Courfe o f the K e r k a , to the Cafcade o/’ S c a R d o n a .
The river, or rather torrent Cicola , which has its fource
under Gradaz, fifteen miles from Knin, runs likewife into the
Kerka, after having received the waters o f the Verba, augmented
by thofe o f Mirilovich. On the right fide o f its banks lies,
the town o f Derniih, which the Turks gave up to the Venetians.
The territory belonging to this place is. extremely fruitful
and pleafant. Not far from Derniih is the fmalL village
Tribuje, probably the ‘Tribulium o f the ancients, where fome
miferable veftiges o f Roman habitations are ftill to be feen.
It would be tedious, and difagreeable to enlarge on the bad direction
of the waters,, as well as thofe o f the Butimfchiza, which
1 mentioned already. They might be made fountains o f riches
to thofe diftriCts 5 and inftead o f that, they produce only mi-
fery and reproach. Not far below Rofchiilap is the ifland o f
Viifovaz, which is only the top o f a hill,, the bottom being
under water j it is inhabited by friars, faithful labourers in the
vineyard o f thefe places, which would be thought too fatiguing
a life by moft fecular priefts. The river is very broad here, but
furniihes no objeCt o f o b fe r v a t io n it runs flowly, becaufe the
fall at the mills o f Scardona, though five miles further down,
retards the current. This is the laft, and moil magnificent fall
o f the Kerka, and would be doubly fo, i f art had not profited,
by the opportune fituation o f the place, to build many houfes,
and mills. Here is formed an undulated fpecies o f tophus, of a
faline grain, which might be taken, at firil fight, for foffil
wood. Novices in natural hiftory often calleCt it as fuch ; tho’
it is only the work o f water, impregnated with tartarous particles.
The lines denoting the divifions o f the little ilrata, and
the difference o f time in which they were formed by the water,
are,
are, in fuch cafes, pretended to be longitudinal fibres o f the
wood 5 and prejudiced eyes likewife eafily diilinguiih the tranf-
verfals. A fimilar error is alfo produced by fome fpecies of
vulcanic flones, variegated jafpers and flints, which reprefen-t
knots and excrefcences, like thofe on trees; and it is not eafy
to convince thofe o f their miftake, who are not ufed to colleCl
fofiils perfonally in the mountains, where every one may be
convinced, who does not carry a great deal o f prejudice along
with him. Simon Gliubavaz, Giovanni Lucio, and P . Farlati
after them, wrote, that, in former times, an aqueduCt run from
this fall of Scardona, to Zara, which is fifty miles d i f ta n t th e y
fell into this error, by finding the remains o f a mean, brick canal
along the banks of the river, on the right, o f the- fall at the
mills, reaching to the mouth o f the lake; but this, in all appearance,
conveyed the water no farther than Scardona. And,
o f the impoflibility. o f bringing the water from thence to Zara,
I have already fpoken at large, in giving an account of the veftiges
o f other aqueduCts, which are feen near the fea, in the dif-
triCt o f that city. Scardona flood in very great need o f aqueducts
; for the waters of the lake, into which the Kerka falls,
are brackiib, almoft throughout the whole year ; and the fprings
do not fupply a fufficient quantity for fuch a large population.
The courfe of the river Kerka,-from its fources at Topolye, to
its fall into the lake o f Scardona, is not above thirty miles.
In riding from the monaft'ry o f S. Arcangelo to Scardona,.
within three miles o f that city, I faw a little torrent, which,,,
among other vulgar flones, carries along with it, heaps o f a blue-
iih fto n e y earth, full o f marine foffil bodies. On feeing thefe
(adventitious