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If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: An Observer in the Near East - -Author: William Le Queux - -Release Date: July 5, 2021 [eBook #65766] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: KD Weeks, Tim Lindell, University of Oregon Libraries and the - Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net - (This file was produced from images generously made available - by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN OBSERVER IN THE NEAR EAST *** - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s Note: - -This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. -Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. Footnotes have -been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are referenced - -Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please -see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding -the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - An Observer - in the - Near East - - - - - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - =Unwin’s Colonial Library.= - - 271. =The Seven Streams.= By WARWICK DEEPING. - 272. =Love in the Lists.= By K. L. MONTGOMERY (Author of “The - Cardinal’s Pawn”). - 273. =The Pride o’ the Morning.= By AGNES GIBERNE. - 274. =The Web of the Past.= By the COUNTESS OF CROMARTIE. - 275. =Saints in Society.= By MARGARET BAILLIE-SAUNDERS. - 276. =A Supreme Moment.= By Mrs. HAMILTON SYNGE. - 277. =The Fatal Ring.= By DICK DONOVAN. - 278. =The Procession of Life.= By HORACE A. VACHELL (Author of - “Brothers,” “The Hill,” etc.). - 279. =The Rise of Philip Barrett.= By DAVID LYALL. - 280. =Beggar’s Luck.= By NELLIE K. BLISSETT. - 281. =The Marquis’s Eye.= By G. F. BRADBY. - 282. =The Parson’s Wood.= By VIOLET A. SIMPSON. - 283. =Captain Maroon.= By ROBERT STUART. - 284. =The Third Kiss.= By HERBERT FLOWERDEW. - 285. =The Difficult Way.= By MABEL DEARMER. - 286. =Dick Pentreath.= By KATHARINE TYNAN. - 287. =The Princess Priscilla’s Fortnight.= By the Author of “Elizabeth - and Her German Garden.” - 288. =The Flight of Georgiana.= By R. N. STEPHENS. - 289. =The Lady Noggs, Peeress.= By EDGAR JEPSON (Author of “The - Admirable Tinker”). - 290. =A Dazzling Reprobate.= By W. R. H. TROWBRIDGE. - 291. =The Lapse of Vivien Eady.= By CHARLES MARRIOTT. - 292. =The Smiths of Surbiton.= By KEBLE HOWARD. Illustrated. - 293. =The Blue Peter.= By MORLEY ROBERTS. - 294. =Fanny Lambert.= By H. DE VERE STACPOOLE. - 295. =A Son of Arvon.= By GWENDOLEN PRICE. A Welsh Story. - 296. =A Millionaire’s Courtship.= By Mrs. ARCHIBALD LITTLE. - 297. =An American Duchess.= By ARABELLA KENEALY. - 298. =The Adventures of a Supercargo.= By LOUIS BECKE. - 299. =Cecilia’s Lovers.= By AMELIA E. BARR. - 300. =The Grey Domino.= By Mrs. CHAMPION DE CRESPIGNY. - 301. =The Prey of the Strongest.= By MORLEY ROBERTS. - - 302. =Men at Arms.= By Major W. P. DRURY. - 303. =Sons of the Milesians.= By the COUNTESS OF CROMARTIE. - 304. =A Double Marriage.= By LUCAS CLEEVE. - 305. =The House in Spring Gardens.= By Major ARTHUR GRIFFITHS. - 306. =Whispers about Women.= By LEONARD MERRICK. - 307. =Latter-Day Sweethearts.= By Mrs. BURTON HARRISON. - 308. =Law not Justice.= By FLORENCE WARDEN. - 309. =An Impetuous Girl.= By ADELINE SERGEANT. - 310. =Man and Maid.= By E. NESBIT. - 311. =Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman.= By E. W. HORNUNG. - 312. =The Nymph.= By F. DICKBERRY (Author of “The Storm of London”). - 313. =New Treasure Seekers.= By E. NESBIT. Illustrated. - 314. =Counsels of the Night.= By LUCAS CLEEVE. - 315. =The Dream and the Business.= By JOHN OLIVER HOBBES. - 316. =A Matrimonial Lottery.= By C. O’CONOR ECCLES. - 317. =Lady Fitzmaurice’s Husband.= By ARABELLA KENEALY. - 318. =Silas Strong.= By IRVING BACHELLER (Author of “Eben Holden”). - 319. =A Drama in Sunshine.= By HORACE A. VACHELL (Author of - “Brothers”). - 320. =Saba Macdonald.= By “RITA.” - 321. =The Whip Hand.= By KEBLE HOWARD (Author of “The Smiths of - Surbiton”). - 322. =The Woman Thou Gavest.= By LADY TROUBRIDGE. - 323. =The Crystal Age.= By W. H. HUDSON. - 324. =The Soul Stealer.= By C. RANGER GULL (GUY THORNE). - 325. =A Gamble with Life.= By SILAS K. HOCKING. - 326. =The Great Court Scandal.= By WILLIAM LE QUEUX. - 327. =The Iron Gates.= By ANNIE E. HOLDSWORTH. - 328. =At the Sign of the Peacock.= By K. C. RYVES. - 329. =The Red Burgee.= By MORLEY ROBERTS. - 330. =The Modern Way.= By Mrs. W. K. CLIFFORD. - 331. =Success in Life.= By Dr. EMIL REICH. - 332. =The Sins of Society.= By FATHER BERNARD VAUGHAN. - 333. =The New Chronicles of Don “Q.”= By K. and HESKETH PRICHARD. - - LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN. - NOTE.—_A List of the Colonial Library, Nos. 1 to 270, can be had on - application._ - -[Illustration: HIS MAJESTY KING PETER I. OF SERVIA.] - - AN OBSERVER IN - THE NEAR EAST - - - - - - - - - _ILLUSTRATED BY PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE AUTHOR - AND PRINCESS XENIA OF MONTENEGRO_ - - - - - - - - - _COLONIAL EDITION_ - (_This Edition is for Circulation in the British Colonies only_) - - - - - - - - - LONDON - T. FISHER UNWIN - ADELPHI TERRACE - 1907 - - - - - _All rights reserved_ - - - - - PREFACE - - -The reason of the anonymity of this book is obvious. Revealing as it -does the actual state of affairs in the Balkan Peninsula in this present -year of grace 1907, it contains many plain truths and much outspoken -criticism. - -By a long journey of close, confidential inquiry through Montenegro, -Northern Albania, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Servia, Bulgaria, -Roumania, Turkey, and Macedonia, I have, at risk of betraying certain -information imparted to me under seal of secrecy, endeavoured to place -the actual and serious truth before English readers, and thus render -complicated questions, such as Bulgaria and the Exarchate, more -intelligible than heretofore. - -Private audiences were granted me by the various kings and princes of -the Balkan States, and by His Imperial Majesty the Sultan, as well as by -almost each member of the various Cabinets in turn, so that I was -enabled to gather information, some of which is, of course, known in the -chancelleries of Europe, while other facts will probably come as a -revelation, even to Balkan diplomats themselves. - -What I was told in one country was often contradicted in the next. Yet, -possessing many “friends at Court,” I was afforded unique facilities for -studying, in each country, the various questions on the spot. My -inspection of the Servian prisons, in company with the Minister of -Justice, was, for instance, the first occasion upon which a foreigner -has been allowed to study the penal system in that country; while I am, -I believe, the only Englishman to visit and be the guest of those wild -brigandish tribes of Northern Albania. - -The secret aims and aspirations of the various Balkan States herein -explained are based upon actual information gathered from confidential -and reliable sources. The exposure of the shameful German and Austrian -intrigues is no mere idle denunciation, but are actual facts, as -revealed to me by certain Cabinet Ministers and other persons equally -responsible, and supported by documentary evidence which I have had -through my own hands. - -As regards that land of terror, fire, and sword, Macedonia, I can only -say that I have spared the reader many horrifying details and -photographs of what I saw there with my own eyes. The blood of those -poor defenceless women and children who are daily slaughtered by Greek -bands cries aloud to Europe for vengeance. - -Will there be war between Bulgaria and Turkey during the present year? - -To arrive at a definite conclusion upon that very serious point was one -of the chief objects of my inquiry, and this record of its -result—injudicious though I may be in putting it in print—will probably -be read with interest by many to whom the Near East, with its mysteries, -its constant plots, and its tangled politics, is as a closed book. - -All through the Balkan Peninsula the weak are to-day being crushed by -the strong. The Austrian Eagle has overshadowed and grasped Bosnia, she -has her talons into Servia, and is casting covetous glances upon gallant -little Montenegro. On the other hand, as part of the secret policy of -Christian Germany in her advance southward, the poor defenceless -Macedonians are being daily outraged, murdered, or burned alive—the true -facts being always suppressed and the news scarcely ever being allowed -to leak out—while the Kaiser every day lifts his eyes to Heaven, -implores the Divine aid, and consigns the destinies of his Empire to the -direction of the Almighty! - -To Germany, in great measure, is the present terrible state of Macedonia -due. Her diplomacy at the Sublime Porte has recently exposed, beyond all -doubt, that she secretly aids Greece and abets the Greek bands in their -nefarious work of outrage, murder, and extermination. - -The Kaiser could, by simply lifting his hand, stem the blood-lust of -those armed hordes, and bring peace and security to the Macedonian -population. But his secret policy is to create disorder in that -terror-stricken country, so that Bulgaria and Turkey must be compelled, -ere long, to fly at each other’s throats. - -Therefore he closes his Imperial eyes to those scenes of wanton -slaughter that daily are a disgrace to our civilisation in this -twentieth century, and matters are rapidly going from bad to worse. - - - - -SOFIA, _April 1907_. - - - - - CONTENTS - - ------- - - MONTENEGRO - - - CHAPTER I - THE CITY IN THE SKY - - PAGE - - Why I went to the Balkans—The road to Montenegro—Cettinje and its - petroleum tins—About the blood-feud—England and - Montenegro—Warned not to attempt to go to Albania—My guide a - marked man—The story of Tef—A woman’s fickleness, and its - sequel 19 - - CHAPTER II - AN AUDIENCE OF PRINCE NICHOLAS - - The Palace at Cettinje—A cigarette with the Prince—The policy of - Montenegro—A confidential chat—His Royal Highness’s admiration - for England—His views upon Macedonia—He urges me not to attempt - to go to Albania, but I persuade him to help me—His Highness’s - kindness—Souvenirs 29 - - - NORTHERN ALBANIA - - - CHAPTER I - INTO A SAVAGE REGION - - Wildest Albania—Warnings not to attempt to travel there—I decide - to go, and take Palok—Prince Nicholas of Montenegro bids us - farewell—On the Lake of Scutari—Arrival at Skodra—Passports, - rabble, and backsheesh—Photographing the fortress in - secret—Treading dangerous ground—Albania the Unknown 41 - - - CHAPTER II - WHERE LIFE IS CHEAP - - Fired at in the street of Skodra—My comfortless inn—Panorama of - life—Armed bands of wild mountaineers in the streets—The Sign - of the Cross—-Scutarine people—The fascination of Skodra—In the - den of my friend Salko—Making purchases—Short shrift with - swindlers—Some genuine antiques—Ragged and shoeless soldiers of - the Sultan—Men shot in the blood-feud—“It is nothing!” 48 - - CHAPTER III - THE LAWLESS LAND - - My friend Pietro—Visit to his house—His wife and sister-in-law - unveil and are photographed—Scutarine hospitality—Forbidden - newspapers—I get one in secret—The Turkish post office—I want - to visit the Accursed Mountains—Difficulties and fears—The - Feast of the Madonna—Christians and Mohammedans—My first - meeting with the dreaded Skreli—Shots in the night 58 - - CHAPTER IV - IN THE ACCURSED MOUNTAINS - - Vatt Marashi, chief of the Skreli tribe, invites me to become his - guest—Our start for the Accursed Mountains—Rok, our - guide—Independence of the Skreli—Brigandage and the _bessa_—A - night under a rock—My meeting with Vatt Marashi and his - band—The Skreli welcome—How they treat the Turks—Vatt’s - admissions—I become the guest of brigands—A chat in the - moonlight 68 - - CHAPTER V - LIFE WITH A BRIGAND BAND - - The Skreli a lawless tribe—No man’s life safe unless the chief - gives his word—Vatt prophesies a rising against the Turks—Our - walks and talks—Our meeting with our neighbours the Kastrati, - and with Dêd Presci their chief—A girl who avenged her - husband’s death—The significant story of Kol—Manners and - customs of the wild tribes—Farewell to my good friend Dêd—An - incident a fortnight later 81 - - - BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - - CHAPTER I - SOME REVELATIONS - - Through Dalmatia to Herzegovina—Over the Balkan watershed—Bosnia - and Sarayevo—A half-Turkish, half-Servian town—Austrian - persecution of the Christians—Some astounding facts—A land of - spies and scandals—The police as murderers—A disgrace to - European civilisation 95 - - CHAPTER II - DUST IN THE EYES OF EUROPE - - How spies work in Bosnia—Secret agents dog the stranger’s - footsteps—My own experience—Fighting the spy with his own - weapons—To “nobble” the foreigner—How an unfavourable book was - purchased by the Austrian Government—Bribery of Press - correspondents—A country worse than Russia—Some suggested - reforms—The secret policy of Austria in the Balkans 108 - - - SERVIA - - - CHAPTER I - THE TRUTH ABOUT SERVIA - - The diplomatic circle in Belgrade—Studying both sides of the - Servian question—Austrian intrigue—113 known foreign spies in - Belgrade!—An illustration of the work of secret agents—Quaint - Servian customs—Pauperism unknown—Servia to-day and to-morrow 119 - - CHAPTER II - AN AUDIENCE OF KING PETER - - At the New Konak—I sign His Majesty’s birthday-book—The - audience-chamber—King Peter greets me, and we chat over - cigarettes—My private audience—His Majesty and English - capitalists—Great openings for British enterprise—The King - gives me some instances of paying concerns, and tells me many - interesting facts—His Majesty invites me to return 130 - - CHAPTER III - SERVIA’S AIMS AND ASPIRATIONS - - Audiences of M. Pachitch, the Premier and “strong man” of Servia, - and of M. Stoyanovitch, Minister of Commerce—My friend, Dr. - Milenko Vesnitch, Minister of Justice—The Servian case as I - found it—Austria Servia’s arch-enemy—Dr. Vesnitch a smart - up-to-date politician—Undeniable prosperity of the country - under King Peter’s rule 136 - - CHAPTER IV - THE FUTURE OF SERVIA - - Servia and the Macedonian question—A sound Cabinet—England and - Servia—Appointment of Mr. Beethom Whitehead as British Minister - very gratifying to the Servians—King Peter ever solicitous for - the welfare of the people—What the Prime Minister told me - concerning the future—The new railway to the Adriatic 146 - - CHAPTER V - TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW IN SERVIA - - A retrospect—A sitting of the Skupshtina—Peasants as - deputies—Servia as an open field for British - enterprise—Enormous mineral wealth—Mr. Finney, a mining - engineer who has prospected in Servia for seventeen years, - tells me some interesting facts regarding rich mines awaiting - development—No adventurers need apply 157 - - - BULGARIA - - - CHAPTER I - SOFIA OF TO-DAY - - At the Bulgarian frontier—A chat with M. Etienne, French - ex-Minister of War—Evening in Sofia—A city of rapid - progress—Engaging peasants for Earl’s Court Exhibition—Amusing - episodes—Social life in Sofia—The diplomats’ club—The Bulgarian - Government grant me special facilities for investigation 181 - - CHAPTER II - BULGARIA AS A FIELD FOR BRITISH ENTERPRISE - - Audiences of members of the Bulgarian Cabinet—Dr. Dimitri - Stancioff, Minister for Foreign Affairs, the coming man of - Bulgaria—His policy—Facts about the mineral wealth and mining - laws—Advice to traders and capitalists by the British - Vice-Consul in Sofia—Our methods as compared with those of - other nations 191 - - CHAPTER III - WILL BULGARIA DECLARE WAR? - - A sitting of the Sobranje—Declarations by the late Prime Minister - Petkoff and Dr. Stancioff—The new Minister of Foreign Affairs—A - sound progressive government—Strong army and firm policy—Will - the deplorable state of Macedonia still be tolerated?—Ominous - words 197 - - CHAPTER IV - THE BULGARIAN EXARCHATE AND THE PORTE - - A difficult and little-understood problem—Bulgaria the “dark - horse” of the Peninsula—An explanation of the question between - Bulgaria and Turkey—The Bulgarian Church and the Imperial - Firman—The present position of the Exarchate—Europe should - listen to the Bulgarian demand—Chats with Macedonian - orphans—Their terrible stories 206 - - CHAPTER V - AT A ROSE DISTILLERY - - Tobacco growing in Bulgaria—The otto-of-rose industry—About - adulteration—Difficulties of obtaining the pure - extract—Corrupting the peasant—What Monsieur Shipkoff told - me—Some tests to discover adulteration—Interesting facts about - roses 217 - - CHAPTER VI - THE FUTURE OF BULGARIA - - Bulgaria’s future greatness—Her firm policy in Macedonia—An - audience of Dr. Stancioff, Minister of Foreign Affairs—A chat - with the Prime Minister—Turkey the enemy of Bulgaria—Balkan - “news” in the London papers—How it is manufactured—Turkish - dominion doomed 226 - - - ROUMANIA - - - CHAPTER I - BUCHAREST OF TO-DAY - - My friend the spy—How I was watched through the Balkans—An - exciting half-hour—The Paris of the Near East—Gaiety, - extravagance, and pretty women—Forty years of progress—The - paradise of the idler—Husbands wanted! 