Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-13
PART II.
CHAPTER I.
PESCADE AND MATIFOU.
END OF PART 1.

] Ohe plOtOSue Ol luts history, on NAY -,
1882, there was holiday at Ragusa, one
! OF the chief towns of the Dalmatian PROV
iBces.
Dalmatia is a narrow tongue OF land
/ lying between the northern Dinaric Alps,
herzegovina, and the Adriatic. Its just
large enough to hold q population of from
four To i've hundred thousand, with 8 lit
tie squeezing.
A fine race are these Dalmatians, sober
IN an arid country, whore arabic land is
rare, proud amid the many political vi
cissitudes they have undergone, naughty
| towards Austria whica gained them by
the Treaty OF Campo Formio in 1915, and
honest towards all, 50 much 80 that the
country can be called according to d
beautiful expression reported by Nj.
friarte the land OF the lockles dOors.'
Dalmatia f. divided into four circles.
and these are sub-dYid-d into districts
the circles are those OF Xpra. Spalato, Cat
taro, and Ragnsa. The Governor General
resides at lara, the capital Of tue prov
lnce, where the Diet meets, of which
many members form part OF the Upper
House at Vienna.
Times are much charged since the six
| teonth century, when Uscoques- fugitive
Turks at war with the Mussulman5 as
well as the Christians, with the sultan as
Wen as the Venetian repunhc-awere the
terror Of the sea. But the UscOques have
disappeared and traces of them are no
longer to be found IN Carniola. The Adr-
ATTIC is now as safe az any other part of
the poetical Mediterranean.
Ragusa, or rather the small state of
RaSusa, was republic even before Ven
ice. 1t WAS only in 1898 that decree OF
Napoleon united il, The year following, to
the kingdom OF Illyria and made of it a
duchy for Marshal MarmOnt. In the
ninth century kagusan vessels. which
plOwed every sea of the Levant, had the
monopoly Of the trade with the infdels-a
monopoly granted them by the Holy See
and Ragusa in consequence was of
great Importance among the small Tepub-
lies OF southern Europe. In these days
Ragusa is famous iof ktill nobler things;
and the reputation OF its scientists, the re-
nown of its writer's, and the taste of its
artists have given 1t the name of the
SclaVonic Athens.
The modern shipping trade must have
harbOrs whore there is good anchorage,
and water deep enough to receive vessels
| of large tonnage. Ragusa has no such
harbOr. The basin is narrow, crowded
with rocks at the water lev ell, and hardly
large enough 10 admit small coasters and
fishing boats.
Fortunately. about a mile and a half to
the north on one of the indentations of the
Bay OF Ombla Fumera, caprice of ma
| ture has formed an excellent harbOr
adapted for all the needs of modern navi-
CATION. This is at Grayosa, and the har-
Dor is perhaps the best on the Dalmatian
/ oORst. 1t has water enough even for war
! ships; there are several repairing slips
and building yards; and there the large
mail boats can put in with which the i'm
mediate future is TO endOw the waters OF
the world. 1t follows, therefore, that the
road from Ragusa to GravOsa has become
a regular boulevard planted with mag
nlhcent trees, bordered with charming
villas, irequented by the population of
/ the town, which in 1882 amounted TO
from 10000 to 1900 inhabitants.
On this 24th day OF Nay, about 4 O'Clock
| on beautiful spring afternoon, the
/ Ragusans were cr0wding in great num-
bers towards Gravosa, In that Suburb
| for Grayosa being butt at the gates of
the town may well be called snch-a To-
| cal lair was IN progress with the usual
/ games and sports, travelling booths, mu-
sic and dancing In the open air, quacks,
| ucrObats, and entertainers. from whose
shouts, and songs, and instruments there
arose a tremendous uproar along the
streets and jetties.
For a stranger lt afforded an excellent
| opportunity for studying the various
! types OF the Sclaye race aud the mixtures
! OF BOhemlans OF all kinds, In addition 10
/
/ tho fair to make money out of the curl
0sity OF the locals the country folk and
mountaineers had thronged in to take
part N the public rejoicing. The women
Werkin great numDers-giTls from Ra-
! gurh peasants from the neighbOrhOOd
lsherwOmen from the coast. Some were
IN dresses approaching the latest fashions
OF western Europe; others were in dresses
which varied with each district, ut least
"A b D.ssf
the arms aud breasts, clOaks OF many coll
ors, waistband with thousands OF silver
/ pins quite mosaic, In which the colors
were As cOnilAing as in "A Persian car
| pet), white l&luet over hair tied up with
many colored ribbons, the "okronga"
/ surmounted by the veil which hung down
behind like the puskul OF the Oriental
| turbln, legglngs and shoes fixed 20 tho
! feet with plated straw. And with all
/ tins elaborate rig-out, heap Of jewels IN
the form OF bracelets and collars or pieces
/ OF silver arranged in y hundred ways as
I ornaments for the neck, the arms, the
| breast and the waist. Jewelry, too,
was conspicuous in the dress Of the men,
whose clothes were edged With bright
eolored embroideries.
But among all the Ragusan costumes
which even the seamen OF the port wore
/ graceful y, those OF the commissiOnaires-
/ "a privileged c0rporatl0n-wer Of n Kind
/ to attract special notice. These porters
\ were regular Orientals with turban. Jack
et, waistcuat, belt, large Turkish trou-
sers and slippers. They would not have
/ disgraced the quays of Galata or the To-
/ phane az COuslantinople.
The fair WAS In full swing. The booths
/ were doing a roaring trade. There was
an additional attraction provided which
! was bound 60 bring a crowd together.
/ This was the launch OF "A trabacola a sort
/ OF craft peculiar 90 the Adriatic-riggod
with two masts and two sails bent TO a
/ yard top and bottom by the upper and
/ lower bOlt-ro.es.
/ The launch Was TO take place at q
/ O'Clock In the evening, and the hull of the
/ trabacula, with the shores already cleared
away, WAS only waiting Tor the key TO be
I Knocked out 10 glide into the sea. Butup
| 90 the present the mOuntebanks, wander
| ing minstrels and acr0bsts had been ia
iull work amusing the public by their
] talents aud agility.