T O T H E
C a v . A N T O N I O V A L L I S N I E R I ,
P R O F E S S O R O F N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y ,
IN THE.
U n i v i k s i t t o f P a d u a .
O f the Courfe o f the River K e r k a , the T i t i u s o f the Ancients.
T H E neceflity of travelling at random through a vaft kingdom,
where every part o f natural hiilory is ilill unknown,
has, as- you will eafily imagine, made me lofe much time and
labour. The want of perfons capable o f furniihing any ufeful
intelligence, is the greateft inconvenience that I have met with;
not that the maritime towns o f Dalmatia are deftitute o f men o f
talents, and learning, but the ftudy o f natural hiftory is not yet
introduced among them, and therefore they are of little ufe to
the curious in that branch o f fcience. Hence it is, that not
having a convenient number o f fixed points to which I could
diredt my journies, I have been obliged to trace out the line
myfelf, or to follow thofe already marked by nature, fometimes
along the windings of the ihore, and fometimes following the
courfe of the rivers within land.
O f