235 - - CHAPTER II - ROUMANIA’S AIMS AND INTENTIONS - - Monsieur Take Jonesco, Minister of Finance—The smartest man in - Roumania—An interview with General Lahovary, Minister of - Foreign Affairs—Secret aims of Roumania—A better frontier - wanted—Germany’s insincerity—Some plain truths—The question of - a Balkan Federation—Oil wells waiting to be exploited by - British capital 244 - - - CHAPTER III - A CHAT WITH THE QUEEN OF ROUMANIA - - The royal drawing-room—Her Majesty’s greeting—Her kind words of - welcome—Roumania not in the Balkan States—We talk politics—The - name of “Carmen Sylva”—The Queen’s deep interest in the - blind—She shows me some photographs—Public interest in the new - institution—I visit it next day 253 - - - TURKEY - - - CHAPTER I - THE LAND OF THE WANING MOON - - The Orient Express again—On the Black Sea to Constantinople—A - disenchantment—My dragoman—How to bribe the Customs - officers—Mud and dogs—A city of spies—Feebleness of British - policy at the Porte—Turkish adoration of Germany—The basis of - my confidential inquiries 265 - - CHAPTER II - IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH - - His Excellency Noury Pasha—A quiet chat at his home—Turkish view - of European criticism—The Turk misunderstood—The massacres in - Macedonia—My visit to the Sublime Porte—His Excellency Tewfik - Pasha tells me the truth—A great diplomatist—The fashion to - denounce Turkey—The attitude of the Porte towards - Bulgaria—Significant words 274 - - - MACEDONIA - - - CHAPTER I - PLAIN TRUTHS ABOUT MACEDONIA - - War imminent between Bulgaria and Turkey—My secret - inquiries—Atrocities by the Greek bands—Chats with the leaders - of the insurrection—The truth about the intrigues in - Macedonia—I visit the scene of the massacres—Stories told to - me—Horrifying facts—Germany behind the assassins—A disgraceful - truth 285 - - - CHAPTER II - THE TRUTH EXPOSED - - Summary of my confidential information—War this year—The attitude - of Greece, Bulgaria, Roumania, and Turkey—Procrastination, - promises, and perfect politeness—A matter more serious than - Macedonia—Warning to British statesmen and the public—The real - truth exposed—Germany and India 299 - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - HIS MAJESTY KING PETER OF SERVIA _Frontispiece_ - MAP OF THE AUTHOR’S ROUTE THROUGH THE NEAR EAST 16 - PERO, MY MONTENEGRIN DRIVER 20 - ALBANIANS IN CETTINJE 20 - THE ROYAL PALACE, CETTINJE 24 - PRINCIPAL STREET IN CETTINJE 24 - HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE NICHOLAS OF MONTENEGRO 28 - THE PETROLEUM TINS OF CETTINJE 32 - THE MONASTERY, CETTINJE 32 - MR. CHAS. DES GRAZ, CHARGÉ D’AFFAIRES AT CETTINJE 34 - THE PIAZZA, RAGUSA 34 - RYEKA, MONTENEGRO 42 - ZABLIAK, MONTENEGRO 42 - PALOK, MY COMPANION THROUGH THE SKRELI COUNTRY 44 - IN SKODRA (TWO VIEWS) 48 - MY FRIEND SALKO OUTSIDE HIS HOUSE IN SKODRA 54 - PIETRO’S SISTER-IN-LAW UNVEILED BEFORE THE CAMERA 54 - ROK, TRIBESMAN OF THE SKRELI 58 - PIETRO LEKHA 58 - THE MADONNA OF SKODRA 64 - THE PROCESSION WITH AN ARMED GUARD 64 - THE MIREDITI: AN ALARM! 66 - THE MIREDITI AT PRAYER 66 - MY ROAD IN NORTHERN ALBANIA 70 - THE WAY TO THE SKRELI 70 - VATT MARASHI, CHIEF OF THE SKRELI TRIBE 74 - THE SKRELI AT HOME 76 - AN ALBANIAN VILLAGE 76 - AMONG THE SKRELI: LÛK AND HIS FRIENDS 80 - MRIKA, THE WOMAN WHO CARRIED ON THE BLOOD-FEUD 84 - MY BODYGUARD IN NORTHERN ALBANIA 90 - BUNAQUELLE, BOSNIA 96 - JAJACE, BOSNIA 96 - SARAYEVO, BOSNIA 112 - IN HERZEGOVINA 112 - HIS EXCELLENCY NICHOLAS PACHITCH, PRIME MINISTER OF 120 - SERVIA - HIS EXCELLENCY DR. MILENKO VESNITCH, SERVIAN MINISTER 124 - OF JUSTICE - HIS EXCELLENCY COSTA STOYANOVITCH, SERVIAN MINISTER OF 126 - COMMERCE - THE ROYAL PALACE, BELGRADE: THE BALLROOM 130 - ROYAL PALACE, BELGRADE (EXTERIOR) 132 - PRINCIPAL BOULEVARD OF BELGRADE 132 - HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE GEORGE OF SERVIA 134 - MR. BEETHOM WHITEHEAD, BRITISH MINISTER AT BELGRADE 138 - MR. ALEX. TUCKER, SERVIAN CONSUL-GENERAL IN LONDON 138 - THE ROAD TO THE EAST: THE LAST VIEW OF EUROPE 144 - VILLAGERS AND GIPSIES IN MIRIAVO (SERVIA) 144 - THE BRITISH LEGATION, BELGRADE 148 - THE KNES MIHAJELOWA, BELGRADE 148 - IN THE “KALEMEGDAN,” BELGRADE 160 - THE MARKET-PLACE, BELGRADE 160 - HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE FERDINAND OF BULGARIA 180 - PEASANTS IN SOFIA MARKET-PLACE 182 - THE OLD MOSQUE, SOFIA 182 - HIS EXCELLENCY DR. DIMITRI STANCIOFF, BULGARIAN 184 - MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS - THE LATE MONSIEUR D. PETKOFF, PRIME MINISTER OF 188 - BULGARIA - THE ROYAL PALACE, SOFIA 190 - THE MAIN BOULEVARD, SOFIA 190 - HIS EXCELLENCY N. GHENADIEFF, BULGARIAN MINISTER OF 192 - COMMERCE - EARLY MORNING IN SOFIA 194 - ON THE ROAD TO THE SHIPKA 194 - THE BULGARIAN SOBRANJE 196 - GEN. MICHAEL SAVOFF, BULGARIAN MINISTER OF WAR 198 - HIS EXCELLENCY L. PAYACOFF, BULGARIAN MINISTER OF 200 - FINANCE - SIR GEORGE BUCHANAN, BRITISH MINISTER AT SOFIA 200 - MILITARY MANŒUVRES IN BULGARIA (TWO VIEWS) 204 - PEASANTS AT VLADAJA, BULGARIA 208 - BULGARIAN MILITARY TYPES 208 - PEASANTS NEAR TIRNOVO, BULGARIA 210 - TZIGANES ON THE ISKER ROAD 214 - WHERE I SPENT A COMFORTLESS NIGHT IN BULGARIA 216 - BULGARIAN LAUNDRESSES 216 - THE ROSE-FIELDS NEAR KAZANLIK 220 - GATHERING ROSES AT KAZANLIK 224 - TESTING OTTO-OF-ROSE AT KAZANLIK 224 - BULGARIAN PEASANTS DANCING THE “HORO” 226 - SUMMIT OF THE SHIPKA PASS 228 - DEFILE OF THE ISKER 228 - HIS MAJESTY KING CHARLES OF ROUMANIA 234 - SNAP-SHOTS IN BUCHAREST (TWO VIEWS) 236 - THE ROYAL PALACE, BUCHAREST 240 - BOULEVARD ELISABETA, BUCHAREST 240 - HIS EXCELLENCY GEORGE CANTACUZEN, ROUMANIAN PRIME 244 - MINISTER - HIS EXCELLENCY TAKE JONESCO, ROUMANIAN MINISTER OF 244 - FINANCE - HIS EXCELLENCY GEO. G. MANU, ROUMANIAN MINISTER OF WAR 246 - SIR CONYNGHAM GREENE, BRITISH MINISTER AT BUCHAREST 246 - GEN. JACQUES LAHOVARY, ROUMANIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN 248 - AFFAIRS - HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF ROUMANIA 252 - THE QUEEN OF ROUMANIA’S BLIND INSTITUTE AT BUCHAREST 256 - BLIND INMATES AT WORK 260 - HIS EXCELLENCY TEWFIK PASHA, MINISTER OF FOREIGN 264 - AFFAIRS OF THE IMPERIAL OTTOMAN EMPIRE - HIS EXCELLENCY NOURY PASHA 274 - THE ENTRANCE TO THE BOSPHORUS 280 - IN CONSTANTINOPLE 280 - LAKE OF OCHRIDA, MACEDONIA 285 - LAKE OF PRESBA, MACEDONIA 285 - MACEDONIAN WOMAN ABDUCTED BY TURKS FROM KLENE, NEAR 288 - DEBR, AND RESCUED BY A BULGARIAN BAND - GENERAL TZONTCHEFF, THE BULGARIAN LEADER IN MACEDONIA 288 - A BULGARIAN BAND IN MACEDONIA 292 - GENERAL TZONTCHEFF IN MACEDONIA 304 - THE TURKISH BURIAL-GROUND AT SCUTARI, ASIA MINOR 304 - -[Illustration: - - THE NEAR EAST - - _Stanford’s Geog^{l.} Estab^{t.}, London._ - London: Eveleigh Nash. -] - - - - - MONTENEGRO - - - - - CHAPTER I - THE CITY IN THE SKY - -Why I went to the Balkans—The road to Montenegro—Cettinje and its - petroleum tins—About the blood-feud—England and Montenegro—Warned - not to attempt to go to Albania—My guide a marked man—The story of - Tef—A woman’s fickleness, and its sequel. - - -I entered the Balkans by the back door. The luxuries of the Orient -Express had no attraction for me. I wanted to see the Balkans as they -really are, those great, wild, mountainous countries, so full of race -hatreds, of political bickerings, of fierce blood-feuds, of feverish -propagandas—those nations with their interesting monarchs and their many -mysteries. - -The “Orient” runs direct from Paris to the Balkan capitals, it is true, -but if one goes to study a people the capital is not the only place in -which to discover the truth. One must go into the country, move among -the peasantry, hear their grievances and investigate their wrongs. -Therefore I decided to enter the East by Montenegro, and also visit the -wild and little-known regions of Northern Albania. - -The comfortable voyage by the Austrian-Lloyd mail steamer _Graf -Wurmbrand_ from Trieste down the Adriatic, touching at Pola, the -Austrian naval station, Lussinpiccolo, Zara—famed for its -maraschino—Sebenico, Spalato, and Gravosa to Cattaro, has been already -described by many writers. Suffice it to say that it is perhaps one of -the most picturesque of pleasure-trips in the world, for every moment -one has a fresh panorama of mountain and blue sea, of green, fertile -islands with subtropical vegetation, and tiny white villages nestling at -the sea’s edge, as the steamer threads her way through the narrow and -often difficult channels. - -At times the wild scenery, especially in the Bocche di Cattaro, reminds -the traveller of the Norwegian fiords, and at others the coast is an -almost exact reproduction of the French Riviera. - -The object of my journey was, however, not in order to write a mere -description of men and places. There have been other travellers in the -Balkans who have related their story, therefore my mission was to make -careful inquiry into the present unsettled state of affairs, try and -discover the grievances of both sides, and endeavour to obtain from the -rulers and statesmen of the various nations their aspirations for the -future. This I succeeded in doing, for the various monarchs of the -Balkans graciously gave me audience; and from their Ministers, from the -middle classes, and from the peasants, I was enabled at last to form -some conclusion as to the real situation—political, economical, social, -and financial. - -The writer who attempts to place the various Balkan questions -impartially and clearly before the public will at once find himself -utterly confused, and wallowing wildly in a morass of misstatement and -misrepresentation. The Balkans are torn by race hatreds, party strife, -and the intrigues of the Powers. The Turk hates the Bulgar, the Serb -hates the Austrian, the Roumanian hates the Greek, the Albanian hates -the Montenegrin, the Bosnian hates the Turk, while the Macedonian hates -everybody all round. What is told to one authoritatively one hour, is -flatly contradicted the next; therefore it is not in the least -surprising that in the European Press there have been so many -misstatements about the various Balkan questions, the real truth being -so very difficult to obtain. - -[Illustration: Pero, my Montenegrin Driver.] - -[Illustration: Albanians in Cettinje.] - -I have, however, endeavoured to obtain it, and at risk of being -injudicious, to place before the reader the facts as they are, without -any political bias, or any seeking to gloss over the many glaring -defects of administration of which I have myself been witness. - -To describe the beauties of the Bocche di Cattaro, that series of -winding channels where the high grey mountains rise sheer from the -water, would be only to traverse old ground. Suffice it to say that I -landed at Cattaro on a bright, sunny noon, and found upon the quay a -tall, lean mountaineer who had been sent to meet me. - -To the traveller fresh from the West the Montenegrin costume of both -women and men is very attractive, but a few days in the Balkans soon -accustoms the eye to a perfect phantasmagoria of colour and of costume. -Pero was my driver’s name, and I noticed that around his waist was a -revolver belt, but minus the weapon. I inquired where it was, and with a -grin he informed me that Cattaro, being in Dalmatia, the Austrians would -not allow Montenegrins to bring arms into their country; so they were -compelled to leave them on the other side of the frontier, ten -kilometres distant. - -My bags packed upon the three-horse travelling carriage and secured with -many strings, and Pero equipped with a plentiful stock of cigarettes, he -mounted upon the box, whipped up his long-tailed ponies, and we started -on our eight-hour ascent of that great wall of mountain that hides -Montenegro from the sea. - -As we ascended through the little village of Skaljari we entered upon a -magnificent road, said to be one of the greatest engineering feats of -modern times, and steadily ascended, until at the striped -black-and-yellow Austrian boundary post we crossed the frontier, and -were in the “Land of the Black Mountain”—Montenegro. Across the road, at -an acute angle, a row of paving-stones marks the frontier, and soon -afterwards we found ourselves in the wildest and most desolate mountain -region. At a lonely roadside hut Pero obtained his big, -serviceable-looking revolver, and I, of course, wore mine in my belt; -for in Montenegro or Albania arms make the man. A man unarmed is looked -upon as an effeminate coward. Indeed, by order of Prince Nicholas every -Montenegrin must wear the national dress, both men and women, and every -man must carry his revolver when out of doors. - -Four hours from Cattaro we were in a lonely mountain fastness, a wild, -desolate, treeless region of huge limestone rocks of peculiar volcanic -formation, which gave them the appearance of a boiling sea. The views -over the Adriatic as we turned back were so superb that, despite -photographing being strictly forbidden on account of the fortresses in -the vicinity, I could not resist the temptation to take one or two -surreptitiously. On, through a bleak, uninhabited country, we at last -reached the guard-house of Kerstac, and then half an hour later found -ourselves upon a plateau where, in the centre, stood the small clean -village of Nyegush, the ancestral home of the reigning family, and the -scene of most of the Montenegrin wars of independence. Here we halted -for half an hour at the post-house, and before we left, the big, -lumbering post-diligence, with its armed guard, came up behind us. - -Before we moved off again it had grown dark, the moon shone, and for -four hours longer we alternately climbed and descended through that wild -region of silence and desolation, until at last we saw, deep below, the -lights of Cettinje, the little capital, and an hour later brought us to -the unpretending “Grand” Hotel. - -Hardly had I entered my room when there came a loud knock at my door, -and a tall, scarlet-coated Montenegrin warrior, armed to the teeth, -entered and saluted. For a moment I looked up at him aghast, but the -mystery was solved when, next second, he handed me with great ceremony a -telegram from a dear friend in England wishing me Godspeed. I had taken -him to be, at least, one of the Prince’s bodyguard, and he was only a -plain telegraph messenger! - -This was but one of many surprises in store for me in Montenegro. Next -morning I went out to look round the clean little capital, when, on -passing the Prince’s palace, I saw a number of soldiers drawn up, and as -I went by, the band suddenly struck up the British National Anthem! I -raised my hat, halted, and stood puzzled. Surely they were not honouring -me! Another moment, however, and I recognised the reason. In a carriage, -accompanied by the Grand Marechal of the Court, there drove up my friend -Mr. Charles des Graz, the newly-appointed British Chargé d’Affaires to -Montenegro, who was about to present his credentials to His Royal -Highness the Prince. - -Montenegro is perhaps the most interesting country in all the Balkans. -Cettinje, a small, clean town of broad streets and one-storeyed, -whitewashed houses, is a little city in the sky, lying as it does in a -cup-shaped depression at the summit of a high, bare mountain. Its long, -straight, main street reminds one very much of a small country town in -England, if it were not that everyone is, by law, compelled to wear the -national dress, and every man has in his belt his big, long-barrelled -revolver, without which he must never go out of doors. - -The men, sturdy mountaineers, are of fine physique—handsome fellows, all -of them. Their dress consists of dark blue baggy trousers, white woollen -gaiters, raw-hide shoes, a scarlet jacket heavily braided with gold, and -a small round cap, with black silk around the edge and the crown of the -same colour as the jacket, bearing the Prince’s initials in Servian -letters, “H.I.” The women, who are particularly good-looking, wear dark -skirts, beautifully hand-embroidered blouses, and a kind of long coat, -with open sleeves of soft, dove-grey cloth. Forbidden to wear European -hats, they are compelled to adopt an exactly similar cap to the men, -except that the crown is embroidered instead of bearing the royal -initials. - -Nowhere have I seen such glorification of the male as in Montenegro. To -the men, born fighters as they are, work is undignified; therefore the -women toil while the opposite sex look on. I saw women employed in -building operations and performing work which, in other countries, is -left to day-labourers. - -Cettinje is quaint in the extreme. The only houses of foreigners are the -various Legations, and the only foreigners are diplomats with their -wives and families. The first thing that strikes the stranger is the -number of petroleum tins. Opposite the hotel I saw a great ring of empty -tins, numbering some hundreds, ranged around a fountain. A few women -were squatting gossiping, and an armed policeman lounged against the -water-source. On inquiry, I found that there was a water famine, and the -tins had been placed there at dawn to await the moment when the -authorities thought fit to allow the people to get their daily supply. -The women had gone away to work, and would return later. The -Montenegrins a short time ago constructed a reservoir, but there was a -crack in it, so the water ran away. Hence the famine. - -The petroleum tin is never out of sight for a single moment in Cettinje. -At any hour, and in any street, you see women and children carrying -them. They are used for everything, from milk-pails to flower-pots. - -In Cettinje