The Growth of Freedom in the Balkan Peninsula. Notes of a traveller in Montenegro, Bosnia, ... and Greece. With historical and descriptive sketches of the people, etc

Front matter

THE GROWTH OF FREEDOM IN THE BALKAN PENINSULA. NOTES OF A TRAVELLER IN MONTENEGRO, BOSNIA, SERVIA, BULGARIA, AND GREECE. WITh -HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES OF THE PEOPLE. By JAMES GEOEGE COTTON MINCHIN, LATE CO-fSUL-GENEBAL OF SERVIA IN LONDON. WITH A MAP. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1886.. " Na mladjima svet ostaje." " TLe world is the inheritance of the young." Serb Proyeri:. "For Freedom's battle once begun, Bequeath'd by bleeding Sire to Son, Though baffled oft, is ever won." Byron The Giaour. TO EICHARD SIMS DONKIN, M.P. AND MES, DONKIN lihis go ok IS DEDICATED BY THEIR FRIEND.

Preface

In this book I have endeavoured to give the national point of view of Montenegrins, Serbs, Bulgarians, and Greeks. I have treated the Eastern Question, not as it affects English interests, but as it affects the interests of the small independent States of the Balkans. This is, properly speaking, no work on the Eastern Question, which is the grandiloquent title for the selfish interests of the Great Powers in the small States of the Peninsula, but a work on the views and habits of the people of those countries. By the courteous permission of the Editors of the Times and the Morning Advertiser, the letters, which I wrote for their columns, form the ground work of the present book. Those letters have been remodelled and in great measure rewritten, while the chapters, which refer to the social life of the Bulgarian, have not appeared before, VI PBEFACE.

Arm-chair readers little know the trouble authors have with their titles. " The Free Balkans" might have been a more taking title, but would have conveyed a false impression to the reader. The Balkans are not free. There is more freedom on the Peninsula than existed fifty years ago. This is the utmost that can be said. I have, therefore, entitled my book, " The Growth of Freedom," and hope that the Serb and Bul garian statesmen of the future may be permitted by the Great Powers to make " the bounds of Freedom wider yet." It is impossible for me within the limits of a preface adequately to discharge my debt of gratitude to all, who have been hospitable and kind to me upon my travels. I can only name those who have placed me under special obligations. I shall never forget the kindness of my friend Mr. William Kirby Green (H.B.M.'s Envoy Extraordinary at Morocco), of Captain Jones, V.C., and Sir Frank Lascelles.

I gratefully remember the hospitality of Mr. Freeman and Mr. Merlin, our Consuls respectively at Serajevo and the PBEFACE. VII Piræus; and of Mr. Blunt, C.B., our Consul- General at Salonica. I have to thank for many useful hints and letters of introduction my friends Mr. Arthur Busch, Mr. Arthur Evans, and Captain Gambier, R.N. I am especially indebted to Mr. Augustus Baker (our Consul at Vera Cruz) for having introduced me to M. Philip Christitch (late Serb Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of St. James's), and for having first led me to the study of Serb language and history. M. Philip Christitch has been to me more than kind, and I am most grateful to him. It is, indeed, doubtful whether this book would have ever been written, if it had not been for the advice and encouragement of my old tutor, Mr. R. Bosworth Smith, who has been my life-long friend.

This catalogue of my " Peninsula heroes " would be incomplete without the names of my two partners, Mr. Magnus Pyke and Mr. William Pyke, who have sympathised with me in what has been my labour of love. October 25th, 1886. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

The Stones of Montenegro — Njeguschi — Montenegrins Free Traders — Treaty with. Great Britain— Peter Petrovitch Njegusch — " The Crown of the Mountain " — Past and Present Form of Government — History — Stephen Dushan — Kossovo - — Danilo Petrovitch — Montenegrin Occupation of Cattaro — Assassination of Prince Danilo and Prince Michel — The Montenegrin ahroad— Cettinje — Diplomatic Dinner — Treatment of Prisoners — Mutilation — Women of Cettinje — State Salaries — Montenegrin versus Bulgarian — Religion of Soap — The Press of Montenegro — Tree of Justice — Serb Marriages — Montenegrin Graveyard — Dulcigno and Antivari — Hostages to Fortune — Story of the National Debt — Prospects 1

