Poglizza

"[From the diary]. «The only carriage John could get was a horrible, jolty old hack, but the view was so fine I forgot all about the seat – which was as hard as if it had been made of brickbats — and the jerks and jolts of the springs, or what should have been springs. […]. The day was perfect. After we left Spalato a delightful breeze came blowing in from the sea, and as the carriage-top kept off the sun, we were quite comfortable. The road, for miles, went continually up hill, it seemed to me. The spavined, wo-begone looking nags simply crawled. When we reached the crest of the hill we had a grand view of the wild country stretching out far below us. It is called Poglizza. The bleak and bare Mt. Messer towered before us, with deep ravines, while green and smiling valleys snuggled between ridges just like those you see in Switzerland. Later, our road dropt down again until we reached a marshy bottomland through which a little stream meandered. In America, we would call it a creek, but here it is called the Xernovizza River».

«Crossing a rickety old bridge, we reached Poglizza, the home of the little black wild cherry, the maresca from which is made the maraschino that made Zara famous, as beer made Milwaukee. The mountains form a great rocky wall, which protects the country from the Bora. The climate here is most mild and salubrious, and the land as fertile as any in Dalmatia. We learned that the Austrian Government has done its best to transplant the maresca trees, so that Poglizza should not corner the supply, but the proud little trees have refused to grow when taken from their own hills and hummocks. We saw lots of cows with big horns grazing on the hills, and wading in the marshes, nibbling the reeds and wallowing in the water. It soon became so warm I, too, wished for a bath. There were many goats, and some sheep. All along we passed splendid fig trees and olive groves, besides innumerable orchards devoted to the maresca cherry».

«At Poglizza, in 1807, the poor little republic was 'wiped off the map' by Napoleon, in his usual high-handed manner. It seems that the Poglizza forces, having taken sides with Russia, were forced to take refuge with the Russian fleet in the harbor, thus leaving the people quite unprotected. The French seized their opportunity, and falling upon the helpless people massacred almost the entire population. Homes were razed to the ground and looters made off with everything worth taking. From that day the little 'Republic of Pojica,' as the Croat's called it, has ceased to exist»" (pp. 181-183).