ATTRACTIONS OF DALMATIA—INTERESTING EXCURSION—ISLAND OF LACHROMA—CLIMATE—A. A. PATON, ESQ., FORMERLY CONSUL-GENERAL AT RAGUSA—AN ITALIAN DINNER—EPIDAURUS—THE CANAL OF CATTARO—TERRITORY OF RAGUSA—TOWER OF PERASTO AND FORT OF SANTA CROCE—STRANGELY BUILT CHURCH—A PALAZZO—SAN GIORGIO AND LA MADONNA—PICTURE ATTRIBUTED TO ST. LUKE.
It has always been a source of much astonishment to me, seeing the facility with which these parts can be reached from Trieste, that so few of the ubiquitous English—indeed, I might say none of them,—ever visit them, or any of the other many beautiful and interesting localities which crowd the Eastern shores of the Adriatic. I really believe those countries are not visited because they are in a certain sense unknown. I trust, however, that some of my readers who may perchance be tired of those hackneyed tours which, year after year, are undertaken by the travelling multitudes, will try a venture some day in Dalmatia.
Starting from Trieste in one of the many coasting steamers which trade to Corfu, stopping at every place on the Eastern shores of the Adriatic from Capo d'Istria downwards, and making excursions from each into the interior, anyone fond of everything beautiful and picturesque, whether in nature or in art, would have the most delightful trip imaginable; and if getting out at Cattaro he will scale those wonderful mountains which seem ever on the point of toppling over on that devoted city, and penetrate into Montenegro, coming back to the Adriatic by the Lake of Scutari (or Skodra as it _ought_ to be called) in Northern Albania, he will have made an excursion in the heart of Europe, within seven days from London, and in the short space of five weeks, which for beauty of country, wildness of scenery, novelty of life, and magnificence of native costumes cannot be equalled from Spain to the Caucasus, or from Norway to the Lebanon!
Having made my adieux to Mr. Paton, our Consul at Ragusa, to whom as well as to Persich Effendi, the Ottoman Consul, I was largely indebted for much kind advice, as well as for a personal introduction to Mr. Yonin, Russian Consul at Ragusa, who subsequently at Cattaro and at Cettigne proved a kind friend and most valuable and charming companion, I returned on board and was soon steering south again. We steamed quite close inland, and had an excellent view of the ancient fortifications of Ragusa and its old harbour, only frequented at present by the felucas and trabaccoli which carry on the coasting trade of the country.