one comes for the first time up against the dark-faced, -scowling Albanian in his tightly fitting trousers of white wool striped -with black, his dirty white fez, and the swagger of superiority in his -gait. He is well armed, and for a good reason. The Montenegrin hates the -Albanian, because of the constant border feuds over at Podgoritza, where -blood is constantly spilt, and where I have seen a Montenegrin in the -market squatting over a basket of apples with a loaded rifle. - -That morning I was chatting to a man in Montenegrin dress, of whom I had -bought some excellent cigarettes, manufactured by the Montenegro Tobacco -Monopoly—an Italian syndicate, by the way—and happened to mention that I -was on my way to Albania. - -“Ah, gospodin!” he exclaimed, holding up both his hands, and glancing at -the revolver in my belt. “Take my advice. Don’t go into Albania or -Macedonia. You are not safe there from one moment to the other. For half -a word they’ll shoot you dead as easily as they drink a glass of wine. -No man’s life is worth a moment’s purchase there. I’m Albanian -myself—from Kroja—and I know.” - -[Illustration: The Royal Palace: Cettinje.] - -[Illustration: Principal Street of Cettinje.] - -This was scarcely reassuring. I looked about me on every hand as I -strolled through Cettinje. All was so quiet, so orderly, so very -peaceful there, even though the big, burly mountaineers in the -gold-laced jackets eyed me with askance as I passed. Not without some -trepidation I took a number of photographs, for I had heard that, like -the Turk, the Montenegrin was averse to having his counterfeit -presentment put upon paper. Nevertheless, the first feeling of -insecurity having passed, I very soon found myself quite at home in -Cettinje, and in the midst of very good and kind friends. - -A good many foreigners come up from Cattaro to pry about Cettinje for a -day or two, buy picture-postcards and antique arms, sneer at the honest -Montenegrin, and return into Dalmatia. Towards such, the Montenegrin is -not particularly polite. But those who go to Cettinje to seriously and -thoroughly study the people and their future will find a great deal of -genuine and charming hospitality. - -My first day in Cettinje was lonely. Afterwards, until I left, I was -always with friends and officials, who took the greatest trouble to -answer my questions and explain matters. - -Montenegro is entirely unlike any other country in the world. Its air of -antiquity is particularly pleasing, while on every hand the beneficent -rule of Prince Nicholas is apparent. Every man in Montenegro swears by -his Prince, whom he almost worships. They call him their “father,” and -if His Royal Highness raised the standard of war tomorrow, every man -would rise and fight to the death. The Prince is accessible to all his -people—more so to them, indeed, than to the diplomats. Sometimes, early -in the morning, he will sit in an arm-chair on the steps leading to the -entrance of his palace, and there hear the complaints or petitions of -his people. In this patriarchal way he often ministers justice. Last -year he granted Montenegro a Constitution, and there is now a Skupshtina -similar to that of Servia; but the people have not yet quite understood -that in future they must go to the Ministers, and not to their Prince. -They will see him, and nobody else. - -In no country is loyalty and patriotism so strong as in Montenegro. The -army is well trained, and the whole country being one huge natural -fortress, a foreign enemy would experience enormous difficulty in -gaining entrance. In Cettinje, even a constant traveller like myself -meets with continual surprises. One day, while walking at the rear of -the Bigliardo, or old palace—so called because when built the first -billiard table was introduced—I heard the sound of clanking chains -behind me. At first I took no notice, but as it continued with regular -rhythm I glanced behind, when, to my amazement, I saw a convict in -leg-fetters with difficulty taking his afternoon stroll beneath the -trees! There were several others on the grass plot before the prison, -idling in the shadow or gossiping with their friends, who had come to -keep them company! - -Inquiries showed that most of these prisoners were murderers, not for -robbery but for vendetta. In Montenegro the blood-feud is constant, and -life is held very cheap. It invariably commences by jealousy, and is of -everyday occurrence. Two lovers quarrel, and one is shot. Then the -blood-feud commences, and unlike in Italy or other Southern countries, -the vendetta is not only upon the murderer, but upon his next-of-kin. -Therefore, if the assassin escapes into Servia, Bosnia, or Turkey, as he -so often does, the brother of the dead man takes up the feud and kills -the assassin’s brother without parley when next he meets him. I myself -saw a man shot dead one night in Ryeka, at the head of the Lake of -Scutari, and the murderer walked coolly away undeterred. It was the -blood-feud, and no one took much notice. - -“_S’bogom!_” (God be with you!) It is the expression you hear on every -hand in the Balkans. In the streets the peasants touch their round caps -in salute and exclaim, “_S’bogom!_” When you leave for a journey and -when you return, when you rise and when you go to rest; even if you go -for a short walk—it is the same. Life is so uncertain in those wild -regions that the protection of the Almighty is invoked upon you always, -and your revolver is ever ready in your belt. - -In Cettinje I had a faithful guide and servant, a black-eyed, somewhat -sinister-looking Albanian, named Palok. He travelled with me through -Montenegro and Albania, and was most faithful and devoted. Besides -Albanian and Serb he spoke a little Italian, and possessed a keen sense -of humour. - -One day, while we were travelling through the wild, bare mountain, a -perfect wilderness of huge boulders without a single tree or even blade -of grass, we halted for our midday meal, and while eating he told me of -a great friend of his who had recently been killed at Spuz for vendetta, -and he added, fondling the butt of his revolver, “I too, gospodin, shall -die before long.” - -I looked at him in surprise. His usually humorous face had changed. It -was dark and thoughtful, and his black eyes were fixed upon me. - -“Is there a blood-feud upon you, then?” I asked, in surprise. - -“Yes,” he replied briefly; and though I endeavoured to persuade him to -tell the story, it was not until the following day that with some -reluctance he explained. - -“A year ago my brother Tef, away in Scutari, fell in love with a -beautiful girl. He had a rival—a young Albanian, a coppersmith in -the bazaar. They quarrelled, but the girl—ah! she was very -beautiful—preferred Tef. Whereupon the rival one night took his -rifle and laid in wait for my brother in the main street of Scutari. -Early in the evening he left the house of the girl’s father, and as -he passed the fellow shot poor Tef dead.” - -And he paused as his brow knit deeply, and his teeth were set tightly. - -“Well?” I asked. - -“Well, gospodin. What would you have done had your own brother died a -dog’s death? I took a rifle, and within a week the murderer was in his -grave. I shot him through the heart—and then I left Scutari.” - -“And you are safe here, in Montenegro?” - -“Safe! Oh dear, no,” he answered. “One day—it may be to-day—the fellow’s -brother will kill me. He must kill me. It is Fate—why worry about it? It -does one no good.” - -And the marked man, the man doomed to die at a moment when he least -expects it, rolled a cigarette and lit it with perfect resignment. - -“And are you not afraid to go with me back to Scutari?” I asked, amazed -at his fearlessness. - -“Afraid, gospodin!” he exclaimed, looking at me in reproach as his hand -instinctively wandered to his weapon. “Afraid! No Albanian is afraid of -the blood-feud. I have killed the murderer, and his brother must kill -me. It is our law.” And the doomed man smiled gravely. - -“And the girl?” I asked. - -“Ah! They are all the same,” he answered, with a quick shrug of the -shoulders. “A month ago she married a tobacco-seller—a man old enough to -be her father. Poor Tef! If he could but know!” - -“And the blood-feud still continues?” - -“Of course—until I am dead.” - -Then Palok smoked on in silence, entirely resigned to the fate that -awaits him. He knows that one day, as he walks along the road, the sharp -crack of a hidden rifle will sound, and he will fall to earth, another -victim of a woman’s fickleness. - -_S’bogom!_—God be with you! - -[Illustration: HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE NICHOLAS OF MONTENEGRO.] - - - - - CHAPTER II - AN AUDIENCE OF PRINCE NICHOLAS - -The Palace at Cettinje—A cigarette with the Prince—The policy of - Montenegro—A confidential chat—His Royal Highness’s admiration for - England—His views upon Macedonia—He urges me not to attempt to go to - Albania, but I persuade him to help me—His Highness’s - kindness—Souvenirs. - - -“His Royal Highness the Prince will be pleased to grant you private -audience at four o’clock this afternoon, gospodin.” - -The tall, burly aide-de-camp in the little round cap, high boots, pale -blue overcoat, and pistols in his belt, saluted, and we shook hands. - -It was then three o’clock, and I was just about to go out to visit -Madame Constantinovitch, the mother of Princess Mirko. So I had to -return at once to my room and dress for the audience. The kings and -princes of the Balkans have a habit of summoning one at a moment’s -notice, and paying visits at unearthly hours. - -Here, in Cettinje, in the heart of these wild, desolate fastnesses, one -seems so far removed from European influence, yet how great a part has -this rocky, impregnable country, with its fierce soldier-inhabitants, -played in the politics of Eastern Europe, and how great a part it is -still destined to play in the near future! - -The fact that everybody is armed gives the stranger an uncanny feeling. -The man who brings one’s coffee wears a perfect arsenal of weapons in -his sash, and one quickly acquires the habit of carrying a revolver -one’s self. Indeed, if you are wise, you will carry a good serviceable -weapon from the moment you enter the Balkans to the moment you quit -them. But if you approach the Albanian frontier, you will be at once -warned not to fire without just cause. A few shots is sufficient to -alarm the whole neighbourhood for many miles, and on hearing the alarm -every man seizes his rifle and flies to the rendezvous, fully equipped -and eager for the fight with those Albanian border tribes, of whom I -afterwards had the good fortune to be the guest. - -I had already had a long chat with Prince Danilo, the Crown Prince of -Montenegro, whom I found a very smart and highly educated man, fully -alive to the political difficulties of the neighbouring states and the -necessity of Montenegro preserving her independence. He held very strong -views upon the terrible state of affairs in Macedonia, and gave me many -interesting details about his own country. - -Having met him, and also his younger brother, Prince Mirko, I was -particularly anxious to make the acquaintance of their father, Prince -Nicholas, the ruler of the sturdy, warlike dwellers of the “Land of the -Black Mountain”—the principal and most striking figure in this -remarkable country, where peace and war walk ever hand-in-hand. - -Since 1860, when his uncle, Prince Danilo, was assassinated, he has -ruled justly, if somewhat sternly, and has succeeded in raising his -nation from a state of semi-civilisation to the high place it now -occupies in the Eastern world. In 1888 he gave the country a Civil and -Criminal Code, and last year he granted a Constitution. Indeed, he has -done all in his power to induce his warriors to follow the arts of peace -without forgetting those of war. - -At the hour appointed, the royal aide-de-camp called in a carriage and -drove me to the Palace,—a long, dark brown building of somewhat plain -exterior, as befits the home of a fighting race,—where I was received in -the great hall by half a dozen bowing servants in scarlet and gold. Here -I was met by the chamberlain, who conducted me up the grand staircase -and into the great audience-chamber, with its many fine paintings and -highly polished floor. Then, after a moment, the Prince—a brilliant -figure—entered, shook me by the hand, and welcomed me to Montenegro. - -These formalities ended, His Royal Highness said in Italian, “Come, let -us go into yonder room. We shall be able to talk there more -comfortably.” And he led me into a smaller chamber, where he gave me a -seat at the table where he sat. - -The afternoon was gloomy, and dusk was creeping on, therefore upon the -table a great antique silver candelabra had been set, and by its light I -was enabled to obtain a good view of the ruler of Crnagora, the “Land of -the Black Mountain.” - -Of magnificent physique, tall, muscular, with hair slightly grey, he -bore his sixty-five years lightly. Attired in the splendid national -costume of scarlet, blue, and gold, with high boots, he wore a single -decoration at his throat, the Cross of Danilo, of which Order he is -Master. Upon his handsome, well-cut features the candles shed a soft -light, causing the gold upon his dress to glitter, and I noticed, as I -asked him questions, how his dark, keen eyes shot quick, inquiring -glances of alertness. - -After the first few minutes of regal formality His Highness’s manner -entirely changed. Putting ceremony aside, he produced his cigarette -case—of crocodile skin, with the royal crown and cipher in gold in the -corner—offered me a Montenegrin cigarette, took one himself, lit mine -with his own hand, and then we fell to chatting. - -In the delightful hour and a half we smoked together I asked the -prince-poet many questions, and learnt many things. He explained several -difficult points in Balkan politics, which to me, an Englishman, had -always been puzzling. We spoke—in Italian—of Macedonia and of a certain -well-known foreign diplomat in London who was our mutual friend, the -Prince giving me a very kind message to deliver to him. - -Presently I referred to the splendid result of his rule, and related to -him a little incident which had occurred to me in Nyegush a few days -before, as showing how deeply he was beloved by his nation. A smile -crossed his fine open countenance as he replied simply, “I have done my -best for my people—my very best; and I shall do so as long as God gives -me life. I am happy to believe that my people appreciate my efforts.” - -“And now, Monseigneur,” I asked, “will you tell me what is the present -position of Montenegro?” - -“The present position is peace,” was his prompt answer. “I have granted -a Constitution, and the first meeting of the new Skupshtina has been -held successfully. Though the Albanian question is always with us, I am -thankful to say we are on the most excellent terms with Turkey, while -towards Russia we are pursuing our traditional policy. For the Emperor -Francis Josef of Austria I have nothing but the most profound -admiration, and I owe very much to him.” - -“And towards England, Monseigneur?” - -“England has been, as you know, Montenegro’s very best friend,” replied -the Prince. “I, personally, have the greatest respect and admiration for -your great country. We Montenegrins always remember that it was Mr. -Gladstone who gave us the strip of seaboard on the Adriatic with -Dulcigno. He was our greatest friend, and his memory is respected by -every man in Montenegro. Of Tennyson, too, I am a great admirer. I am -very fond of his poems.” - -“You are a poet yourself, Monseigneur,” I remarked, remembering that -more than one poetical drama from his pen had been successfully produced -on the stage. - -His Royal Highness smiled, and puffed slowly at his cigarette. - -“I have written one or two little things, it is true; but nothing of -late.” - -“I wonder if I dare ask your Royal Highness to write a few lines for me -as a souvenir of my visit?” I asked, not without some trepidation. - -“Ah!