Almissa

"The next expedition I made was to Almissa, a place at about the same distance as Traù from Spalato, but to the south. The road was equally excellent, but the scenery was infinitely more attractive, and I enjoyed beyond everything the early morning lights upon the thickly-wooded, lofty mountains and bold cliffs, as the road wound round headland after headland at the foot of Caprarius. […]. At last we turned suddenly into a deep, wide creek, and Almissa stood before us. […]. 

Almissa was famous for its pirates throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries; they drove a thriving trade in pillaging the pilgrims and merchants who went to and come from the Holy Land. […]. In time, however, Venice had her will, and the winged lion on the wall of the town bears token of her reduction. The castles are all in ruins, and the inhabitants are few in number.

We left the carriage on the river bank, and crossed the water in a ferry; the Pretore or Governor of the district immediately joined me, and took me through the little town. He seemed to be energetically doing all that the poverty of the place could allow, and even emulating Signor Bajamonte in his actual and contemplated improvements. A port was being constructed at the southern side - public gardens and an esplanade had been laid out - and the first road ever made to connect Almissa with the interior has been commenced; hitherto, every thing and person has been passed through the opening by the river only. Now a road is being cut out from the cliff, but the rock is extremely hard, and the work necessarily slow; perhaps all the more, as the men have no pay for their labour, and the Pretore said he could not expect them to do anything in this unusual heat.

Then, joined by the Podesta, we got into a boat, and proceeded up the river, passing through the narrow rift, and under the overhanging rocks into the wide full flowing river beyond. […]. This is the Cettina river […]. At about half an hour's distance, we passed a fine cascade on the inland side, closely resembling the Bayerbach Fall on the Lake of Wallenstadt. I should have like to have followed the river much farther, but the sun was so hot, that we were forced to turn back, and I found that, though only 10.30, the townspeople were already retiring to their houses to sleep till 3 or 4 o'clock. At midday, when nearly everyone was asleep, the trains laid for blasting the rocks were lighted, and for half an hour we had a succession of really beautiful spectacles, as masses of rock were detached from the overhanging cliffs, and, after apparently leaping up into the air, fell with thundering echoes into the water below. […]. I spent my afternoon in sketching, and drove home late in the day, after having refreshed myself with some excellent wine, sent to me by the Podesta. The wine of Almissa is said to be one of the very best that is made on the Dalmatian coast. It is called the vino di rosa" (pp. 249-253).