Chapter II

Discontent in Bosnia — Klek — The Narenta-valley Scheme — Austria's Commercial Policy — Austrian Mistakes — Austrian and Turkish Law Procedure — Austrian Officials — Count Kallay — The Appointment of Baron Nicolitch — Travelling and some Travelling Companions — Insurgents — Result of Disarmament — Sale of Raki near a Mosque — Official Care of Foreigners — Experiences of Messrs. Hamilton & Haigh — The Director of Police X CONTENTS.

Chapter III

Serajevo, " the Damascus of tlie North " — Municipality — Tobacco Monopoly — Tithe-Tax and House-Tax, Turkish and Austrian — Income-Tax — Capitation-Tax — Oath of Bosnian Recruit — Proclamations of the Sultan — No Turkish Consul — General Philippovitch at Serajevo in 1876— The Magla Massacre — The Schoolmaster across the Save — Education Statistics and Cottage-Roofs — Miss Irby's School for Girls — Dr. Ivan Zoch and Dr. Johan novitch — Dream of the Philoslav — Austrian Jealousy of Things Serb — Ljepova — Roman Catholics of Bosnia — Mahomedan Slavs — Policy of Non-confiscation — Land Agitation — Co-operative Land System — Destruction by Fire of State Records — Austrian Shortcomings — Claimants to Bosnia — Servia's " Rights " . . . .45

Chapter IV

Modern History of Servia — Karageorge — Panslavism and the "Great Servian Idea" — Napoleon's Plans counteracted by Russia and Turkish Occupation of Servia — Prince Milosch and Takova — Russian Intrigues to weaken Milosch — A Constitution concocted by Russia and Turkey — Resignation of Milosch and Succession of Prince Michel — Karageorgevitch Alexander — Milosch and Michel — Assassination of Michel — Obrenovitch Dynasty as compared with Karageorgevitch — Last Flitting of the Turks — Michel Archbishop of Belgrade —His Ingratitude to his Predecessor Peter — Intrigues against Prince Milosch — Opposition to Prince Michel and Prince Milan — Ministry of M. Pirochanatz — Servian Finance and Taxation — Poll-Tax — Tax on Officials and Professional Men — Action of Archbishop repudiated by Synod — Deposition of Archbishop Michel . . CONTENTS. XI

Chapter V

Servia's Two Campaigns against Turkey* — Russia's Idealism and Engand's Practical Views — Nicholas Kireef — Servian Sympathy with Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1875 — M. Ristitch's Proposal to send Confidential Minister to the Porte abandoned — Envoy to Prince Nicholas — Plans vetoed by Russia — General Tchernayeff's Mission, April, 1876 — Bulgarian Atrocities — M. Nikolitch — Armistice — Views of M. Aksakoff on Armistice — Treaty between Turkey and Servia signed on equal Terms — Russo-Turkish War — Russia's Proposed Division of Spoil — Treaty of Berlin— Future of Macedonia — Its Language and Historical Bonds — " Old Servia" — M. de Laveleye — Russian and Turkish Attempts to destroy everything Serb in Macedonia — Treaty of San Stefano — Montenegrin, Bulgarian, and Servian Spoils — Prince Gortschakoff's Memoirs — Austria at Salonica ....... 83

Chapter VI

Radicals of Servia — Ristitch — Pirochanatz Ministry — Free Press — New Commercial Treaties — National Bank — Railways — Land for the People — No Poor Laws — Serb Parish Priest —Leaders of Rebellion of 1883 — Petar Theodorovitch — Racha Milochevitch — Pachitch — His Corrupt Character — His Cowardice — Meaning of " Radical " — Radical Decoys — The Red Ticket — Servia's " Great "Unpaid " — Choumadia — ■ Russian Pedlars — Russia's Love for Servia's Opposition Statesmen . 100