—well—I won’t promise,” he laughed. “All depends whether I’m in the -mood for it.” - -“But you will try, won’t you?” - -And the Prince nodded assent. - -Then we spoke of Servia and of recent events there; but he was not -inclined to discuss the question, and naturally so, when it is -remembered that his daughter was the late wife of King Peter. - -[Illustration: The Petroleum tins of Cettinje.] - -[Illustration: The Monastery: Cettinje.] - -Returning to the burning question of Macedonia, I saw that he was well -informed of all that was transpiring around lakes Presba and Ochrida and -down in Serres. - -“It is a monstrous state of affairs,” he declared. “Something must be -done at once, for as soon as spring comes again the massacres will -increase.” - -“But there are outrages, tortures, and massacres every day,” I remarked. - -“Ah yes,” he sighed, “I know. Most terrible details have reached me -lately. But you are going to Macedonia yourself, and you will see with -your own eyes.” - -“And what, in your opinion, would be the best settlement of the -question?” I inquired. - -“There is but one way, namely, for the Powers to call a conference and -place Macedonia under a governor-general, who must be a European prince. -The reforms would then be carried out, and the Greek bands expelled from -the country. How long will Europe tolerate the present frightful state -of affairs?” - -“The fact is, Monseigneur, that we, in England, are very ignorant of the -true state of things, or even of the facts of the Macedonian question,” -I said. - -“Ah, there you are quite correct. If your English public knew what was -really happening—how an innocent Christian population is being -slaughtered and exterminated because of international rivalry—they would -cry shame upon those responsible for this wholesale murder and outrage. -But”—he smiled—“I almost forget myself. My position as a ruler forbids -me to talk politics, you know!” - -And we laughed together. - -“So you are going to Servia, Bulgaria, Roumania, and to -Constantinople—eh?” he remarked a little later, when we had lit fresh -cigarettes. “In Bulgaria, and also in Roumania, you will see many things -that will interest you. The Bulgarians are very strongly armed, and so -are the Roumanians.” - -“Her Majesty the Queen of Roumania has also promised me audience,” I -said. - -“When you see her, will you please present to Her Majesty my most -cordial respects. She is so very charming.” - -“I want, Monseigneur, to visit Northern Albania, leaving Montenegro by -Ryeka and Scutari. Would that be the best route, do you think?” - -“What!” he exclaimed, in surprise. “Do you actually contemplate visiting -the tribes up in the Accursed Mountains?” - -“Certainly. Why not?” - -“Well, my advice is, don’t think of going there. If you do, you will -never return. You’ll be shot at sight, like a dog. You have no idea what -those uncivilised tribes are like. The whole country is utterly -lawless.” - -“So I understand. But I’ve also heard that the Albanian possesses a deep -sense of honour. And I thought that I might possibly obtain permission -from one or other of the chiefs.” - -The Prince was silent for a moment. Then, looking at me across the -table, said— - -“Do not go. It is far too great a risk.” - -His advice was the same that my friends in London had given me; the same -that I had received there, in the marketplace of Cettinje. - -But I was determined, and pressed His Royal Highness to assist me, at -last receiving his promise of help. By his kind permission, the Albanian -named Palok acted as my guide, and what eventually happened to me in -that wild region will be seen in the following pages. - -“Well,” exclaimed the Prince at last,“if you go up there, it must be at -your own risk. I’ve warned you of the danger. No one has been up there -for many years. It has been attempted, of course, but travellers have -either been held to ransom, and the Turks have been compelled to pay for -their release, or else they have simply been shot by the first Albanian -meeting them. The country beyond Scutari is the most unsafe in the whole -Balkan Peninsula.” - -[Illustration: - - Mr. CHAS. DES GRAZ, - British Chargé d’Affaires at Cettinje. -] - -[Illustration: The Piazza: Ragusa.] - -I replied that I intended to make the attempt. - -“Well, then, I wish you _buon viaggio_,” he laughed. “May every good -luck attend you, and—as we say in Montenegro—_S’bogom!_ (God be with -you!) When you return—for I suppose you will pass this way down to the -sea—come and see me, and tell me all about the Skreli and Kastrati -country—for of course I am highly interested. They are always at war -with our people on the frontier.” - -“I will let your Royal Highness know the moment I am back in Cettinje,” -I promised. - -Then rising, he gripped my hand warmly, saying— - -“Then I will help you if I can. Be careful of yourself, for I shall be -anxious about you. Again, _S’bogom!_” - -And the Prince accompanied me to the head of the grand staircase, where -I made my obeisance, turned and descended through the rows of armed and -bowing servants ranged in the hall, charmed by His Royal Highness’s -graciousness towards me and by the pleasant chat I had enjoyed. - -When, after my journey through Northern Albania, I one afternoon -re-entered that audience-chamber, and he came forward with outstretched -hand to greet me, he exclaimed— - -“Well, well! I am so glad to see you back safe and sound. You look a -little thinner in the face—a little travel-worn—eh? Life in the Albanian -mountains is not like your life in London or Paris, is it? But never -mind as long as you are safe,” he laughed, placing his hand kindly upon -my shoulder. “Come along to this room. It is more cosy,” and he led me -to the smaller apartment, his own private cabinet. - -For nearly two hours I sat relating to him what occurred on my journey, -and describing the wild country which had, until then, been practically -a sealed book. Even though Cettinje is so near, hardly anything was -known of the Skreli, the Hoti, the Klementi, or the Kastrati tribes, -save that they were brigandish bands who constantly raided the -Montenegrin frontier. - -The Prince listened to me with great attention, and put many questions -to me as we smoked together. - -Then rising, he took from a drawer in his great writing-table a small -scarlet box, and as he opened it he bestowed upon me a compliment -undeserved, for he said— - -“There are few men who would have risked what you have done. Therefore I -wish to invest you with our Order of Danilo, as a mark of my -appreciation and esteem.” - -And he displayed to me the beautiful dark blue and white enamelled cross -of the Order, the same that he was wearing at his throat, surmounted by -the royal crown and suspended upon the white ribbon edged with cerise. - -After he had invested me with the Order, saying many kind things to me, -which I really don’t think I deserved, he added— - -“The _chef du chancellerie_ will send you the diploma in due course, and -I trust, when you petition your own gracious Sovereign King Edward, that -His Majesty will allow you to wear this insignia.” - -I thanked His Royal Highness, gripped his hand, and a few minutes later -passed through the line of bowing servants out of the Palace. - -And that same evening I received from His Royal Highness the signed -photograph which appears in these pages. - -Before I left Cettinje I received the following expressive lines, -written especially for me by a Montenegrin poet who is a great -personage, but whose name he would not permit me to give. They are in -Servian as follows, and I have placed their English translation below:— - - S’ veledušnog Albiona - Pružiše se dvije ruke - Crnoj Gori da pomogu - U junačke njene muke - - S’ vrućom rječu na ustima - Gladston diže Crnogorce - A Tenison za najprve - U svijet ih broi borce - - Na glas svoih Velikana - Britanski se narod trže - Da pomože da zaštiti - Crnu Goru iz najbrže - - Posla svoje bojne ladje - Što na tečnost gospostvuju - Veledušno da zaštite - Domovinu milu Moju - - O fala ti po sto puta - Blagorodni lyudi Soju - Dok je svjeta dok je greda - Nad Ulcinjem koje stoju - - Hraniće ti blagodarnost - Ova šaka sokolova - Koima si u pomoci - Stiga putem od valova. - -The literal translation in English is as follows:— - - From the great-souled Albion, - Two arms were stretched - To help Montenegro - In her heroic sufferings. - - With fiery word on his lips - Gladstone lifts up Montenegrins, - Whilst Tennyson declared them - The very first fighters in the world. - - On the call of their great men, - British people rose up - In quickest manner, to help - And to protect Montenegro. - - They despatched their war-ships, - Which rule over the seas, - Generously to protect - My Fatherland so dear to me. - - Oh! thanks to thee, hundredfold thanks, - Noble race of men. - As long as the world lasts, - As long as the mountains above Dulcigno stand, - - Will remain grateful to thee, - This handful of falcons, - To whose help thou didst come - By the road of the waves. - - - - - NORTHERN ALBANIA - - - - - CHAPTER I - INTO A SAVAGE REGION - -Wildest Albania—Warnings not to attempt to travel there—I decide to go, - and take Palok—Prince Nicholas of Montenegro bids us farewell—On the - Lake of Scutari—Arrival at Skodra—Passports, rabble, and - backsheesh—Photographing the fortress in secret—Treading dangerous - ground—Albania the Unknown. - - -Before leaving London various insurance companies had flatly declined to -accept the risk of “accident,” because it was known that I intended -visiting Albania. - -Indeed, no company in the City would insure me, and at Lloyd’s the -premium quoted was exorbitant. This was the reverse of reassuring. -Northern Albania I knew to be the wildest and most savage country in the -East, and the Accursed Mountains, which I wanted to visit, were held by -brigandish tribes, who shot the traveller at sight or held him to -ransom. So little is known about them that they had always held a -peculiar fascination for me. - -I searched through the journals of the Royal Geographical Society for -many years past, but found little mention of Northern Albania, while of -books of actual travel in that region there were none. These facts had -decided me to accept the risks, whatever these might be, and go into -those wild, inaccessible mountains which bear the name of Accursed. - -Everybody warned me of danger. Friends in England constantly urged me to -“take care of myself,” as though that were possible when in the midst of -a hostile tribe; and in fact there seemed to be a conspiracy on the part -of friends, strangers, and officials to prevent me penetrating the Land -of Mystery. - -When I mentioned my intention in Cettinje, everyone, as I have already -said, held up their hands and raised their eyes. It was sheer madness, -they declared. Nobody’s life was worth a moment’s purchase outside the -town of Skodra—or Scutari, as it appears on our maps. Outside—beyond -Turkish control—well, I should not be allowed to travel a couple of -miles before I had a bullet through me from behind a rock at the -roadside. - -Everybody had some weird or horrible story to tell about the savagery of -the Hoti, the Kastrati, the Skreli, and other savage tribes inhabiting -those high, misty mountains beyond the Montenegro border. The one or two -Albanians—tall, muscular fellows in white felt skullcap, tight white -woollen trousers heavily braided with black, and a kind of black bolero -with long fringe—whom I had seen in Montenegro were certainly a -sinister-looking, forbidding lot. But I had come to the Balkans to -investigate and to learn the truth; therefore the more I was urged not -to attempt to go into the mountains, the firmer was my determination to -do so. - -His Royal Highness, Prince Nicholas himself, had at one of the audiences -he granted me seriously queried the advisability of undertaking the -journey. Almost daily on the Albanian frontier were raids into -Montenegrin territory, and the whole border was constantly terrorised by -the Albanian bands, who shot the Montenegrins wherever found. Indeed, -the market at Podgoritza, where men squatted with loaded rifles over -four or five fowls or a basket of apples, was sufficient to tell me the -truth; while the daily talk of that town was of fighting with the wild -race who live across the border. The Montenegrin hates the Albanian, and -has surely good cause to do so. Many a comely Montenegrin maiden—and -some of them are exceedingly beautiful—has been captured in those night -raids and carried across into Turkish territory, to be heard of no more. -And many, too, are the reprisals by the Montenegrins; mostly, however, -with serious losses to themselves. - -[Illustration: Ryeka, Montenegro.125] - -[Illustration: Zabliak, Montenegro.] - -Palok, whom I had engaged as my guide, had, he said, been born in -Skodra, or, as we call it, Scutari, which causes it to be confounded -with the city on the Bosphorus. He also declared that he was well known -there, and the fact that he also spoke Italian caused me to accept his -services. - -When I asked Fevzi Pasha, the Turkish Minister in Cettinje, for a -passport for Skodra, or “Scutari d’Albanie,” as it appears on the -_visa_, he granted it, but not without words of caution. “In Scutari you -will have nothing to fear,” he said. “I will give you a note to the -Governor of the town. But do not go into the country. If you do, you’ll -be shot like a dog.” - -I thanked him, but had no intention of taking his well-meant advice. - -At half-past three one dark morning I took Palok, and we drove out on -the road that wound high up across the great lonely mountains to the -little town of Ryeka, whence a small steamer plies down the Lake of -Scutari to Skodra. The drive was cold and weary, through a barren waste -of rocks, but the bright autumn sun was up ere we reached Ryeka, and -just as I boarded the big canoe with long, upturned, pointed prow, which -takes passengers and baggage down the sluggish stream to the boat at the -entrance to the lake, I saw, on the road above, a fine military figure -in pale blue, riding a splendid white charger and followed by an -officer. - -In a moment every head was bared. It was Prince Nicholas, who was -staying at his palace at Ryeka, taking his morning ride. - -He espied me, pulled up, and shouted down in Italian— - -“Hulloa! Good-morning! Then you are off to Albania after all, eh?” - -“Yes, Monseigneur,” I responded. - -“Did you get my message last night?” he inquired, referring to a -confidential matter. - -“Thank you, Monseigneur, yes.” - -“Very well. Only be careful of yourself, you know, and when you get -back, come and tell me all about it.” And, laughing, His Royal Highness -waved his hand with a merry “Bon voyage!” and cantered away, while my -half a dozen fellow-travellers in gold-braided costumes regarded me in -wonder that their Prince should stop and converse with me—a perfect -stranger. - -Down the silent river, between steep green hills we glided. Choked by -the tangle and rot of weeds, it was the haunt of thousands of waterfowl, -and, as we passed, the herons rose with a lazy flapping of wings,—a -stream that might well be haunted by the fairies, for the water was -unruffled and the silence deep and complete. - -Boarding the little steamer, the _Nettuno_, lying at the mouth of the -river, we were soon out in the great green lake, with the high mountains -looming grey in the far distance. As we steamed due south, the barren -mountains of Montenegro were soon left behind. At Virpasar and Plavnitza -we picked up passengers, a fat Turkish peasant woman carrying two -baskets of fowls, and three young Montenegrins, fully armed with rifles -and revolvers. Because she was not yet in Turkey, the woman wore no -veil; yet in the evening, as soon as Skodra came in sight, she produced -her veil, and carefully adjusted it, laughing with me the whole time, -and wound it until only her bright dark eyes were visible. - -From Virpasar an Italian company is now building a railway to the -Montenegrin port of Antivari, so that in a couple of years the lake will -be connected with the Adriatic, and form the much-needed trade route for -Montenegro. The Servians, indeed, are hoping also to use Antivari as -their Adriatic port, and thus be free of the excessive Customs dues and -other oppression placed upon them by Austria-Hungary. When in Belgrade, -M. Stoyanovitch, the Servian Minister of Commerce, explained to me the -several schemes for the construction of a railroad from Krushevatz, in -Servia, by way of Novi-Bazar, Ipek, Podgoritza, and Ryeka, to join the -Italian line at Virpasar, and so to the Adriatic or to San Giovanni di -Medua. Servia must secure a port, and this line, whenever made, will be -a most paying concern, for by its extension from Stalacs—on the main -Belgrade-Sofia line—to Orsova, it would receive most of the exports of -Southern Russia to Western Europe. - -[Illustration: PALOK, my companion through the Skreli country.] - -The mere handful of lake-side dwellings which now constitutes Virpasar -will, ere many years have passed, grow into an important trade centre, -and upon the great silent lake, surrounded by those high sheer mountains -where the eagle and the pelican are now the only signs of life, big -passenger and freight steamers will soon ply. The railway, which must be -built ere long, will quickly bring a civilising influence upon Northern -Albania; therefore, if one wishes to see it in all its wildness, it must -be seen to-day. In another decade the Albanian brigand—the real thing -out of the story-book—will be only a matter of history. - -The calm, bright day was perfect. The surface of the great lake was like -a mirror, and the fringe of giant mountain constantly changed in -colour—grey, blue, purple, and rose—as the hours wore on, and the sun -sank westward in all the crimson glory of the death of the autumn day. - -Now and then, with our rifles, we took pot-shots at the pelicans, but -with little result. A young Montenegrin killed one, and the huge bird -came down with a great splash into the water. At last, in the falling -twilight, we cast anchor at the head of the Boyana River, which empties -itself into the lake, and then, boarding another high-prowed canoe, -where a Turkish soldier sat over us with a loaded rifle, we were rowed -slowly up to the low line of ramshackle buildings, which was our first -sight of Skodra. - -With our farewell to the _Nettuno_ we had said good-bye to civilisation, -as represented by sturdy Montenegro. We were in Albania, the wildest and -most turbulent country in the East. - -We landed upon some slimy steps amid a perfect babel of