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People in Zadar (Zara) being surprised seeing so many of our and Hvar's (Lesina) sails, got also worried that the enemy was coming towards them. Back home, we kept watch by day and by night, we were managing without anyone’s help. Sadly, even our neighbours cut all contacts with us, like if we had some kind of disease spreading, or like a curse was put on us from the sea and fire. This lasted for some twenty days. Only occasionally, from the opposite shore, secretly a small row boat would arrive with some letters and news. Then it was announced on the August 9th in the bay of Zuljana (about 8 miles to the East), that there are seven small galleys, they took prisoner priest Franjo Ordonicich with some other travellers who were heading for Dubrovnik (Ragusa). Zuljana is a small village on the South shore of '''Pelišac''' (Sabbioncello ''or'' modern Croatian: Pelješac) peninsula, opposite island of '''Meleda''' (modern: Mljet). Following night these Herzegovinians (pirates from Herceg Novi-Castelnuovo) were sailing close to our island along the Southern shore to the outside.In the quietness of the night they landed close to '''Blatta''' (modern: Blato), in a bay called Grscica (Giči), then early next morning three platoons of pirates coming from the South reached the village of Blato (Blatta), up to that point not being noticed; until a scream of a sentry signified coming of the enemy. Even though the sentries on the whole island were notified of the coming of '''Herzegovinians''' (pirates from Herceg Novi-Castelnuovo) to Zuljana on the opposite coast, fell asleep without noticing their coming. When they noticed the enemy coming, they turned their backs and ran away into the darkness of the forest. They were wrong in falling asleep, but were very good at screaming. At this noise, anyone who heard it, ran away in all directions. The bandits set their positions as follows; first one stopped at the hill in three platoons of men arranged their position in the direction from where they came, second one was already at work, stealing and plundering of nearby homes while the third one reached the centre of the village with full battle gear, as a security force to protect the stealers and robbers.

People in Zadar (Zara) being surprised seeing so many of our and Hvar's (Lesina) sails, got also worried that the enemy was coming towards them. Back home, we kept watch by day and by night, we were managing without anyone’s help. Sadly, even our neighbours cut all contacts with us, like if we had some kind of disease spreading, or like a curse was put on us from the sea and fire. This lasted for some twenty days. Only occasionally, from the opposite shore, secretly a small row boat would arrive with some letters and news. Then it was announced on the August 9th in the bay of Zuljana (about 8 miles to the East), that there are seven small galleys, they took prisoner priest Franjo Ordonicich with some other travellers who were heading for Dubrovnik (Ragusa). Zuljana is a small village on the South shore of '''Pelišac''' (Sabbioncello ''or'' modern Croatian: Pelješac) peninsula, opposite island of '''Meleda''' (modern: Mljet). Following night these Herzegovinians (pirates from Herceg Novi-Castelnuovo) were sailing close to our island along the Southern shore to the outside.In the quietness of the night they landed close to '''Blatta''' (modern: Blato), in a bay called Grscica (Giči), then early next morning three platoons of pirates coming from the South reached the village of Blato (Blatta), up to that point not being noticed; until a scream of a sentry signified coming of the enemy. Even though the sentries on the whole island were notified of the coming of '''Herzegovinians''' (pirates from Herceg Novi-Castelnuovo) to Zuljana on the opposite coast, fell asleep without noticing their coming. When they noticed the enemy coming, they turned their backs and ran away into the darkness of the forest. They were wrong in falling asleep, but were very good at screaming. At this noise, anyone who heard it, ran away in all directions. The bandits set their positions as follows; first one stopped at the hill in three platoons of men arranged their position in the direction from where they came, second one was already at work, stealing and plundering of nearby homes while the third one reached the centre of the village with full battle gear, as a security force to protect the stealers and robbers.

Blato (Blatta) is the largest village on the island, which can in need produce about 300 selected defensive fighters. One part of that force then was called to Korčula to help with the defence of the city, another group was forced to go in service on Venetian galleys, while the rest was hiding in the forests leaving homes unprotected. As a result, these bandits succeeded in robbing the whole village and taking about 50 people as prisoners. These were all children and women, with the exception of Simon Simonetti and another three old people, with one of them being completely blind. Three ladies, they let go, then they also released three wounded men, another man named '''Pelegrin Krsinich''' hid on top of a tall almond tree, he was wounded with arrows, but anyway survived. Nikola Castropil (modern Croatian: Kastropil), was taken prisoner inside his house, was able to escape swinging the chains where he wounded three of the enemy, himself was lightly wounded. Third man '''Ivan Barčot''', who survived by running away, while running he heard screams from his mother, then looking in the direction of the scream, he could see where the enemy soldier was dragging her by her uncombed hair. Thinking of his motherly love, he charged toward the enemy, then kills four of them, frees his mother from the chains and helps her escape to a nearby forest. And while he was fighting with one enemy, more of them were coming toward him, not being able to free his spear tangled up in enemies clothing, he was then wounded, after two days he died of these wounds. It was with luck what he accomplished, heroically saving his saddened mother. There was a report that enemy accomplished two human deeds. First because they saved life of Peter Petric and his wife, where they laid in the bed In extreme poverty, unable to move. This man was brother of priest Ivan, who was in service of church in Padova, and his father Ivan Petric was employed as a secretary to '''Ferata Gonzaga''' of Milano. Another one of the enemy also showed good deed by taking an 8 days old baby and quietly handed it over to the relatives to take the baby to the mother. When the word spread in Korčula of what has happened in Blato (Blatta), people were taken by general sadness. Then they were all confused, namely all of the people from villages decided to leave with the excuse to check on their families left behind, and to find out what if anything was left saved after the enemy departed. Then appeared some holy man who was supposed to foresee the future, he was carrying a gun, had a sword and a spear, he definitely seemed not to be all there mentally, saying that his only calling was to criticise the public.

