This near Vrana, has been raifed at a confiderabie expenee the
front-of it is about 150 feet, and its depth 175 : it is all built
of marble, well poliihed, and connected; and the pieces feem
to have been brought thither, from the ruins o f fome ancient
Roman fabrick ; at leaft, on examing them, there is reafon to
think fo. The body of the Han is divided into two large courts,
furrounded by neat decorated chambers, and well contrived
galleries : the architecture of the gates, is in a bad Turkiih
tafte, inclining to the Gothick. A part o f the walls, and floors
o f this building, have been demoliihed through a foolilh avidity
in fearch for treafures.
The name o f Vrana is now transferred to a wretched village,,
that flands about a mile from the ruins o f the caftle, in the very
place where an eminent Turk o f the laft: age, called Hali-Beg,
had his gardens; and the fqualid habitation o f the Curate o f
the pariih, ftill goes by the name o f Hali-Beg’s gardens.
A manuicnpt o f Gliubavaz, now in my pofleflion, though
belonging to the learned Count Stratico, o f Zara, contains' a
defcription o f the water-works in thefe gardens, and o f the then
well cultivated adjacent fields. What changes fince that period t
the gardens o f H ali-Beg are reduced to heaps o f rubbifh; and the
waters that were formerly conducted by art, to adorn and refrefh
them, now run in diforderly ftreams, mixing ' with many
others* which, a hundred years ago, were alfo formed into
artificial channels, and conveyed into the lake.
The lake o f Vrana is more famous, and better known at Venice,
than any other in Dalmatia, not only on account o f its confiderabie
extent, o f twelve miles, but from a project formed
by
by a private perfon, and partly put in execution, to cut a paf-
fage, by which the water might be dilcharged into the fea.
The late celebrated mathematician Zendrini, was confulted about
the poflibility o f fuch a drain, but not having been on the fpot,
and trufling to the levels taken by fome unikilful Engineer, he
thought there was no other difficulty, but that o f the expence,
in cutting, to a confiderabie depth, an ifthmus o f folid marble,
for half a mile long. The projector was not difcouraged by the
expence, but on the contrary, animated by the clemency o f the
government, undertook, and actually made a kind o f fketch o f
the work, by opening a channel, which.has fince, however, remained
imperfeCt and'abandoned, thefe many years ; and pro-'
bably, will ere long, be filled up again. ’ The intent o f this outlet
was to drain, and, i f poifible, render fit for cultivation, about
ten thoufand acres o f land which had hitherto been always
covered with water.
I went to fee this arduous , undertaking for the firit time, In
company- with the Lord Biftiop o f Derry; and we foon found,
that, whatever expence or labour could be heilowed upon it, would
prove in vain ; the projeCt Being phyficajly impoflible, and illu-
fory. It is fufticient to obferve the fea ihore, to be convinced,
-of this truth ; for the water o f the lake, making its way through
the fubterraneous diyifions o f the marble ilrata, actually runs
into the’ fea, o fits 'ow n accord, during the time o f low water,
and is’only hindered from . taking this, courfe, when the tide
flows, or is on a level with the lake. It is evident, therefore,
from this fimple obfervation, that whatever paflage could be
opened, the waters o f the lake would never difcharge themfelves
into the fea, with any great, or permanent utility to the inundated
lands; and that, fuppofing a fuitable communication was
opened,