Kvarner Gulf

The Kvarner Gulf (Croatian: Kvarnerski zaljev; Italian: Golfo del Carnaro), sometimes also Kvarner Bay, is a bay in the northern Adriatic Sea, located between the Istrian peninsula and the northern Croatian Littoral mainland. The bay is a part of Croatia's internal waters.

Quotes

• This gulfe or bay of Carnaro, runneth in North, and by East 50. miles within land, at the narrow entry whereof, it hath a part of Istria on the West, and the Dalmatia on the East: The Venetians use to keepe alwayes certaine Gallies at the mouth of this bay, on the Dalmatian side, to intercept the cursary of the Scoks: In the bottome of this Carnarian gulfe are placed Senna, Gradisca, and Novagard, the chiefe Cities of Croatia: the people which inhabit these Townes, and the adjoyning Countrey are called Scoks, a kind of Dalmatians, being of a robust nature, courageous and desperate: Their weapons are broad two handed swords, long Skenes, carrying targets at their girdles, and long Gunnes in their hands: They are marveilous swift on foote, and dayly annoy by land their neighbouring Turkes with inrodes, fetching away great spoyles and booties, of The Scoks live under the house of Austria.cornes, cattell and horses: And by Sea with Frigots and Brigantines did ever and often vexe the Venetian commerce, in their owne domesticke waters: The great losses which from these incursive people the Venetians had from time to time received, and the other dammages they inflicted upon the Turkes in their trafficking with Venice, for whom the Venetians are bound by former articles of peace, to keepe harmelesse within their owne gulfe from all Christian invasions, was the onely and urgent cause that moved the Venetians to wage warre with Ferdinando then Duke of Grasse, and now Emperour, Anno Domini, 1616. And besieged Gradisca to their no small disadvantage, both of charges and losse of men: For the towne being strongly fortified with walles and munition, and 2000. Scoks within to defend it, would often at the neare approaching of the enemy make a salley forth on horse and foote, giving many miserable overthrowes to the Assailants: To the which detriments, for twenty dayes space I was a testator, being after my returne from Affricke in my second travels, as I was going for Hungary, Moldavia, Valecchia and Transilvania, taking this countrey in my way: And one morning at the breake of day, I saw 800. Scoks issuing out of towne, make bloudy havocke of 3000. of the Venetian army: This part of Croatia is exceeding fertile, abounding in cornes, wines, bestiall and pastorage, though then by lawlesse, and turbulent souldiers, it was miserable defaced.
  The whole number of these Scoks that are able to carry armes, be not above sixe thousand men: They are wonderfull kinde to strangers, which to me in no small measure was extended, and that by the better sort their Captaines and Commanders, and onely for the affinity of Scoki and Scoti, although I dare sweare, there is little or none at all betwixt the two Nations.
  • William Lithgow, Totall Discourse (1640), II. 46, 47