Zara

“At ten o’clock a.m., we came in front of Zara, celebrated in ancient times for its long siege, when “in 1346 Marino Faliero earned his laurels by the most daring assault”, and in modern times for its excellent Maraschino!

Zara is an important place even at the present time. It is the capital of Dalmatia, and the seat of the Archibishop of the province. It is well-built, clean, and tolerably well-paved, and well-worth a visit. The time, however, allowed by the stay of the steamer is amply sufficient to enable one to see it; but the heat was so great that I felt more inclined to stay on board smoking cigarettes under the awning of the steamer than to go on shore. The prospect of some café à la glace, however, which I knew was to be obtained in the Piazza, added to the more important fact that I was to receive here a letter for the Archimandrite of Montenegro, induced me to shake off my apathy. […]. This day, with the exception of one at Cattaro, when the thermometer registered at four o’clock p.m. 105° Fahrenheit, was the hottest I experienced in all my journey” (pp. 77-78).