inhabited by a few poor people; though it has a large, and fe-
cure harbour, on the banks of which I collected fome fand, full
o f microfcopic Ihells. The foil in that neighbourhood, along
the fhore, is ftony, but not bad; the ilones are of the marble
kind. Without the harbour of Biograd, there is a knot o f if-
lands, which ufed to ferve as a place o f refuge to the inhabitants
of the adjoining coaft, during the incurfions o f the Turks.
Not far from Biograd, is Pacofliane, a poor place, fituated
on the iilhmus, which divides the fea, from the lake of Vrana.
Its few unhealthy inhabitants, feel the effeits o f this neighbourhood
; for not being able to cultivate their own ungrateful
littoral foil, they are induced to pafs over the
marih in little boats, to avail themfelves o f the more fertile
banks, on the oppofite fide o f the lake, . where the air is
remarkably bad. *The common fbod of thefe people, is the
fifh o f the lake, and particularly eels, which they eat at all
times, even in the feaion when they are very unwholefome.
They ufe a lingular method o f catching them, in their feafon
o f propagation, when the eels crowd together in multitudes-:
two men, each holding the end of a thick cord, wade along
in the moll lhallow parts o f the lake, and itriking them
with the rope, kill a number, and difperfe the reft $ they then
colledt the dead, and eat them.
The Caftle o f V r a n a .
Vrana, which gives name to the lake, and is built on the
extremity o f it, towards the North, was an important place in
former times, and belonged to the Templars. It was the reti—
dence o f a Grand Prior, whofe power encreafed to fuch a degree,
that
that it fometimes preponderated even in the affairs o f the kingdom.
Gianco o f Polifnu, one o f thofe Grand Priors, in 1385,
pufhed his facrilegious temerity fo far, as to make his own Sovereign
Elizabeth, widow of Lewis, King o f Hungary, and her
daughter Mary, his prifoners j neither did this, fatisfy him, for
he caufed the mother to be drowned in a. river. In the beginning
o f the fame.century, Philip the Bel, though he could not
make the Templars in France confefs themfelves guilty o f any
criminal offence, neverthelefs exterminated them by fire and
fword ; while their, fucceffors ip.jHungary and Daltpatia, con-
viiled o f the before-mentioned execrable crime, luffered, in a
manner, no punifhment at a l l ; the revenge, that Sigifmund,
hufband o f Queen Mary, chcfe to. take, being' merely confined
to the perfon o f the Grand Prior.
This caftle, which at the time o f its foun.dation, was named
Brana, or Vrana, b y w a y o f dignity, Js now a frightful heap o f
ruins, reduced to that ftate by the Venetians. Some writers have-
thought that Blandona was anciently feated; there j but no vef-
tige o f Roman antiquity is. to he.ieen about thefe walls, and ruined,
uninhabited towers. I fearched with great diligence,
among the ftones, for infcriptions, but in vain ; and. was happy
at laft to get from among them, without any accident,
T h e Han, that ftands near thefe ancient walls, is, well worthy
of obfervation, although it is-alfo now in a ruinous ftate, being
abandoned to the barbarity j of the Morlauhi, who inhabit
the neigbouring lands, and carry off whatever materials fuit
them, to be; employed in their wretched cottages. T he foundation
of Hans, or. Caravanferas, do great honour, to the Turk-
ilh nation, and they are very numerous throughout that Empire.
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