shouts. Hundreds -of unwashed Turks and Albanians were awaiting us, all shouting in a -language of which I understood not one word. Every man, armed and of -ferocious aspect, seemed ready to make short work of both Palok and -myself. Indeed, so unpleasant is the landing at Skodra, that Palok -himself had already sent a message to a friend of his—a typical brigand -of the first water—to give the Customs officer a tip, and so make -pleasant our path through that dark, evil-smelling hole where the Turks -collect their dues. Palok’s friend, whom I only saw on that one -occasion, and whose name I could not ascertain, had managed to secure -from somewhere a mustard-coloured ramshackle fly, the upholstering of -which was in ribbons. The driver, in his white fez, with dirty white -baggy trousers and yellow tunic, came forward and saluted me with deep -obeisance, while I was explaining to the passport officer—a ragged, -consumptive youth—that my name was not “We, Sir Edward Grey.” - -The chief of the Customs was a long, very thin, white-fezzed Turk with -large silver-mounted pistols in his belt, very tight white trousers, a -gold-embroidered jacket, and pointed slippers that turned up at the toes -in the most approved style. He was a real live Bey, so Palok told me, -but he was not averse to receiving tenpence as a tip. Later, when I left -Scutari (or Skodra) again, I gave him ten Austrian crowns, for I had in -my bag a couple of thousand cigarettes, which, by Turkish law, are -prohibited from leaving the country. His charge for winking at the -contravention is five crowns a thousand! - -Turkish Custom Houses are weird places, and it is no wonder that the -British Ambassador at Constantinople is just now pressing for some -reform. Your belongings are not only thoroughly examined and heavily -assessed for Customs—if you won’t tip—when you enter Turkish territory, -but the same happens when you leave. Woe-betide those who dispense with -the services of a discreet dragoman and do not tip. All that you may -have bought in Turkey will be found liable to duty. Gold embroideries -will be weighed, and anything that has the Sultan’s monogram upon it—as -so many embroideries have—will be at once confiscated. - -The man in the fez is grave and inexorable. His attitude is as though he -would scorn the offer of a bribe and throw you into prison for daring to -insult an official of His Imperial Majesty. Yet outside the Custom House -he keeps a crafty ragamuffin who is ready to accept a four-franc piece -on his behalf, and for that he will pass a thousand pounds’ worth of -goods with only a pretence of search! The Custom House at Galata on the -Bosphorus is a case in point. There are five officials there who share -the spoils from the traveller. - -Yes, the land of the Crescent is indeed a quaint country. The corruption -of Turkish Customs officials is no doubt due to the frequent non-payment -of their stipends. They must live, and do so by accepting bribes. I -afterwards spoke to certain high government officials at Constantinople -about it, and they admitted that they knew bribery existed extensively, -but at present were utterly unable to suppress it. - -Over the ramshackle Custom House, a dark hole without a window, frowns a -shattered fortress containing one or two antiquated guns, a photograph -of which I afterwards obtained surreptitiously, and which appears in -these pages. Had I been discovered, I might have spent an unpleasant -year or so in a Turkish prison. But even that offence, so heinous in -Germany, France, or Austria, I suppose I could easily have expiated with -a few piastres of backsheesh. In Turkey you can do anything—if you are -prepared to pay. - -Upon that filthy crowd around the Custom House at Skodra, upon those -crumbling buildings, upon that old white fortress, upon the tower of -Skodra itself, a mile away, the centuries of progress have made no -impression. Here is the country of a mediæval people, the life of an age -long ago past and forgotten. - -While our fellow-travellers were squabbling, arguing, shouting, and -cursing the wild, dirty mob who now filled the Custom House, we, with -our baggage—canvas bags, specially made to sling on mules for mountain -travelling—ascended into the mustard-coloured conveyance and were driven -along a country lane, very English in its appearance, with bramble -hedgerows and ditches; yet the high, thin minaret of a mosque before us, -and the carefully latticed windows of a house, preventing the women-folk -from being seen from the roadway, and giving the place an air of -mystery, showed us to be in the land of His Majesty the Sultan—in -Albania the Unknown. - - - - - CHAPTER II - WHERE LIFE IS CHEAP - -Fired at in the street of Skodra—My comfortless inn—Panorama of - life—Armed bands of wild mountaineers in the streets—The Sign of the - Cross—Scutarine people—The fascination of Skodra—In the den of my - friend Salko—Making purchases—Short shrift with swindlers—Some - genuine antiques—Ragged and shoeless soldiers of the Sultan—Men shot - in the blood-feud—“It is nothing!” - - -I had not been in Skodra half an hour before a man fired at me with his -revolver. - -It was my welcome to Albania, and I confess that I drew my own weapon -from my belt, prepared to defend myself. - -I had arrived at the _han_, or inn, a poor place dignified by the name -of Hôtel de l’Europe, washed, and descended to the street, when, on -emerging from the doorway, somebody fired his pistol right in my face. -The flash startled me, and in an instant I was on my guard with my back -to the wall. In that brief second all that I had heard of the insecurity -of Albania flashed back. - -My assailant—a tall, ragged-looking, middle-aged Turk in a scarlet -fez—laughed in my face and uttered some words that I did not understand. -He saw my weapon shining in the dim light, and pushed it away with a -laugh. His manner struck me as friendly, so I dropped my arm; whereupon -another man, in passing, also fired, then another and another, until, -ten seconds later, everybody in the street was firing indiscriminately, -and bullets were flying in all directions. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: In Skodra.] - -I held my breath. Had the place actually revolted against the Turk just -at the moment of my arrival? If so, I was in luck’s way. I knew that the -Albanian hated the Turk, for Palok had told me that the revolution was -only a question of time, and that one day his people would drive them -out of Skodra. The place was once Servian, and captured by the Turks in -1479. Yet the Albanian still looks upon the Turk as a miserable -intruder, and intends one day, ere long, to drive him out. - -Around me, on every hand, pistols were being fired, the flashes showing -red in the night, and I stood breathless, wondering what was happening. -The man who had fired in my face was grinning at my alarm, when Palok -dashed out to me. - -“Signore! Signore!” he cried, in Italian. “It is nothing! Don’t be -alarmed. It is only the vigil of the fast of Ramadan. It is our way of -celebrating it!” - -By that time every man in the whole town was firing off his revolver. -The din was deafening. - -“Very well,” I laughed. “Then I’ll celebrate it too,” and, raising my -arm, I also emptied my weapon in the air. - -The grinning Turk who had first fired and alarmed me saluted me by -touching chin and forehead, and then we laughed together. It was -certainly fortunate for him and for myself that I had not let fly, but -he did not seem to heed at all the danger of firing suddenly upon a -foreigner ignorant of what was about to happen. - -The _han_, with the dignified name of “hotel,” was certainly an -uncomfortable place. Cold roast pork, a trifle “high,” was all I could -get to eat, and this was washed down by a light red vinegar, which was -probably at one time wine. For five days running I had that very same -pork served twice a day, until I sent Palok into the bazaar to buy me -other supplies. A narrow camp bed, an iron washstand with tin fittings, -a pail and a deal table, comprised my furniture, the best accommodation -that Skodra could afford. - -Yet the town is perhaps one of the most interesting in all the Balkans, -and its people the most strangely mixed and wearing a greater variety of -Eastern costume than even in Constantinople itself. - -The bazaar, down by the river, is full of quaint types and most -interesting. Its uneven pavement is quite as unclean and slippery with -the dirt of ages as are the streets of Constantinople, but its dark -little sheds are filled by workers, silver and copper smiths, -embroiderers, armourers, weavers, jewellers—in fact, one sees every -trade being carried on in the same primitive way and with the same tools -as in the Middle Ages. - -Skodra is not a town of progress, for there telephone or electric light -is forbidden; machinery of every kind is against the law, and neither -newspapers nor books are allowed to enter Albania. Therefore in those -crooked streets of the bazaar the traveller is back in mediæval days, -and the town of to-day is just as Florence was in the days of Boccaccio -or Dante. Like the mediæval Florentines, many of the men from the -mountains shave their heads, leaving a tuft of bushy hair at the back, -which is cut square at the neck. With their tight-fitting -black-and-white striped trousers, black woollen boleros, their belts -filled with cartridges, and a rifle over their shoulders, they are a -fine, manly race, with swaggering gait, clean-cut features—mostly -Catholics, who spit openly at the lean, ragged, ill-fed soldiers of the -Sultan. - -They come down from the mountains in armed bands, and walk through the -town, a dozen or so together, in complete defiance of the Turk. With men -upon whose heads a price has been set—known brigands or murderers, -indeed—I have chatted and drunk coffee in the bazaar, all wild fellows -who know no law except their own, and who do not acknowledge the Turk as -their ruler. When I inquired of Palok the reason of their immunity from -arrest, he replied— - -“Why, signore, if the Turks captured one of these, the whole of Northern -Albania would rise as one man. The tribes would sweep down from the -mountains and sack and burn Skodra within twenty-four hours. Life in -this town is very uncertain, I can tell you. One never knows when the -rising will take place. All is ripe for it, and when it comes, then -woe-betide the Turk and all the Moslems. Have you not noticed the Sign -of the Cross over the doors of the Christians? Is that not significant?” - -The Albanian tribesmen are mostly Catholics, together with some -Orthodox; yet they combine religion strangely with war. They go to the -Catholic Cathedral in Skodra with loaded rifles, which they place before -them as they kneel and pray, and before murdering their enemy they will -go and ask Providence to assist them. - -The town Christian of Skodra is, for the most part, a very excellent -fellow. Palok, whom I found was well known, introduced me to many of -them, and in that wild land I received very many charming kindnesses -from perfect strangers. - -The costume of the Scutarine men is distinctly quaint and curious. A -short dark red jacket, the front and sleeves of which are so completely -braided with narrow black braid as to almost hide the foundation, and -edged with dozens of oblong brass buttons; a pair of wide, dark blue -baggy breeches reaching to the knee; a round flat fez with a huge blue -silk tassel that falls about the shoulders; a bright, striped silk sash; -their legs in white cotton stockings and feet in patent leather -dress-shoes. Such is the dress of the average Christian one meets in -Skodra. - -The attire of the women is even more extraordinary. They veil, just as -do the Mohammedan women, and only uncover their faces when they go to -church. For the most part they are beautiful when young, with clear, -delicate complexions, handsome features, and dancing black eyes; but -after seventeen appear to soon lose their beauty and become prematurely -wrinkled and old. The outdoor dress is generally made of the same dark -red cloth as the men’s jackets, so completely embroidered as to appear -black. Indeed no Scutarine, either man or woman, goes out in a dress -unless it is covered with embroidery. In every street you will see a -dozen men squatting cross-legged in a little dark shop, busily plying -the needle upon the narrow black braid, and applying tiny pieces of -green cloth among the braid as additional ornament. Often the braiding -is a marvel of needlework and design, and some of the outdoor costumes -of the women, though exceedingly ugly, are ornamented in such a manner -as to amaze the Western eye. - -Female outdoor attire is, of course, of the divided skirt order, -trousers of thick braided cloth so clumsy that the wearer can only walk -with difficulty, a long cape, richly embroidered on the shoulders and -reaching to the hips, with a square kind of sailor collar that is raised -and pinned to the crown of the head. From the bridge of the nose to the -knee falls the white veil, like the Moslem women, while from the sash -are pinned gaily coloured silk handkerchiefs, which, appearing below the -cape, lend additional colour to the most unwieldy and ugly of all the -dresses of the East. The wearer cannot walk, but can only waddle with -difficulty. - -The streets of Skodra are, however, a perfect panorama of costume. In -the dark entries the shuffling Mohammedan women, white-clothed from head -to foot and veiled, look ghostly and mysterious; the Mohammedan -unmarried girls with the striped red-and-white veil wrapped about them; -Albanians from the south in short, stiff cotton skirts like exaggerated -kilts; Turks in greasy frock-coats and discoloured fezes, strolling -slowly, fingering their beads to pass the time through Ramadan; fierce -tribesmen from the mountains in all sorts of different costumes, fully -armed and ready to shoot in an instant at discovering an enemy even -there in the crowded bazaar; unveiled country women in short, coarse, -black homespun skirts, wearing great iron-studded belts and savage -ornaments in brass, copper, and gold; giggling girls from the mountains -four or five days distant, dressed in their gorgeous gala dresses, -laughing as they bargain with the voluble keepers of the tiny shops in -the bazaar. - -Skodra fascinates one. There is no European influence here: not a soul -is in European dress. It is the unchanging East—the same life that has -existed here for centuries. The Turks are, however, fanatics, and Palok -will not allow me to smoke a cigarette in the street in the daytime, for -in the fast of Ramadan the Mohammedans abstain from all food, drink, and -tobacco from four in the morning till the gun fires on the fortress at -sunset. - -Upon Palok’s advice I even wore a fez, so as not to be too conspicuous. - -When I asked the reason, he simply grinned, shrugged his shoulders, and -said— - -“The signore believes Skodra to be a safe place. But it is not always -so. Why run unnecessary risk? And a fez is very comfortable.” - -So after buying a fez, I took it to the ironer, a white-bearded old -Turk, who pressed it and shrunk it and combed out its tassel with great -ceremony, and then I assumed the distinctive mark of the Sultan’s -subjects, evidently to the great relief of the faithful Palok. - -On our first visit to the bazaar Palok discovered a friend. He was a -very tall, thin-legged Albanian, in a white fez, a white woollen bolero, -and the usual black-and-white woollen trousers and turned-up shoes of -raw-hide and interlaced string. In one of the narrow, tortuous ways of -the bazaar, on a kind of platform before a small ramshackle booth, where -rope and twine were displayed, he was squatting cross-legged, staring -into space and awaiting customers. - -Suddenly espying Palok, he seized his slippers, which stood near him, -and sprang out upon the filthy pavement. Next second the pair were -clasped in embrace, and after many mutual words of warm welcome in -Albanian, I was introduced. - -The seller of string looked me up and down critically until his eye -caught my revolver in my belt, and then, apparently satisfied with my -appearance, he touched his chin and brow in salutation. - -We ascended to the little platform, and a box was brought for me to sit -upon. A shout into the narrow alley brought me a cup of Turkish coffee. - -“This is my friend, Salko,” Palok explained, in Italian, after the pair -had been apparently discussing me. “_Mio buon amico._ One of the best -men in the bazaar. For eight years we have been parted, and how pleased -I am to see him again.” - -Salko interrupted, whereupon Palok said— - -“My friend apologises, signore, that he cannot take coffee with you, or -offer you a cigarette. It is Ramadan, you know.” - -I offered Salko my case, and, taking a cigarette, he placed it aside -until after sunset, touching his chin and brow and laughing merrily. - -I wanted to buy several things in the bazaar—a piece or two of old -silver, if I could find it—and some antique embroideries which Palok had -told me I could find. He told Salko this, whereupon he shouted outside -to a passer-by, and in a moment the news was all over the bazaar, and -all sorts and conditions of men appeared with various things for sale: -beautiful silver-mounted and gem-studded pistols and swords, old silver -ornaments, embroideries