Chapter VII

Aptitude of Serbs for Commerce — Salonica Route — Austrian Competition with British Trade — Serb Exports— Rus- CONTENTS. sian Opposition to Serb Railways — Semendria — The Homes of Serb Peasants — Peasant Deputies — Serb Officials — Serb Jews — Just Treatment of Turks — Crea tion of Peasant Proprietors — Departure of Turks and Arrival of Serbs from Turkey — Beauty of Serb Scenery — The Fountain of the Skulls — Peasant Women — Are Serbs " addicted to Wine " ? . . . .118

Chapter VIII

Across the Serb Frontier— Kumanovo — Turkish Coffee and Turkish Railway Travelling—" The Bloody Tower "— The Murder of the Consuls— A Just Turk—" At Home " with Murderers — "The White Tower"— A Turkish Witch — Plain Speech with the Sultan — Salonica — A Dream of the Future ..... 136

Chapter IX

Bismarck's Unity in Trinity — Shadows on Balkan Lands — A Divided Household — The Jacks of the Balkans — Old Servia — Count Khevenhuller — Bregova — Karaveloff 's Protection Barrier against Servia — Garaschanine's Views in 1884 — Austrian Advice — " Territorial Compensation " — The Three Days' Campaign — Submission of the Conqueror ....... 151

Chapter X

Net Results of Serbo-Bulgarian Campaign — Release of Political Prisoners in Servia — Present Position of Serb Parties — Vambery on Ristitch — Patriotic Radicals v. Russophil Radicals ■ — Split in Progi essist Party — A Triple Alliance — - A Confederation of Free Slavonic States CONTENTS. XIII

Chapter XI

Servia's Legend King — The Poland of the Balkans — Free Education — Kissing and Shaking the Hand — The Subordinate Position of Women — Belgrade — State-Education pursued abroad — Servia's Statesmen educated at the Expense of the State — Compulsory Service in the Army — Serb National Church and its Head — Monks and Parochial Clergy — Piety of Peasants — Homestead Law — State Granaries — Low Taxation — Monks — Divorce — Lord Palmerston's Mot — Turkish Opinion of Railways— Cobden's Opinion of Serbs .... 182

Chapter XII

Is Greece an Extinct Volcano ? — Earthquake — Heat — Acropolis — Marathon— Delyannis — " Every Five Greeks, Six Generals " — A People redeemed without a Redeemer —Greater Greece 202

Chapter XIII

An Interview with Tricoupis — A Hardworked Statesman — The Land Question — Peasant Proprietors — Payment of Members — Tricoupis and Delyannis compared as Speakers — Greek Reform Bill — Living "By what sticks " — A Deputy as Godfather — Tricoupis " the Englishman" — King George — Greek Partiality for Russia — Lord Iddesleigh's Quintuple Alliance — What we have Gained by Coercing Greece — Proposed Reforms in Army and Navy — Greek Finance — Paper Money — The Anglesey of Greek Finance Ministers — Free Education — " Conventicles " — Priests — No Oath Question — " Water is best " — -Indirect Protection . CONTENTS.

Chapter XIV

Prince Alexander of Battenberg — Elected Prince of Bulgaria — The Zankoff Part}* — " Russia's Honey and Sting " — Karaveloff — The Abortive Kidnapping of 1883 — Skobeleff and the ungrateful Hebrew — Serb Campaign — Russia objects to Prince Alexander being named Governor-General of Eastern Roumelia — The Bourgas Conspiracy — Karaveloffs Opportunism — The Russo- Zankoff Press— Warlike Rumours . . .232

Chapter XV

Mutterings before the Storm — Opening of the Kidnapping Drama — On Board the Prince's Yacht — The Landing at Reni — Zankoff a Born Conspirator — Clement and his Black Gentry — Major Grueff's Sabre — Nikiforoff, Benderoff, and Stoyanoff — The Strouma Regiment — The Balance at the Bank — Grueff's Idealism t . 247

Chapter XVI

A Government by Lies — Stambouloff — Captain Jones talks over Montkouroff — " The Great Patriot's " Portrait- Captain Weltscheff — The Army declares for the Prince — Fall of the Kidnappers — Montkouroff's Telegram to Karaveloff— Stambouloff's Cabinet . . . 263

