portion of
the inlet which stretches towards Scardona and to the entrance, dotted
with islands and terminated by low hills. A bright sun illumined the
whole scene, increasing the lustre of the rocks and buildings, which
contrasted sharply with the colour of the sea, blue as the luminous
over-arching sky it reflected.

The line climbs slowly up the slopes of Monte Dinara, towards
Perkovic-Slivno, the junction for Knin through a rather stony landscape
above rich and well-cultivated valleys. The hills in the middle-distance
look barren, but the foreground is interesting on account of the
variety of broken forms caused by projecting rocks and stones. It is
starred with green humps, and there are trees in places. The humps are
stunted growths of juniper, sloe, bramble, hawthorn, or a trifoliate
plant, with grass growing in the shadow. The trees are hawthorns, ilex,
olive, fig, almond, chestnut, mountain ash, hornbeam, or elm, and I
thought I saw oak, though it is said that it does not grow in Dalmatia.
Colour was added by many flowers, orchids, iris, yellow daisies,
asphodel, and fields of pink pyrethrum; while the dresses of groups of
peasants on their way to or from Mass gave brilliant patches of reds and
blues. Vines grew in pockets of earth among the rocks from which loose
stones had been collected to build rough terrace walls.

At Perkovic-Slivno, the song ol nightingales beguiled the tedium of
waiting, shut within a barrier, for the train from Knin, for one is not
allowed to stray about until the train arrives. After a little further
climbing, the summit of the range was pierced, and the lovely Riviera of
the Castelli lay spread before us far below. The long island of Bua
stretched towards the strait, by which the ancient port of Salona was
approached; a land-locked bay, from the other side of which above the
peninsula of Monte Marjan rose the campanile of the cathedral of
Spalato, swathed in the scaffolding of its long-continuing restoration;
beyond was the sea, with the southern islands in the distance, and the
littoral chain growing pale in aerial perspective. It formed an
enchanting whole, equalling views which have a world-wide reputation,
opalescent in the morning sunlight, with pale purples, blues, and greens
thrown like a veil over the rich soil and the grey limestone of the
mountains. The line descends rapidly, too rapidly for one's desires, and
approaches the shore near the fourth of the castelli, rounds the