of the sixteenth century, genuine antiques of -all sorts, old jewellery—in fact, in a quarter of an hour Salko’s little -shed-like shop presented the appearance of that of an antique dealer. - -Two gorgeous Turkish ladies’ costumes attracted me. The trousers were of -silk, and interwoven with real gold and silver thread; the boleros of -rich crimson velvet, wonderfully embroidered with gold; the sashes gay; -and the little fezes, with golden sequins, smart and coquettish. They -were the real thing, and could be worn at a fancy-dress ball in England -with certain success. - -I liked them, for they were the genuine thing. Dresses such as they were -are not made nowadays. Turkish ladies of to-day prefer the lighter -stuffs of the Franks, silks from Paris, and figured gauzes from Germany. -Those dresses had once graced the harem of some great Pasha—perhaps, -indeed, that of the Sultan himself. So I allowed Salko to bargain for -them. - -I watched, and was amused. - -The man who had them to sell apparently asked a price that was -exorbitant, whereupon my friend, with a wave of his hand, ordered him to -pack them back in the bundle. - -High words followed, and I expected every moment the pair would come to -blows. The vendor was a round, fat-faced eunuch, with an ugly scar -across his brown cheek. And while the controversy was in progress, the -others who had wares to offer squatted about and advised each side as to -how much the costumes were really worth. Then at last both sides got at -loggerheads, hard words were used and insulting gestures; fists were -shaken, and angry scowls exchanged, until I momentarily expected that -there would be a free fight and bloodshed. - -[Illustration: My friend Salko outside his house in Skodra.] - -[Illustration: Pietro’s sister-in-law unveiled before the Camera.] - -One man I noticed who had not spoken was fingering the hilt of his -knife, as though itching to join in the fray. - -“I’m going out of this,” I told Palok, whereupon he only laughed. - -“There’s really nothing to fear, signore. It is always so. They ask -double, and Salko is teaching the fellow manners. You are a foreigner, -and you don’t understand.” - -I admitted that I did not. - -The argument continued, and in the end the fat-faced eunuch was bundled -out by Salko into the dirty alley and his goods thrown after him. - -Nobody smiled. Such treatment seemed usual, and on the following day I -bought the dresses. - -The next was a little old Turk with a long white beard, who had an old -silver ornament for sale, one of those triangular boxes which women wear -round their necks containing scraps of the Koran, supposed to protect -them from the influence of the Evil Eye. - -Though he came meek and humble, Salko glared at him. No. The Englishman -was his guest, and he would see that only what was just was paid. He -took the ornament from me, and weighing it in his hand, judged its -worth. Two other men agreed, and the old man, without being consulted, -was handed the money and told to be gone. - -Assuredly business methods are quaint in the town we Europeans call -Scutari. - -Another after another—shopkeepers, all of them in the same category as -Salko himself—was interviewed. Those who offered rubbish were promptly -ordered out. And so, before me, seated upon my box, was unfolded the -treasures of the bazaar. - -And assuredly some of the curios offered were fit to grace any museum. -Seldom does a foreigner visit Skodra, therefore it still contains many -real antiques; and there being no sale for them, prices are not -exorbitant. It is, indeed, one of the few places left where one can -obtain anything worth having. - -A long, lean Christian, in his flat round fez and enormous tassel, -offered me nine early Greek gold coins that had only a week before been -discovered in a tomb. I doubted the tomb part of the story, but I was -afterwards shown it half a mile away, and could also have bought the -actual vase in which they had been found. I am not a collector of coins, -so I declined them. One day, however, those coins will, no doubt, find -their way into one of our European national collections, for they were -so perfect that they looked as though just fresh from the matrix. - -I was turning over in my hand a number of antique gem rings, when of a -sudden, just outside, not a dozen yards from where I sat, there was a -loud shout, followed by a pistol-shot. Then more shouting, and a little -crowd gathered. In alarm I sprang to my feet, and I saw outside a -mountaineer, in white felt skullcap, lying in a pool of blood with part -of his face blown away. - -A man in black-and-white trousers stalked past, flourishing his big -pistol and threatening to shoot anybody who dared to stop him. He was -the assassin. - -“It is nothing, signore,” Palok declared, reseating himself. “Only the -blood-feud. The men were _in sangue_, and have met. In such cases one -must always die. The man who shoots first gets the best of it,” and he -grinned. - -For fully five minutes the man lay in the filthy gutter without a hand -being placed upon him to see if life were extinct. Then it occurred to -somebody to see. He was pronounced dead, and a couple of men carried -away the corpse. No police or guard put in an appearance, and the life -of the bazaar went on as though nothing unusual had happened. - -But nothing unusual had happened. Such assassinations occur every day, -and nobody takes any heed of them. The blood-feud is part of the -Albanian creed, both Mohammedan and Christian. - -It is not, however, pleasant to have a man shot dead before one’s eyes, -nor does it tend to inspire confidence in one’s own personal safety. - -This was my first experience of the murderous instinct of the wild -Albanian, but ere three days I had still other opportunities of -reflecting upon Palok’s remark that Skodra was not so safe a place as it -looked. - -Indeed, the town itself is, at intervals, threatened with massacre. -Every now and then rumours fly round that the mountain tribes are about -to descend upon the place and drive out the Turks. Then everybody -retires to their houses—each residence has high walls, and is more or -less a fortress—the bazaar is closed, the shops are barricaded, and the -ragged soldiers of the Sultan assemble under their greasy-tunicked -officers—and wait. - -The blow for liberty has not yet been struck by the Albanians, but it -will assuredly come ere long. - -I wanted to investigate, and get at the truth. That is the reason why -those high, blue, misty mountains that I could see afar from the narrow, -crooked streets of Skodra held me in such fascination; that is why I -disregarded all advice to the contrary, and determined to visit the -Albanian at home in his rocky fastness. - -That same night, after Salko had bargained for me, I was eating my -evening meal—of pork—when another shot sounded out in the dark, unlit -street. - -It was nothing, I was told by Palok five minutes later. A man had been -found dead in the darkness. That was all. - -The average number of assassinations in Scutari is about three per day. -Nobody cares, for justice is nobody’s business except that of the dead -man’s brother, or his next-of-kin. - -True, there is an Imperial Court of Justice, a lath-built shed with -gaping holes in the roof. Its steps are moss-grown, and its windows -mostly broken or devoid of glass. - -Outside the place, after midday, the brave defenders of the Ottoman -Empire, those shoeless men with their ragged uniforms dropping off them, -sell their ration of bread to the passer-by in order to get money to buy -cigarettes. They remain unpaid, and their bread is their only source of -income. And upon the protection of these Skodra has to rely. - -Is it any wonder that when sinister rumour runs through the bazaar, -everybody shoulders his rifle and sits on his wall, prepared to defend -his own home? - - - - - CHAPTER III - THE LAWLESS LAND - -My friend Pietro—Visit to his house—His wife and sister-in-law unveil - and are photographed—Scutarine hospitality—Forbidden newspapers—I - get one in secret—The Turkish post office—I want to visit the - Accursed Mountains—Difficulties and fears—The Feast of the - Madonna—Christians and Mohammedans—My first meeting with the dreaded - Skreli—Shots in the night. - - -Those bright, sunny autumn days in Skodra will live for a long time -within my memory. - -Though a stranger in that half-savage place, where law and order are -unknown, I received perhaps more genuine hospitality from perfect -strangers than in any other place in the Balkan Peninsula. - -Through Palok’s introduction I quickly found myself among friends, who -exerted their utmost in order to entertain me, and went out of their -way, even in face of their own national customs and beliefs, to oblige -me. The Albanian idea of hospitality is old-world and charming. A case -in point was one of my friends, a wealthy Scutarine merchant named -Pietro Lekha, whose portrait is here reproduced. He was a Christian, and -spoke a little Italian. At first, when I was introduced to him in the -bazaar, he was silent and taciturn, apparently regarding me with some -suspicion; but very soon this wore off, and we became the best of -friends. We took coffee together constantly, and he gave me exquisite -cigarettes. In Albania there is no _régie_, as in other parts of Turkey, -therefore one can choose from the peasant-women the very best light -tobacco in leaf, have it cut, and afterwards employ professional -cigarette-makers to manufacture you cigarettes. I did this, and sent a -quantity of cigarettes of the very first quality to England, far milder -and sweeter than any to be purchased in Constantinople—or anywhere else -in the world, for the matter of that. - -[Illustration: ROK, tribesman of the Skreli.] - -[Illustration: PIETRO LEKHA.] - -Finding that I was taking photographs, Pietro became interested. He -accompanied me on my expeditions, and we had spent some days together -before I dared to inquire about his wife, the veiled lady whom I had -once had pointed out to me in the bazaar. - -Palok had told me that Pietro’s brother had, three months ago, married -the most beautiful girl in Skodra, and that he and his young wife lived -at Pietro’s house. A bold thing then occurred to me—to beg permission to -photograph them. - -I knew well that these people were averse to having their photographs -taken; nevertheless I very discreetly broached the subject one day when -sipping coffee with Pietro. - -He gave me no decided answer. Indeed, he declared himself ready in any -way to serve me, but as to photographing his women-kind—well, it was -against all custom. What would his friends say if they knew? - -I dropped the subject, rather crestfallen. I wanted to be invited to his -house and to meet his wife and sister-in-law, both of whom were declared -to be very beautiful. Yet he seemed in no way inclined to so far extend -his hospitality. I spoke to Palok and urged him to use his power of -persuasion, with the result that two days later I received an invitation -from Pietro to call upon him at his house at three o’clock to take -coffee, and further, he added— - -“If you really wish to bring your camera, you may. I have spoken to my -brother, and he will let you take a picture of his wife, providing you -give your undertaking not to make any copies for sale, or to show it -here to people in Skodra.” - -I willingly gave the undertaking, and at the appointed hour, accompanied -by Palok, we rang at the big gate in a high white, prison-like wall that -enclosed my friend’s dwelling, and were admitted into the garden, in the -centre of which stood a great square house. - -Pietro came forward to greet me, a picturesque figure in his Scutarine -dress, the flat fez with big tassel, the embroidered coat, baggy -trousers, and white stockings. The ground floor was devoted to stables, -but above we found ourselves in a large square apartment with divans. -Upon the floor were beautiful Eastern rugs. On one side was the big, -gaudily painted dowry-chest, and here and there small low tables. The -room, with its heavy hangings, was very cosy, and over everything was -the sweet odour of otto-of-rose. In one corner was a great brass -brazier, and upon a chiffonier were a few European knick-knacks, -evidently household treasures. The only picture on the wall was a small -oleograph of the Madonna. - -A rush-bottomed chair was produced for me, while Pietro and Palok -squatted cross-legged upon the divans. Then the servant was sent to -inform the ladies of our arrival. - -Presently both wife and sister-in-law entered, gorgeous in silk and -gold, the most striking costumes I have ever seen off the stage. White -gauze veils were wrapped about their heads and corsage, leaving only -their eyes visible; and thus attired they saluted me and, with Pietro -acting as interpreter, welcomed me. - -Afterwards they retired, and at Pietro’s order reappeared without their -veils. The younger woman was indeed lovely, with a fair white skin, -beautiful soft lines of beauty, magnificent black eyes, and lips that -puckered into a sweet, modest smile when I involuntarily expressed my -surprise at her marvellous good looks. I had heard that Albanian ladies -were beautiful, but I certainly never expected to be presented to such a -type of feminine loveliness. - -Over her bare chest hung strings of great gold coins, while across her -brow were rows of sequins. Her richly embroidered dress, the jewels in -her ears, the bangles upon her arms, all enhanced her great personal -beauty, while she stood before me, her face downcast in modesty—for -except her husband and his brother no man had ever beheld her unveiled. - -At that moment her husband entered, and I congratulated him upon the -possession of such a beautiful wife. Then we all laughed together, and -descended to the garden, where I was allowed to take photographs of her, -veiled and unveiled, as well as of Pietro’s wife, who was, of course, -much her senior, and who, although she had lost her youthful beauty, was -still very charming. - -Returning again to the upstairs salon, we all sat round, while the -newly-married beauty brought us first lemonade, then delicious Turkish -coffee in tiny round cups upon a great gilt tray, followed by _rakhi_, -that spirit so dear to the Turkish palate, and afterwards real -_rahat-lakoum_, or Turkish delight. - -Then, after an interval, veiled again once more, the beautiful young -woman brought me a cigarette and lit it for me, afterwards wishing me -adieu and modestly retiring. - -All was done with such perfect grace and modesty as to create a most -charming experience. It was, to say the least, novel, to sit there with -those squatting Albanians and be waited upon by the prettiest girl in -Skodra. - -Pietro told me that newspapers and books being forbidden, anyone found -in possession of them was at once arrested. He, however, gave me -surreptitiously a copy of the Rome _Tribuna_, which had been smuggled in -a day or two before; and it was welcome, being the first newspaper I had -had for several weeks. - -Truly Skodra is a strange place. I had occasion to go to the Turkish -post office one day. It was, I found, a wooden shed. Inside was a low, -filthy truckle bed, a small table—at which sat a consumptive youth in a -fez—a broken chair and a large iron safe, the door being secured by a -piece of string being tied about it! - -Of drainage there is none. Sewage runs down the centre of most of the -streets, especially in the bazaar, and its odour is the reverse of -pleasant on a sunny day. In the neighbourhood of butchers and -slaughterers the gutters run with blood, which the dogs lap and enjoy, -and near the stalls of fruiterers and vegetable-sellers the piles of -refuse rot in the sun and decay. - -Yet everywhere, both in the streets of the Mohammedan quarter and in -those of the Christians, are interesting sights at every turn. When -night falls the place is dark and mysterious, for there are no lights -save that issuing from the chinks of a door or from the windows of a -barber or a coffee-seller. Through the windows of a mosque, perhaps, can -be seen the swaying figures of Turks at prayer, faint in the dim oil -lights, while in the blackness of the street the patrol passes, a dozen -Turkish soldiers with loaded rifles, headed by one man carrying a -lantern. The place is insecure after nightfall, even to the Scutarines -themselves, therefore nobody ventures out, and by nine o’clock every -house is bolted and barred. - -At that hour, it being Ramadan, the Turk was feasting and taking his -ease, while opposite the _han_ where I lived a Turkish soldier would -come nightly and sing weird prayers under the window of the Governor of -the _vilayet_, that perfectly useless official, whose authority extends -only to the confines of the town itself, and who fears to exercise it -lest he should rouse the slumbering ire of those fierce tribes who live -in the Accursed Mountains above. - -Many strange sights I witnessed and many strange things I heard in -Skodra. - -Men, fierce mountaineers who, in some cases, bore across their -countenances marks of sword or gun-shot wounds, told me their -stories—exciting narratives of love, war, and the blood-feud. All were -Albanians, and believed Skodra to be the finest capital in the world. -England, because it carried on no political intrigue among them, like -Austria and