Chapter XVII

Zankoff's Fiasco— " Friend Milan"— The Frince's Telegram and the Czar's Reply — The Prince's Return — Russian Agents at Work— " By Sap and Mine "—" Offenbach Music " — The Entrance into Sofia . . . CONTENTS. XV

Chapter XVIII

j Prince Alexander stoops to Conquer — Montenegro a Political Barometer — The Prince speaks to the Officers — His Address to the Soldiers — Sir Frank Lascelles's Opinion of the Prince — The Prince addresses the Diplomatic Corps — The Regency — Bulgarian "Anarchy"- — The Prince's Farewell 291

Chapter XIX

Plevna 1877 — Sofia 1886— "We Bulgarians do not like bloodshed " — The Varna Regiment — Lascelles's Opinion of the Bulgarians — Punishment of the Mutinous Troops — Clement blesses the Standards — Zankoff calls on Lascelles — No Prince, no Loan — "No Highness, only two Germans " ...... 304 CHAPTEE XX. Bulgaria a Democracy — The Parliament House — Gadban Effendi — The Meeting of the Deputies — The Eegents — Zankoff takes a Back Seat — Karaveloff " a verycommon - looking man " — Karaveloff's Learning — Worship of Herbert Spencer — Cheers for " the Absent Prince "—The Members' Poll Call— The Election of the President — The Battenberg Party — The Eadical and Zankoffite Point of View — General Kaulbars — The Plot to kidnap the Ministers — Filuff — Loving by Order — The Eaid on the Ballot Boxes — The Eeturn of the Prince 314

Chapter XXI

Bulgarians Great Readers — Slaveikoff — " Russian has not improved my style " — His Favourite Novels — The Destruction of his Library — What the Turks have CONTENTS. done for the Bulgarians — The Macedonian Question — Slaveikoffs Translation of the Bible — Slaveikoff and Stambouloff — Russia's Claim on Bulgaria's Gratitude — Is Russia wise ? ..... 332

Chapter XXII

The Robinson Crusoe of Europe — Rate of Wages — Cost of Living — Razors, but no Pipes — A Courteous Peasantry — An Educational Crisis — Religion in State-supported Schools — A Bulgarian and a Greek Visit to the Churchyard — Land to be bought cheap — -Virgil and Horace on the Balkans — Ovid in the Dobratcha — Dobratcha inhabited by Bulgarians — Derivation of Dobratcha — Bulgaria and Roumania — Winter Climate — Treatment of Travellers — Treatment of Cattle — A Village Fete — Greek Patriotism contrasted with Bulgarian — " We are doing this for our soldiers " — Newspapers — The Custom of Prestana — English Sympathy with Bulgarians of old date 340

Chapter XXIII

Sofia — The Consular Quadrilateral — Philippopoli — Its Mixed Population — The Modern Esther — Love of Musio — Public Libraries — " Southern Bulgaria " — Barracks and Jail — Jobbery — Cafes — "Business stands paralysed" —Bad Trade — "The Law's Delay" — The Want of Railways — " Stop and do not reason " — The Russian Eagle — The Forces of the Unseen Time . .361 Appendices 377, 386, 392, 395 Statistical Table ...... 400, 401 Index _, THE GROWTH OF FREEDOM IN THE BALKAN PENINSULA.

Chapter I

The Stones of Montenegro — Njeguschi — Montenegrins Free Traders — Treaty with Great Britain — Peter Petrovitch Njegusch — " The Crown of the Mountain " — Past and Present Form of Government — History — Stephen Dushan — Kossovo — Danilo Petrovitch — Montenegrin Occupation of Cattaro — Assassination of Prince Danilo and Prince Michel — The Montenegrin abroad — Cettinje — Diplomatic Dinner — Treatment of Prisoners — Mutilation — Women of Cettinje — State Salaries — Montenegrin versus Bulgarian — Religion of Soap — The Press of Montenegro — Tree of Justice — Serb Marriages — Montenegrin Graveyard — Dulcigno and Antivari — Hostages to Fortune — Story of the National Debt — Prospects. The stranger who enters Montenegro by night is not likely to forget it. The few figs and pome granates that struggle among the rocks near Cattaro, disappear as we approach the stone that marks the boundary between the Empire of Austria and the Principality of Montenegro.

