiated in the Illyric language.
Caifole muft have been a place o f importance in the time o f 27-
berius, as various infcriptions are found there, and fome of them-
illuftriousv It is p r o b a b l e there have been many more which are
n-ow buriedunder the rubbifh. It would be to little purpofe to
take notice o f the other villages-fcattered over the iiland. In
thefe, a poor prieft, learned in proportion to his riches, diredls
the fpiritual concerns o f a meager, ftupid flock- o f ugly, poor,
lazy people. The churches are miferable and ill kept, nor could
they well be diftinguifhed' from ftables, - i f they, had not a kind.