| We must tell you what has happened when the '''Franciscan brothers''' left. Actually both orders, Franciscans and Dominicans, even a few days earlier, before anyone else ran away. They actually, from their monastery at island of '''Badia''' (Scolenum sancti Petri), two miles East of the city, earlier moved their miraculous cross and five paintings of Blessed Virgin. They secured these in Church of All Saints, inside the city walls, than later before their leaving, they pulled a precious picture of Our Lady, with all it’s jewellery and decorations and placed it in the boat with which they intended to leave. The miraculous cross, because of the size of the boat they left in the church. Then all of a sudden a big storm started. The waves were coming up from the bottom of the sea toward the sky, with the wind it seemed as all the water mixed with air were going up to the sky. Later, we found out that during this storm at port of Ulcinj seven Turkish galleys were smashed and sunk. Number of others collided with one another. Worried monks, by being scared, thinking that God sent this storm to punish them, immediately returned the picture of Virgin back to the place from where they removed it. After the storm had passed they left the monastery and bells in the bell-tower, and everything else that they possessed, then ran away leaving those sacral objects in the city’s church. That strong wish for survival and life, made them not care for their spiritual promise. They were so united in leaving that even their servants left with them. We have to be fearful of their example, because some of them lost their lives, other had to be rescued with expensive ransoms paid to Neretljani (Narantani). Next day, after these escapes, two monk impersonators showed up, saying that they came form another Province, and they would like to carry away the paintings of Our Lady. We then chased them away. We told them that they should be ashamed of themselves, if it is possible for them to feel any shame. I am mentioning this along the way, then I am continuing the description of happenings. Our (escapees that were traveling on their own) all of them alive and in good condition arrived at '''Lesina''' (town on the next island some 25 miles to the North West, modern: '''Hvar'''), day after, they made it to '''Zara''' (modern:Zadar), since they were followed by favourable winds. | | We must tell you what has happened when the '''Franciscan brothers''' left. Actually both orders, Franciscans and Dominicans, even a few days earlier, before anyone else ran away. They actually, from their monastery at island of '''Badia''' (Scolenum sancti Petri), two miles East of the city, earlier moved their miraculous cross and five paintings of Blessed Virgin. They secured these in Church of All Saints, inside the city walls, than later before their leaving, they pulled a precious picture of Our Lady, with all it’s jewellery and decorations and placed it in the boat with which they intended to leave. The miraculous cross, because of the size of the boat they left in the church. Then all of a sudden a big storm started. The waves were coming up from the bottom of the sea toward the sky, with the wind it seemed as all the water mixed with air were going up to the sky. Later, we found out that during this storm at port of Ulcinj seven Turkish galleys were smashed and sunk. Number of others collided with one another. Worried monks, by being scared, thinking that God sent this storm to punish them, immediately returned the picture of Virgin back to the place from where they removed it. After the storm had passed they left the monastery and bells in the bell-tower, and everything else that they possessed, then ran away leaving those sacral objects in the city’s church. That strong wish for survival and life, made them not care for their spiritual promise. They were so united in leaving that even their servants left with them. We have to be fearful of their example, because some of them lost their lives, other had to be rescued with expensive ransoms paid to Neretljani (Narantani). Next day, after these escapes, two monk impersonators showed up, saying that they came form another Province, and they would like to carry away the paintings of Our Lady. We then chased them away. We told them that they should be ashamed of themselves, if it is possible for them to feel any shame. I am mentioning this along the way, then I am continuing the description of happenings. Our (escapees that were traveling on their own) all of them alive and in good condition arrived at '''Lesina''' (town on the next island some 25 miles to the North West, modern: '''Hvar'''), day after, they made it to '''Zara''' (modern:Zadar), since they were followed by favourable winds. |
| People in Zadar (Zara) being surprised seeing so many of our and Hvar's 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. Zuljana is a small village on the South shore of Peljesac peninsula, opposite island of '''Meleda''' (modern: Mljet). Following night these Herzegovinians 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, then early next morning three platoons of pirates coming from the South reached the village of Blato, 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''' 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 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. Zuljana is a small village on the South shore of Peljesac peninsula, opposite island of '''Meleda''' (modern: Mljet). Following night these Herzegovinians 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, then early next morning three platoons of pirates coming from the South reached the village of Blato, 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''' 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. |