We had no sooner crossed the frontier than the guide, who accompanied us from Cattaro, and who was an I's THE BALKAN PENINSULA. Austrian subject, slipped from his horse and knelt and kissed the consecrated soil. The soil of -Mon tenegro may well be called consecrated ; for what higher form of consecration can the fatherland receive than the blood of its sons shed in its defence ? Yet it was not for fertile fields that the Montenegrins fought, but for barren moun tains. As you enter Montenegro, you see nothing but stones. ' In daylight the stones of Mon tenegro weary the eye with their gray colour, but at night, under the moonlight, they take to themselves weird and ghostly shapes, and peer at you like the gargoyles of some northern cathedral. Here and there a beech-tree stands erect, looking for all the world like a sentinel, though you have now entered a land that needs neither sentinel nor policeman.

Civilisation has not yet brought the thief in her train to Montenegro. The old tradi tion of England under King Alfred, that a child could travel through the land, purse in hand, unguarded, without harm or hurt, is certainly true of the Montenegro of to-day. Revolving many things in my mind, I rode, on a fine frosty night of September 1882, to Njeguschi. This is only a little village of well-built stone cottages, yet surely its history should make it remarkable among the MONTENEGRO. 3 cities of Europe. Njeguschi stands on virgin soil that the foot of the invader has never desecrated. Four times have the Turks burnt Cettinje, but Njeguschi they have never succeeded in taking. Of how many towns of Europe can it be said that no stranger has ever entered it, save in peace ! Another thought may also occur to the stranger in Njeguschi, that though he is now approaching the capital of Montenegro, he has seen no building resembling a Custom House.

The fact is, from one of the severest protective States in the world, he has entered what is, perhaps, the only State in Europe that maintains the free-trade principles of England. A ten-years' treaty of commerce has recently been concluded between this country and Great Britain. This is a matter for congratulation, and whatever may be the political future of the little Principality, her commercial treaty with us will be respected, until it expires by effluxion of time. Unfortunately our high diplomatists over looked this very vital matter, when they authorised the occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austrian troops. Before the Treaty of Berlin, about half-a-million sterling of English goods used to be imported annually into Bosnia. This trade with England has been entirely destroyed by the B THE BALKAN PENINSULA.

Austrian Government placing an 80 per cent duty on all imported goods. It might very easily have been provided by the Berlin Treaty that the occupation of the Turkish villayet of Bosnia was in no way to interfere with her commercial rela tions, but this was overlooked by plenipotentiaries more accustomed to la haute politique than ledger balances. Probably the oversight with respect to Bosnia opened the eyes of our Foreign Office to the importance of keeping a market for British goods ; hence the treaty under which all English goods are imported free of duty into Montenegro, the Montenegrins only reserving to themselves the right of levying a maximum duty of 8 per cent. At present the only charge on foreign products in Montenegro is a tax of 4 per cent, ad valorem on all sales effected by storekeepers.

The tax-gatherer makes a round of the stores every three or four months, and ascertains the amount of goods actually sold. The storekeeper, therefore, only pays duty on his realised profit. In Austria there is a prohibitive duty, and in Turkey an 8 per cent. duty. There is no wonder then that the border towns of Montenegro drive a roaring trade, and that the subjects both of Austria and Turkey flock in to purchase foreign goods. MONTENEGBO. 5 But to continue our journey. As we first came in sight of Cettinje, we saw on the right a small chapel on the summit of a lofty mountain. It is there that the greatest poet who ever wrote in a Slav tongue lies buried. He was buried there at his own wish — a fitting spot in which to bury a poet. For there on " the crown of the mountain," the name of his greatest poem, he peacefully slumbers in the calm moonlight, and there he receives morning's first light.