Blato (Blatta) is the largest village on the island, which can in need produce about 300 selected defensive fighters. One part of that force then was called to Korčula to help with the defence of the city, another group was forced to go in service on Venetian galleys, while the rest was hiding in the forests leaving homes unprotected. As a result, these bandits succeeded in robbing the whole village and taking about 50 people as prisoners. These were all children and women, with the exception of Simon Simonetti and another three old people, with one of them being completely blind. Three ladies, they let go, then they also released three wounded men, another man named '''Pelegrin Krsinich''' hid on top of a tall almond tree, he was wounded with arrows, but anyway survived. Nikola Castropil (modern Croatian: Kastropil), was taken prisoner inside his house, was able to escape swinging the chains where he wounded three of the enemy, himself was lightly wounded. Third man '''Ivan Barčot''', who survived by running away, while running he heard screams from his mother, then looking in the direction of the scream, he could see where the enemy soldier was dragging her by her uncombed hair. Thinking of his motherly love, he charged toward the enemy, then kills four of them, frees his mother from the chains and helps her escape to a nearby forest. And while he was fighting with one enemy, more of them were coming toward him, not being able to free his spear tangled up in enemies clothing, he was then wounded, after two days he died of these wounds. It was with luck what he accomplished, heroically saving his saddened mother. There was a report that enemy accomplished two human deeds. First because they saved life of Peter Petric and his wife, where they laid in the bed In extreme poverty, unable to move. This man was brother of priest Ivan, who was in service of church in Padova, and his father Ivan Petric was employed as a secretary to '''Ferata Gonzaga''' of Milano. Another one of the enemy also showed good deed by taking an 8 days old baby and quietly handed it over to the relatives to take the baby to the mother.  

 

When the word spread in Korčula of what has happened in Blato (Blatta), people were taken by general sadness. Then they were all confused, namely all of the people from villages decided to leave with the excuse to check on their families left behind, and to find out what if anything was left saved after the enemy departed. Then appeared some holy man who was supposed to foresee the future, he was carrying a gun, had a sword and a spear, he definitely seemed not to be all there mentally, saying that his only calling was to criticise the public.

[[File:85px-Coat of arms of Dalmatia crowned.svg.png|thumb|right|155px|Dalmatia's Coat of arms]]

[[File:85px-Coat of arms of Dalmatia crowned.svg.png|thumb|right|155px|Dalmatia's Coat of arms]]

That same night as well as the next one those that were manning guard-posts alarmed the city, because they thought that they were seeing through heavy rain and rising sea waves how from the direction of Orsan in easterly direction there appeared a large ship, heading in this direction. We, thinking that these maybe are the ships belonging to those that devastated Blato (Blatta), where they were joining those galleys from the bay of Zuljana, we opened fire from our cannons in their direction. Later we found out that these were Herzegovinian boats moving during the night along the opposite shore of Pelišac, and that they stole anchors and ropes than let these boats loose, where waves carried these closer to our shore. This was why we got scared, for no reason. That same night two unpleasant things happened. First that the guards of the fortress called Ravelin, left their posts because of the rain. When called to explain, they said ''“How could we remain there, when water was reaching up to our knees”''. On that Archdeacon stepped in the water, and by moving one stone that was blocking the drain, whole area in a moment became dry. Other unpleasant thing was that, firing only one cannonball from behind the church of All Saints, wooden horse supporting the cannon broke, than at the asking of the Archdeacon ship-carpenters Nikola Misulic and '''Franjo Paulis''' (DePolo) fixed it in four hours of work, while Archdeacon provided the light by holding a candle.

That same night as well as the next one those that were manning guard-posts alarmed the city, because they thought that they were seeing through heavy rain and rising sea waves how from the direction of Orsan in easterly direction there appeared a large ship, heading in this direction. We, thinking that these maybe are the ships belonging to those that devastated Blato (Blatta), where they were joining those galleys from the bay of Zuljana, we opened fire from our cannons in their direction. Later we found out that these were Herzegovinian (pirates from Herceg Novi-Castelnuovo) boats moving during the night along the opposite shore of Pelišac, and that they stole anchors and ropes than let these boats loose, where waves carried these closer to our shore. This was why we got scared, for no reason. That same night two unpleasant things happened. First that the guards of the fortress called Ravelin, left their posts because of the rain. When called to explain, they said ''“How could we remain there, when water was reaching up to our knees”''. On that Archdeacon stepped in the water, and by moving one stone that was blocking the drain, whole area in a moment became dry. Other unpleasant thing was that, firing only one cannonball from behind the church of All Saints, wooden horse supporting the cannon broke, than at the asking of the Archdeacon ship-carpenters Nikola Misulic and '''Franjo Paulis''' (DePolo) fixed it in four hours of work, while Archdeacon provided the light by holding a candle.

== News From Ragusa ==

== News From Ragusa ==