Carniola

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

Carniola was so named from the Carnian people, as also Carinthia. Concerning whom Valaterranus writeth thus Lib. 2. of his Geographie. The Carnians are beyond the Istrians, the Country is broade, beginning from Forum Iulium, and reaching to the Mountaines. The Country of Carniola although it bee Mountainous, as the other Countries of this Province; yet it hath plenty of Wine, Oyle, Fruite, and Corne. But they make Carniola twofold: the drye which wanteth water: and the moist, in which the River Sauus riseth, and also Naup••tus which is now called Labatus, and many other Rivers. It is adorned with the title of a Dukedome. The chiefe Citty is Labacum, which hath the same name with the River. Some doe place Goritia in Carmola, which we mentioned before in Forum Iulium. On the left hand banck of Sontius upwards, there are two Fortresses, which the Venetians built heretofore to defend the River, and to prevent the incursions and inroads of the Turkes. Moreover there is a Lake in this Country, which affordeth every yeare a harvest, fishing, and hunting. The Inhabitants doe call it Zircknitzerzee from the Towne Zircknitz, which is situated by it. But I will make a more accurrate description of it out of George Wernherus: it is enclosed every where with Mountaines, for halfe a Mile together it is not very broade. Out of the Mountaines there doe issue certaine small Rivers, which are every one contayned in their owne Channells: on the East side there are three, on the South five. The farther that they runne the more narrower they grow, for their bankes are straite, untill they are swallowed up in the stoany passages of the Cliffes, which seeme as if they were cut out by humane Industry. So that where they find an open place the waters doe spread abroade, and make a Lake. These waters doe as speedily runne back as they flowe forward, not onely in those narrow channells, but also through the earth, which when the Inhabitants perceive, they stopp the greater passages, and Concavities, and so goe to fishing, which is both pleasant and profitable. For the fish which they take here being salted is transported to other Countries. Moreover when the Lake is drie they have a kind of harvest, for they sowe it and mowe it before that it be overflow'd againe. It beareth such abundance of grasse, that in twenty dayes it will be ready to cut. Who therefore cannot chuse but admire at these wonders of nature? But so much cocerning these things, I passe to the rest.