This man is known in Slav literature as Peter Petrovitch Njegusch, and in Montenegrin history as Peter II. He was not only in his poetry a forerunner of Darwin — for his poem, " The Crown of the Mountain," is as full of thought as it is of imagination — but he was a wise ruler, ruling by the true divine right of being the best man in his country. On his death in 1851, Prince Danilo, the uncle of the present Prince, went to Russia, as the custom then was, to be con secrated the spiritual Prince and Bishop of Monte negro. The Emperor Nicholas seems to have laughed him out of this ancient practice, and the late Prince, instead of converting himself into monk and bishop, returned to his own country and married. Of course, there was a great uproar. Half the leading personages in the State, who are naturally Conservative, were put in prison ; but the storm soon blew over, and now the episcopal rulers of Montenegro are a thing of the past.

The present form of government in Montenegro is at once the most despotic and the most popular in Europe — despotic, because the will of the Prince is the law of the land ; and popular, because the personal rule of the Prince meets all the wants and wishes of his people. No Sovereign in Europe sits so firmly on his throne as the Prince of this little State, and no Sovereign is so absolute. The Montenegrins have no army ; they are them selves a standing army. They go to war with the same zest that an English school-boy takes to cricket. "We should have to go back to times before the Norman Conquest to find an English man of the same stamp as the modern Monte negrin. In the late war, the Prince found a Montenegrin of eighty years of age in the ranks. The Prince told him he was too old to fight ; the man said, "No;" and when the Prince insisted, the octogenarian drew a pistol from his belt and shot himself.

The Prince is naturally proud of his subjects, and often speaks of his capital as being more secure than either Belgrade or Bucharest. Cettinje is, indeed, only an open village, but it MONTENEGBO. possesses that best of fortifications — brave men. But before we make the personal acquaintance of some of these Spartans of modern Europe, we will very brierly trace the history of their country. Montenegro formed part of the empire of Stephen Dushan, the famous " Emperor of the Serbs, Greeks, and Bulgarians." It was not necessary for Stephen Dushan to proclaim himself Emperor of the Montenegrins, as the term Serb then, as now, included Montenegrins. If you ask a Montenegrin what language he speaks, he replies, " Serb." The Serb Emperor Lazar fell gloriously fighting at Kossovo in 1389. The number of ballads written on this battle is legion, and to this day the Montenegrin wears a strip of black silk upon his head-gear in memory of that fatal day.

The lowlands of Servia having lost their indepen dence at Kossovo, the highlands of Servia became a city of refuge to which all Serbs might fly, and these highlands came to be known as Monte negro. Thus Montenegro became an independent Principality. In 1516, the last of its hereditary princes abdicated, and for a period of one hundred and eighty years Montenegro was governed by elective bishops. This was a period of incessant fighting, and although their alliance was sought and obtained by Austria, Russia and Venice, whenever one of those Powers was at war with Turkey, the Montenegrins were always abandoned by its ally to the Sublime Porte, when peace was made. No wonder that Danilo Petrovitch at first refused the honour of being hereditary Vladika or Bishop. The throne of Montenegro nearly proved to him a martyr's throne.

He was condemned to be crucified by a Turkish pasha, from whom he had purchased a safe-conduct. He bore the cross a day's journey, and must have already felt the agony of death, when he was ransomed by his subjects. This happened in 1702. Hap pily for the Christians of the East, the cruelty of Turkish pashas had been tempered by their venality. As only the land-marks of her history are being given here, the incident of Stephen the Little, the Perkin TVarbeck of Russia, must be passed over ; suffice it to say, that her soil would be rich indeed, were it as fertile in produce as her history in incident. In 1813, Cattaro was (with the aid of a British fleet) taken from the French, and thus the Montenegrins secured an outlet to the sea. By the Treaty of Vienna this rocky shore, which merely forms the basis of the Black Mountain, was taken from Montenegro and given MONTENEGRO. to Austria.

