“ dence, to bear upon its top, for the fpace o f three years and
“ feven months, the moil facred houfe in which the Word
“ was made flefh, and which was refcued from the hands o f
“ the infidels and tranfported to Terfatz.” In our days this
legend is not believed, nor maintained even at Rome; but the
Croats are two hundred years behind us in thefe matters. In
the fame book are recorded many miracles wrought at Terfatz ;
though after all, the departure o f the Houfe does' not look like
a token of love. The author never forgets to take notice, after
every miracle, o f the gratitude o f the faithful to the Church
of Terfatz, which is officiated by friars o f his order. It is ufual
enough for the devotees o f that neighbourhood to make vows
o f flaying a whole day in the Church o f the Madonna o f Terfatz,
and they even dine there ; nay the fimple inhabitants o f both
fexes' fometimes vow to pafsdix or eight nights in the Church ;
a pradtice truly fcandalous, and unworthy o f the refpeft due to
places fet apart for publick worfhip. Among other curiofities,
which the friars on the top o f the hill fhow with bold impofture,
is a pretended notorial adt o f the arrival, and departure of the
holy houfe, and a little bell, which the above mentioned writer
fays, ad coercendas areas tempefldtes, experientia fefle, 'mirum in mo-
dum conducif. The' architedlure of the Church o f Terfatz' is
quite vulgar, neither has it any good fculpture or painting.
The flone, of which the hill is compofed, is o f the ordinary
marble that forms the organization of the Iflrian, and littoral
Dalmatian mountains. Five miles to the eaftward o f Fiiime lies
Porte Re, a large fealake, furrounded by rocky mountains, and
defended from the winds, but fubjedt to a double inconvenience
for fhipping ; the entrance being very difficult in the fix winter
months, and the egrefs not much eafier in the fummer. The
Emperor
Emperor Charles VI. fpent immenfe fums in fortifying and beautifying
Porto Re ¡ but the event proved that’he had been ill ad-
vifed. The lake is oblong ; and at the two extremities' are two
Caftles, the one called Bucearía,' and the other Buccarizza, where
they make a vail quantity o f pipe fta'ves', and carry on no* in-
confideráble trade in that article, as aim oil a ll' the'places on the
Adriatick aré furniflied from thence. Further up‘the channel,
between the ifland of Veglia and the Continent, which is fcárcely
a quarter o f a mile broad, and, in the narro we ft part, perhaps
not half fo much, lies' the little ifland ''of S. Marcó, and the
final I rock called Mdltempo, where formerly there was a forf belonging
to the Venetians, who ftill continue to pay a titular
Governor, though the fort has lain in ruins many years. The
Auftrian coaft thereabouts is ill peopled, and; indeed, fcarcély
habitable, -on account o f the afperity and naked barrennéfs1 o f
the mountain. The caftle o f Novi is however o f fome confe-
quence ; it lies between Fiume and Segna, and the Bifhop' of the
lad mentioned place, a hofpitable and polite"' Prelate,- refides al-
naoft conftantly there. Segna, a City but too famous in the hil-
tory o f the Republick of Venice, which was obliged to make
formal war againft it, and fuffered cruel Ioffes in its maritime
flates oflftria and Dalmatia, for á very long timé, without being
able to put a flop to therti, was art objedt o f curiofity for a Venetian
traveller. I was ■ défiróus' o f ¿nowing bn the fpof the de-
fcendants of thofe fierce V j’cócitd, who where equally admired
for their courage, and detefted for thfcir cruelty. Minúcció M i-
nucci wroté a hiftory o f them; arid the celebrated F . Páólo
Sarpi did the fame fome years after. I could hlive vrifhed "alfo
to have feen their hiílóry written by one o f themfeves ; but the
TJfcocchi fought valiantly, and attended to the file of-their prizes
U u u and