DALMATIA

[s. 220] : One of the provinces of the Austrian Empire it occupies a narrow strip along the eastern shore of the Adriatic, between Croatia on the north and Albania on the south. Herzegovina and Monte negro bound it on the east. With its adjacent islands it is the most southern crown-land of the Austrian Empire. Area, 4,940 square miles. The coast is steep and rocky, but numerous bays afford good harbors and ports. Spurs from the Dinaric Alps cro the interior, reaching an elevation of 6,000 feet in Mount; 203 Orien, while on the north the Belebech MounT he climate tains rise to a height of 5,000 feet. Most of the land is warm and in general healthful. The population (1900) is given up to pasture. With the exception of about 10 per is 593,784. cent., the people belong to the Morlacks of Dalmatians proper. The remainder are Italians, Albanians and Jews. Full liberty of faith and conscience is secured, and every religious body has the right of ordinary public worship or The majority of the population instruction. belong to the Roman Catholic and Greek Churches, but the Evangelical Luther an, the Evangelical Brotherhood, the Greg or i an Armenian and the Jewish churches are recognized by the state. Dalmatians or Morlacks are a people belonging to the Servian race, and speak a dialect of SlaPhysically they are a vonic called the lUyric. fine race, tall, well-developed, with regular feaThose living on tures and dark complexion. the coast are excellent seamen, noted for their They were the chief daring and bravery. strength of the military prowe of Venice during The Morlacks of the interior the Middle Ages. are lovers of liberty and independence, brave who have withstood succe fully the They are noted for aggre ions of the Turks. soldiers, hospitality, while at the same time they are deceitful, rapacious and addicted to drunkenne . Mi ion work among the Dalmatians is confined entirely to the colportage of the British and Foreign Bible Society. 221