England was in favour of Montenegro retaining the coast-line of the Bay of Cattaro, but Russia supported tbe pretensions of Austria. No wonder my guide so fervently assured me that he was no Austrian, though had he known Montene grin history better, he would have loved Russia as little as Austria. " A curse on both your Houses " might well be the exclamation of a Montenegrin. The Conservatives, who objected to the abolition of the post of Vladika, or hereditary bishop, were perfectly right, and for this reason. Up to 1851, the Montenegrins had been wont to look up to the Prince of Servia as the head of the Serb race, while Serbs of the Danubian Principality looked up to the Vladika as the spiritual head of the Serb Church. On the instigation of the Czar all this was changed. The Prince of Montenegro thus became the rival of his neighbour in Servia.

Danilo was, however, so great a man, that he could afford to take a second place. He declared himself the first soldier in the army of the head of his race, Michel, Prince of Servia. The close alliance of the two Serb princes would have been fruitful in blessings to their own subjects, and would have strengthened a hundredfold the prospects of Euro pean peace. Soon after his famous utterance of goodwill and unity with Servia, Prince Danilo was assassinated at Cattaro. In 1868 Prince Michel was assassinated at Belgrade. The secret springs of these nefarious deeds have never been made public, but it is at least significant that prior to Danilo's murder Russia withdrew the annual allowance she had been in the practice of making him. The withdrawal of this allowance produced a deficit in the national revenue, which Prince Danilo endeavoured to cover by fresh taxes.

These taxes caused disturbances, and the distur bances were followed by Prince Danilo's assassination. A few lines among its Reuter's telegrams is all the space that even the Times could sind for the murder of Prince Danilo. Columns have been filled by the recent kidnapping of the Prince of Bulgaria. It is decidedly better policy to murder and not to kidnap. Live stolen goods are always difficult to warehouse, and have an awkward knack, like the proverbial chickens, of returning to roost. Danilo was assassinated by a Montene grin. It is a painful fact, that while the Mon tenegrin on his native rocks is a loyal, brave, and tender-hearted man, when he once leaves his mountain, he too often sinks to the very lowest level of humanity, and becomes the worst type of MONTENEGRO. 11 cut-throat, private and political.

There is a wide difference between the Montenegrin at home and abroad. The accomplices of the Russian officer, who murdered General Skobeleff's mother near Philippopoli, were Montenegrins. The would-be assassins of Prince Alexander in the Bourgas con spiracy of 1886 were Montenegrins. These facts are no mere coincidences, but the results of centuries of passive obedience and incessant warfare. The traveller who formerly entered Cettinje at night might have mistaken (as I did) the Palace for the inn. A courteous sentinel prevented my forcing an entrance, and directed me to the tavern, where (unlike Shenstone) I had but an indifferent welcome. Indeed the traveller, who wakes up in Cettinje, will have difficulty in believing that he is in one of the capitals of Europe. What Athens was fifty years ago, that Cettinje is to-day.

Under King Otho, Athens was only an Albanian village, with 8000 inhabitants ; under Prince Nicholas, Cettinje is a Serb village with 2000 inhabitants. The traveller will look out of his window down a straggling street. To his left, rising above the cottages of Cettinje, he will see the Prince's Palace. Above the Palace is the Cloister, and above the Cloister the belfry, where the heads of decapitated Turks used to be impaled in days gone by. To his right he will see the Hospital. Except these buildings, a girls' high school, maintained at the charge of the Empress of Russia, and a few houses that have recently been erected for the Foreign Legations, all in Cettinje is squalid and unpicturesque. And yet to this village Ministers are accredited from the leading Courts of Europe, and the diplomatic communication between Vienna, or St. Petersburg, and Cettinje is even more vigilant and frequent than that between those capitals and London.

If but a few years ago you had entered one of these Legations, you would not have found the comfort of an English cottage. Tou would perhaps have been fortunate enough to receive an invitation to dine at the Legation of one of the Great Powers. The dinner would be served on an unopened whist table, and so close would be your quarters, that the four soup plates touched. The only other pieces of furniture in the room besides the chair you sat on were a sofa and a bed. It was with good reason that your host exclaimed that nothing but a sense of patriotism could induce a man to live in such a country ; as for a dog or horse, he added, MONTENEGRO. they died here. The Montenegrins enjoy a bad reputation for their treatment of prisoners and animals. This reputation is undeserved. The Montenegrins treat horses and cattle well.