Italy, they did not regard as a Power. Mine was a country -far away, I was told, and therefore perfectly harmless. Hardly anybody -had heard of London. Those who had, declared that it could not be so -large or so beautiful as Skodra. - -The days I spent there were with the one object of obtaining, by some -means, permission from one or other of the mountain chieftains to allow -me to travel in the country. - -Palok had promised to endeavour to arrange it for me, and so had Pietro, -but by their manner I saw that they considered any such attempt a piece -of sheer folly, and far too hazardous. They were too polite to tell me -so, but I read in their faces that they did not intend me to go, if it -were possible to prevent me. - -Therefore surreptitiously I had recourse to my faithful friend of the -bazaar, Salko, himself a member of the fierce tribe of the Skreli, who -had more than once terrorised the town. When, through an interpreter, I -one evening explained my desire, he rubbed his chin doubtfully and -wagged his head. He would do his best, but it was dangerous—very -dangerous, he declared. - -And yet, he went on, the thing might perhaps be managed. An Albanian of -the mountains, though he might be a brigand and annoyed the Turks, and -though he might shoot Turkish soldiers like dogs wherever met, was -nevertheless a man of his word. If I was promised safe escort, then I -might go into the mountains without even my revolver, for no harm would -come to me. - -Yes; he would promise to see what he could do. But it was difficult, and -it would take time. In the mountains they had no great love of -foreigners. - -To the coming Feast of the Madonna many men from the mountains would -arrive, and there would be opportunity to speak with them. No; he would -say nothing to Palok—if I so wished. Therefore I waited, and hoped. - -Now the celebrated Madonna of Loretto was, before the Turkish occupation -of Skodra, at the little ruined church near the Boyana River, and even -now down to the annual _festà_ come representatives of all the various -tribes, men and women, from sometimes a week’s journey distant, filling -the streets with a perfect panorama of colour and costume. - -The Feast of the Madonna is indeed the day to see Skodra at her best. - -You may travel the whole of Europe, from the Channel to the Urals, or -from the White Sea to the Bosphorus, and you will never see such a -variety of types and of costume as during the two days of that feast. - -That clear sunny morning the whole town was agog. The Christians had it -to themselves, for while they feasted the Mohammedans fasted. The two -peoples keep distinctly apart during religious festivals, and Turkish -soldiers, their blue uniforms green with age, greasy at the collar, and -often shoeless, patrol the town, ready to fire on the people at the -least provocation. At least, so they say. If, however, they did fire, -then woe-betide them! Every man goes armed in Skodra, and the garrison -would certainly be wiped out were the alarm once given to those wild -fellows up in the mountains. - -All is orderly, however—all brilliant. The streets are full of -Christians from the country, the men tall, thin-legged fellows, with -black-and-white striped trousers and black furry bolero, carrying loaded -rifles upon their shoulders; and the women in the various gay costumes -of the tribes, each wearing profusions of gold coins strung across their -breasts, heavy gold earrings, and the younger married ones with dozens -of gaudy silk handkerchiefs suspended round their heavy brass or iron -studded girdles, presents to them on their recent marriage. Most of the -_katunnare_ (peasant-women from the plains) are dressed in a short black -homespun skirt and bodice combined, reaching to the knees and -embroidered with red. Around the waist is a heavy hide belt about five -inches broad, studded with iron, and with two big polished cornelians to -form the buckle. Some are of antique silver of beautiful workmanship, -and others, more modern, are gilt. These women wear nothing on their -heads, but the gaily-dressed _malzore_ (women of the mountains) wear a -bright silk handkerchief arranged very much in the same manner as the -women around Naples. The _malzore_ are extremely good-looking, and all -carry a small embroidered sack over their shoulder, for in Skodra on the -night prior to the _Festà_ of the Madonna every Christian house is open -to receive visitors and give them food and shelter, whoever they may be. -So these little sacks contain humble presents to the hosts. - -Pietro met me in the street as I was going to the Cathedral, and told me -that on the previous night he had given food and beds to twenty-eight -mountaineers of both sexes. Albanian hospitality is certainly unbounded. - -[Illustration: The Madonna of Skodra.] - -[Illustration: The Procession with an Armed Guard.] - -As I strolled through the narrow lanes of the Christian quarter towards -the Cathedral, and the gaily-dressed chattering women in groups hurried -forward to get a place within, I was struck with their neat and clean -appearance. Their finery was in no way dingy or dusty, and yet many of -them had been a whole week on a journey through perhaps the roughest -region in the whole East. - -How different was the _festà_ to that I had known in the Italian towns! - -About the Cathedral there is nothing unusually attractive—a big bare -edifice with high square campanile in modern Italian style. It stands in -the centre of an open space, surrounded by great high, fortress-like -walls, entered by a strong gate with huge iron bars—significant that one -day ere long it will be held against the Turks. No Mohammedan ever -passes those gates. Even the military patrol lounge outside, leaning on -their rifles. - -Within the enclosure I found a great crowd of peasant women; females of -the town, veiled with gauze so fine that one could almost see their -faces; Scutarine men in their best jackets and baggy trousers; and the -swaggering, white-capped warriors from the mountains, men of the -Miriditi,—so dreaded by the Turks that they are allowed to carry their -rifles with them,—of the fierce Skreli, the Hoti, and the Kastrati. - -The Skreli, with the Miriditi, are allowed to carry their rifles because -the Turks hold them in fear. The authorities know full well that to -arouse their ire would be to bring destruction upon the whole _vilayet_, -for they hold the communications, and if the tribes revolted, as they no -doubt would, then the army of the Sultan would have a very hard task to -suppress the rebellion. - -So while the Kastrati and the Hoti—also dwellers in the Mountains of the -Accursed—the Klementi, the Shiala of the foot-hills, and the others are -compelled to leave their rifles at the entrance to the town, the Skreli -and the Miriditi stalk along in armed bands of twenty or thirty through -the streets to the church, grinning defiance at the Turks, who are -supposed by Europe to be their masters. - -Under the trees around the Cathedral the wild, fierce men, who would -hold the traveller to ransom or shoot him with less compunction than -they would kill a shepherd-dog, were squatting in rings with their -rifles before them, gossiping. Every man wore a belt full of cartridges -and a bandolier across his shoulders—sometimes even two. War and -religion are strangely mixed in Skodra. - -Into the dimly-lit Cathedral I managed to squeeze, and there, kneeling -on the stones and filling the whole place right out into the grass -enclosure, were men of all grades, from the peaceful Scutarine merchant -to the wild tribesman, and women with their faces uncovered bowed -towards the brilliantly lit altar, where the thin-faced Italian priest -mumbled the prayers. - -The sight was strangely impressive; the silence unbroken save for the -low voice of the priest and now and then the clank of arms. - -For two days in the year, to celebrate the Christian festival, the -brigand tribes from the mountains come down, notwithstanding that upon -the heads of many of those sinister-looking men before me the Turks had -long ago set a price. I stood gazing at that kneeling throng, to whom, -though devout and humble in God’s house, murder was deemed no wrong. - -The service ended, a great procession was formed, and headed by four -fine stalwart men of the Skreli with loaded rifles, made a slow tour -from the altar outside and round the enclosure, while an orchestra in a -band-stand opposite played selections. The sight was curious—those armed -men ready to protect their priests in case of sudden onslaught by the -Turks. - -During the whole morning I took many photographs, and in the afternoon, -when I returned, I found the orchestra playing operatic music, which was -being listened to by the tribesmen with marked attention. They are, I -afterwards found, devoted to music. The programme ranged from selections -from _La Bohème_ and _Carmen_ to the “Segovia” valse and our old -melodious friend, “The Honeysuckle and the Bee.” The latter air quickly -became popular among the tribesmen, who picked it up and began at once -to whistle it. - -[Illustration: The Mirediti: An Alarm!] - -[Illustration: The Mirediti at Prayer.] - -Slowly fell the mystic twilight of the East. The glorious afterglow had -deepened into grey, and night was creeping on quickly when fire balloons -were sent up, and then gradually the whole Cathedral became outlined in -fairy lamps against the steely sky, even to the utmost point of the high -square tower. Men and women gazed upward, and crossed themselves. - -Later, while walking back with Palok, we encountered a group of armed -tribesmen talking excitedly, shaking their fists, and apparently -quarrelling. Palok joined the crowd, and inquired what had happened. -Then, turning to me, he said— - -“Oh, it is nothing, signore. The town of Kroia has revolted. The Turks -sent soldiers yesterday, but they were Albanians, and would not fire on -the people. To-day some artillery arrived, and thirty people have been -killed—mostly women. A man has just ridden in with the news. It is -nothing. We are always fighting the Turks at Kroia. There will probably -be a massacre to-night.” And he deftly rolled a cigarette as he spat in -defiance of the hated Mussulman. - -Later that night I was awakened from sleep by a shot below, and, taking -my revolver, went to the window. The night was black, and I could -discern nothing. - -I heard men’s voices raised in the street below, and suddenly saw the -red flash of firearms and heard a second report. - -Then all was quiet, except receding footsteps. - -The shots disturbed nobody, or if they did, nobody opened door or -window. The town was asleep, and by the distant sound of a tom-tom I -knew that the hour was half-past three; for the music was calling upon -the Faithful to eat, preparatory to the day’s fast. - -What had happened? All was silent, therefore I closed my window and -slept again. - -In the morning I was told that it was “nothing.” Two men of the Shiala -had been found dead outside. - -Was it the blood-feud? I asked. - -Palok only raised his shoulders and exhibited his palms. - -“It was nothing, signore—really nothing.” - - - - - CHAPTER IV - IN THE ACCURSED MOUNTAINS - -Vatt Marashi, chief of the Skreli tribe, invites me to become his - guest—Our start for the Accursed Mountains—Rok, our - guide—Independence of the Skreli—Brigandage and the _bessa_—A night - under a rock—My meeting with Vatt Marashi and his band—The Skreli - welcome—How they treat the Turks—Vatt’s admissions—I become the - guest of brigands—A chat in the moonlight. - - -While seated on the box in Salko’s dark little stall in the bazaar he -introduced his friend Rok to me. - -A middle-aged tribesman in the regulation costume of tight white woollen -trousers heavily striped with black, black bolero with deep woollen -fringe, and a felt skullcap, once white, but now not overclean, he -squatted opposite me and touched chin and brow in salute. His loaded -rifle lay before him on the ground. - -He eyed me critically up and down, my pigskin gaiters apparently -receiving his admiration. - -“Rok, here, is of the Skreli, a fearless fighter of the Turks and one of -my best friends,” Salko went on to explain. “I have told him of your -earnest desire to go and see our country; that you are neither Austrian -nor Italian, but English and not a spy. Our friend is returning to-day, -and has promised to speak to Vatt Marashi, our chief, on your behalf.” - -“Tell the honourable Englishman that if he comes to us he must be -prepared for a rough life. We live in the mountains,” Rok said through -the interpreter, laughing pleasantly as he lit the cigarette he took -from my case. - -Coffee was brought, and we sealed our compact of friendliness. - -If Vatt Marashi, the renowned chieftain who so often held travellers to -ransom, and whose influence was so dreaded by the Turks, consented to -allow me to visit him, then Rok would return, he promised, and be my -guide. - -For half an hour we chatted and smoked. Then the burly mountaineer rose, -slung his rifle over his shoulder, touched chin and brow again, grasped -my hand warmly, and stalked out on his three days’ tramp to the wild -region in the mountain mists that was his home. - -I waited on in Skodra, and, to my great delight, he one morning -reappeared with a message from his chief that, providing I took only -Palok, and had no escort, he would be pleased to welcome me and show me -all the hospitality in his power. I need fear nothing, it was added. I -was to be guest of Vatt Marashi, chief of the Skreli. He had issued the -order to the tribe. Any who dared to insult or injure me should pay for -it with their life. Therefore I should be given safe-conduct, and need -not have a moment’s anxiety. - -By this, Palok, who had been entirely opposed to the attempt, became -reassured, and soon after noon, with a mule packed with my lightest -baggage, we set our faces out across the great rolling plain that lies -between the town and the high wall of blue distant mountains—the wildest -corner of all Europe. They are a series of fastnesses, in which any -small army would at once be massacred and where a large one would -starve. - -We were a merry trio as we marched forward in the bright autumn -sunlight, but about a kilometre beyond the town the road ended in a -ford, where we crossed a wide shallow river, and then straight across -the plain and past several tumuli to where a defile showed in the -mountains. The ancient Bridge of Messi, built under the Venetian -dominion, was crossed, and then we had our first experience of the road -in Albania—a rough, narrow way gradually ascending, almost too bad even -for mules. - -Nobody who has not visited Northern Albania can have any idea of the -wildness of those bare grey rocks, of the roughness of the tracks, or -the savagery of life there. Northern Albania is to-day just as it was -under the Roman Empire. The might of Rome has waned, the Servian has -come and gone, the Venetian has been swept away, and the Turk is now -nominally master. But the country has never, through all the centuries, -been annexed, and those wild tribes, descendants of the savage people -who inhabited those fastnesses before the days of Greek dominion, have -never been tamed. The Northern Albanian is the last survivor of mediæval -days. He has no written language—indeed, his alphabet, with its many -soft and hard “ssh” sounds, has never yet been determined—therefore he -has no literature and no newspaper. Thin, wiry, and muscular, he wears -raw-hide slippers, in which he moves with cat-like, stealthy tread—a -habit survived from prehistoric days—while his very dress is protective, -rendering him at a short distance difficult to discern, so like is he in -colour to the rocky background. He looks as though he had just stepped -down from a mediæval Florentine fresco, with his head half-shaven, hair -long at the back and cut square across the shoulders. - -He is entirely unchanged ever since the Turk found him, except that of -late he has adopted the breech-loading rifle and a particularly heavy -pattern of revolver. The black furry bolero which he wears, without -exception, is the sign of mourning for his great prince, Skender Beg, -who died in 1467, after being at war with the Turks for over twenty -years; therefore with him fashions do not easily change, and “latest -novelties” in dress are unknown. Great are the changes that have come -over the world during the past thousand years or so, but Northern -Albania has remained unaffected by them, and is still in a measure in -the lowest depths of barbarism. The Turk does not rule. The wild, -inaccessible country is under the various independent tribes, ruled by a -chieftain according to unwritten laws which have been handed down orally -from remote ages, and one of the fiercest and most independent of these -chiefs was Vatt Marashi, the man whose guest I now was to be. - -[Illustration: My road in Northern Albania.] - -[Illustration: The way to the Skreli.] - -Compared with the tribesmen, the Albanian Christian of Skodra is a puny -person. The mountaineers are a barbaric, lawless people, without any -education save the schools established by Italian and Austrian monks as -part of the political propaganda; for, truth to tell, both countries -have recently conceived the idea of turning Northern Albania to account -for their own purposes on the day of the downfall of the Turk. Therefore -both Powers are frantically exerting every effort to curry favour with -the people, a fact which is glaringly apparent even to the rough, -uneducated tribesmen themselves. - -The Northern Albanian may be entirely uneducated and a barbarian, but he -is at heart a brigand, and is certainly no fool. - -My friend Rok was particularly intelligent, and as we toiled along over -those rough, rock-strewn paths he gave me much information about his -country, and declared that both Austria and Italy were equally their -enemy. - -After sundown we rested at a point high up above a dark gloomy defile, -where a stream wound away towards the plain, and there ate some slices -of cold mutton and black bread with a glass of _rakhi_, our three rifles -lying at hand in case of sudden emergency. - -I had noticed the queer, sinuous, almost uncanny way in which Rok -walked. His movements, at even pace whatever might be the state of the -path, were stealthy. Indeed, he almost crept along, for his feet fell in -silence, and with his rifle ever ready, his keen black eyes were -searching on every side for the enemy which he appeared to expect to -meet at every turn. - -Sometimes as he walked in front he would halt, and closely scan a mass -of tumbled rocks, as though he had suspicion of a lurking enemy, then -thoroughly satisfying himself, he would go forward again without -glancing back. He was certain that no enemy was in his rear. - -From his movements and natural caution I could plainly see that we were -traversing a country not altogether friendly, and when, as we sat over -our evening meal, I asked Palok, his reply was— - -“The Shiala are not on very friendly terms with the Skreli just now. But -it is nothing, signore—nothing.” - -We went forward until darkness closed in, and then lay down to sleep -under an overhanging rock almost on the face of a sheer precipice, a -place in which Rok told us he often stayed on his way down to Skodra. He -humorously called it his _han_, or hotel. - -To light a fire would be to attract hostile attention, and the cold up -there was intense. I tried to sleep, but was unable, therefore I rose -and sat outside in the bright, glorious moonlight and kept watch, while -Rok curled himself up like a dog and snored soundly in chorus with -Palok. - -There, in the East, the full moon seems to shine with greater brilliance -than in Europe, and beneath its white rays those bare, rugged mountains -looked like a veritable fairyland. Only the cry of a night-bird and the -low music of the stream far below broke the stillness of the Oriental -night, and as I sat there I reflected that I was the first Englishman -who had ever been the guest of the redoubtable chieftain, Vatt Marashi, -the man whom the Turks so hate—the man of whom blood-curdling tales had -been told me both in Montenegro and in Skodra, and whose fame as a -leader of a wild band had not long before been proclaimed by the London -newspapers. - -For hours I sat thinking, sometimes of my good fortune, at others of my -perilous position alone in the hands of such a people. But I had heard -that, notwithstanding their barbaric customs, an Albanian’s word was his -bond. Therefore I reassured myself that I should not be the victim of -treachery, and reported to Constantinople as “missing.” - -Slowly at last the moon paled, and I grew sleepy. That terrible road had -worn me out. Therefore I woke Palok to mount guard, and flung myself -down in his place and slept till the sun, shining in my face, awakened -me. - -Through the whole day we went forward again, over a path so bad that I -often had to scramble with difficulty. I tried to ride the mule, but it -was out of the question, so I walked and stumbled and was helped over -the rough boulders by my companions. The Skreli country was surely an -unapproachable region. - -That night we slept again in the open, but in a spot less sheltered. -Then forward again with the first grey of dawn until, just before noon, -Rok halted in the narrow track which wound round the face of the bare -grey mountain, and, drawing his revolver, fired three times in the air. - -The shots reverberated in a series of echoes. It was a signal, and -almost ere they had died away came three answering shots from no great -distance, and I was told that we were now in the Skreli region, and -there was nothing more to fear. - -In Podgoritza, in Cettinje, in Skodra, and in Djakova I had heard -terrible stories of this fighting race, and of Vatt’s fierce hatred of -the Turks. Yet everyone had told me that, the chief having invited me, I -need have not a moment’s apprehension of my personal safety. - -So I went forward, reassured, to meet my host. - -Half an hour later I came face to face with real brigands—brigands who -looked like an illustration out of a boy’s story-book—the men who had so -often held up travellers and compelled the Turkish Government to pay -heavy ransoms. - -They were about twenty, certainly the fiercest and most bloodthirsty -gang I have ever set my eyes upon. Dressed in the usual skin-tight white -woollen trousers with broad black bands running down the legs, a short -white jacket, also black-braided, the sleeveless woolly bolero of -mourning, hide shoes with uppers consisting of a network of string, and -small white skullcaps, each man carried in his belt a great -silver-mounted pistol of antique type and a silver-sheathed curved -knife, while around both shoulders were well-filled bandoliers, and in -the hand of each a rifle. Like Rok, the heads of all were shaved, -leaving a long tuft at the back in the mediæval Florentine style. - -With one accord they all raised their rifles aloft and shouted me -welcome, whereupon one man stepped forward—a big, muscular fellow with -handsome face and proud gait—the great chief Vatt Marashi himself. - -Attired very much as his followers, his dress was richer, the jacket -being ornamented with gold braid. The silver hilt of his pistol was -studded with coral and green stones, probably emeralds, but he carried -no rifle. Jauntily, and laughing merrily, he approached me and bent -until his forehead touched mine—the Skreli sign of welcome. - -And all this in Europe in the twentieth century! - -Was I dreaming? Was it real? I was the guest of actual brigands, those -men about whom I had read in story-books ever since those long-ago days -when the weekly _Boys of England_ formed my chief literature. - -Vatt Marashi, holding my hand the while, addressed me. What he said was -interpreted into Italian by Palok as— - -“You are welcome here to my country—very welcome. And you are -an Englishman, and have travelled so far to see us! It is -wonderful—wonderful! You live so far away—farther than Constantinople, -they say. Well, I cannot give you much here or make you very -comfortable—not so comfortable as you have been down in Skodra. But I -will do my best. Come—let us eat.” - -I returned his greeting, whereupon the whole crowd of us walked along to -a spot where a cauldron was standing upon a wood fire, and out of it my -host, myself, and Palok had pieces of boiled chicken and rice, which had -specially been prepared for my coming. - -The object of this meal, I afterwards learnt, was to cement our -friendship. The Albanian code of honour is astounding, even to our -Western ideas. A word once given by those savage tribes is never broken, -and if the stranger eats the food of the Skreli, even though he may be -an enemy, his person is sacred for twenty-four hours afterwards. While -the food remains undigested he may not be injured or captured. - -And so while I ate with this wild chieftain, his band squatted round, -apparently discussing me. - -It was probably the first time they had seen an Englishman, Palok -explained, and they were at first inclined to regard me as a secret -agent of the Government, until later that afternoon their chief assured -them to the contrary. - -Then that wild horde became, to a man, my devoted servants. - -[Illustration: VATT MARASHI, Chief of the Skreli tribe.] - -Vatt, the _Baryaktar_ (from the Turkish _bairakdar_, or -standard-bearer), unlike most Albanians, is fair-haired, above the -average height, extremely muscular, with a constant smile of hearty -good-fellowship. His eyes are fierce and barbaric; nevertheless he is -pleasant of countenance, and I certainly found him, from first to last, -a staunch and excellent friend. - -Lord of those wild, rugged mountains, his word was obeyed with a -precision that amazed me. A striking figure he presented as, with me, he -marched at head of his bodyguard, his chest thrown out proudly, his head -up, his keen eyes ever searching forward like every Albanian of the -hills, one of the wildest rulers of wildest Europe. - -On every side, as we went forward to the tiny cluster of little houses -that formed the village where I was to be quartered, were bare grey -limestone rocks without a single blade of grass, a desolate mountain -region into which no foreigner had penetrated save when captured and -held to ransom. Through centuries have that same tribe ruled that barren -land, and no conqueror of Albania has ever succeeded in ousting them. - -“You have, no doubt, heard down in Skodra terrible things about me,” he -said, laughing, as, later on, we walked together. He had rolled me a -cigarette and given it to me unstuck. “I expect you feared to come and -see me—eh?” - -I admitted that I had heard things of him not altogether satisfactory. - -“Ah!” he laughed, “that is because the Turks do not like us. Whenever a -Turkish soldier puts his foot a kilometre outside Skodra, we either take -away his Mauser and send him back, or else—well, we shoot him first.” - -“But they say that your men capture travellers.” - -“And why not?” he asked. “We are Christians. Is it not permissible for -us to do everything to annoy those devils of Turks? But,” he added, “if -they say that I treat my prisoners badly, they lie. Why, they get plenty -of food and are well treated. I give them some shooting if they like—and -they generally enjoy themselves. But I know. I too have been told that -the Turks say I once cut off a man’s ears. Bah! all Turks are liars.” - -“Then it is only to annoy the Turks that your men commit acts of -brigandage?” - -“Of course. The ransom is useful to us, I admit, but we live by our -flocks, and our wants are few. We are not like the people down in -Skodra. We are better, I hope.” - -“And do you always watch the roads on the other side of the mountains -yonder?” - -“Always. Our men are there now, all along the route between Ipek and -Prisrend. Who knows who may not pass along—a rich Pasha perhaps.” And -his face relaxed into a humorous smile at thought of such a prize. - -And then I marched along, my rifle over my shoulder—a brigand for the -nonce like my host. - -Surely it was one of the quaintest experiences of a varied and -adventurous life. - -The tiny house in which I was given quarters had an earthen floor and -consisted of two rooms, the ceilings and walls of which were blackened -by the smoke of years. The owner was an old man with his wife and -daughter, the latter being a pretty young woman of about nineteen, -dressed in the gorgeous gala costume with golden sequins, the same that -I had seen down at Skodra during the _festà_. She had on her best in my -honour, I suppose, and her husband, a good-looking young fellow five -years her senior, seemed justly proud of her. His name was Lûk. I named -him Lucky, but he did not appreciate the wit. He was, I found, one of -the chief’s bodyguard who had come to greet me at the confines of the -Skreli territory, and proved a most sociable fellow, ever ready to -render me a service. - -“These good people will look after you and make you as comfortable as -they can,” my host said, when he had introduced me to them. “I have to -go along the ravine, but will return in time to eat with you this -evening. You like good cigarettes? I will send you some.” And he shook -my hands, and turning, went out, stalking again at the head of his -ferocious-looking band. - -[Illustration: The Skreli at Home.] - -[Illustration: An Albanian Village.] - -The bedroom, occupied in common by the family, was given over to me. My -bed on the floor was a big sack filled with dried maize-leaves. It was -not inviting, but Palok, having examined it critically, declared it to -be “_cosi cosi_,” and having slept out a couple of nights, I was -compelled to accept his verdict. - -The girl in the sequins boiled us coffee over the fire, and with her -father and husband I sat outside the house in the golden sunset, smoking -and chatting. Both were full of curiosity. England was to them a mere -legendary land, and they had never heard of London. When I mentioned it -they declared that it could not possibly be so large as Skodra. - -I told them of Cettinje and other towns in Montenegro I had visited, but -they held all Montenegro in contempt, for were they not always raiding -over the frontier? Lûk declared that he had walked in Podgoritza openly, -and in the marketplace shot a man with whom he was in _gyak_, or -blood-feud. - -“I walked out again, and no one dared to stop me,” he added, with pride. -“It would have been worse for them if they had.” - -“But the Montenegrins are no cowards,” I ventured to remark. - -“Certainly not. They are very brave, but they dare not follow us here. -They always get lost in the mountains, and once they lose their way they -lose their lives,” he added, with a grin. “Our men killed four over -yonder mountain a few days ago.” - -“The blood-feud?” - -“Of course. It arose out of that.” - -From the half-dozen other poor mountain homes came forth men, women, and -children, who grouped around us, watching in curiosity. According to -Palok, rumour had at first gone round that I was a prisoner, therefore -they had refrained from coming forth to see me. Now, however, they knew -the truth, they welcomed me as their guest. - -Just before it grew dark the _Baryaktar_ returned, followed by the -bodyguard, without whom he never seemed to move. They did his bidding, -executed his orders, and were ever at his beck and call—the picked men -of the tribe. - -While Vatt squatted on the floor I sat upon my suit-case, and together -we ate a kind of mutton stew, rather rich, but not unpalatable. There -was an absence of table cutlery, therefore we ate with the aid of our -pocket-knives and fingers. Now and then the old woman would pick a -tit-bit out of the pot and hand it to me with her fingers. I was -compelled to accept the well-meant hospitality, even though her hands -were not particularly clean. - -The hot dish was tasty, but I could not manage the sour black bread, for -it was mouldy, and gritty into the bargain. - -It was a weird picture, the interior of that lowly hut, lit by the dim -oil lamp of almost the same type as used by the early Greeks. The -uncertain firelight glinted upon the gold of the dresses of the -chieftain and of Lûk’s pretty wife, and threw, now and then, into relief -those strangely unfamiliar faces, the barbarians of an age bygone and -forgotten. The very language they were speaking was, as an unwritten -one, utterly incomprehensible and unintelligible to any but the born -Albanian. - -I rubbed my eyes—on account of the smoke—wondering if it were really -only a very few weeks ago that I had driven a motor from London down to -Windsor, that I had seen _The Catch of the Season_, and trod the red -carpet of the Savoy afterwards. - -And to-night I was actually having supper with real live brigands of the -mountains! - -Lûk produced a bottle of _rakhi_, and Vatt Marashi lifted his tin mug to -me. I took a little of the potent spirit in the bottom of my own -drinking-cup, and tossed it off. It was not half as bad as I expected. - -Then the chief took me outside the house, and in the clear moonlight we -sat down with Palok upon a big rock to chat. - -He rolled me a cigarette of most excellent Turkish tobacco—of his own -growing, he told me—lit one himself, and we sipped the coffee brought to -us by Lûk’s wife. - -The scene spread before us was superb—a magnificent panorama of -mountains, some tipped with snow, white and brilliant under the -moonbeams. Below us, the valley was a great chasm of unfathomable -blackness. - -With my strange host I chatted upon many subjects, and found him far -more intelligent than I had believed. Keen-witted, quick of perception, -just in his judgment, and yet filled with an intense hatred of both Turk -and Montenegrin alike, he explained to me many things of great interest. - -He told me of the glorious traditions of his sturdy race and of the -prince of the Skender Beg family, who, they hoped, would one day come -back to rule them. - -“We, the chieftains, hold authority from him,” he declared. “Oh yes, he -will come some day. Of that we are quite certain.” - -“Englishmen have never dared to come here, have they?” I asked, with -some curiosity. - -“Only once—a year or two ago. I discovered three of your compatriots -poking about in the rocks and chipping little pieces off. I had them -captured, and brought to me. At first I thought I would hold them to -ransom and make the Turks pay. But they were evidently poor fellows, for -their clothes were worn almost to rags, and they had very little money. -So I gave them their money back and sent them with an escort down to the -plain, forbidding them to enter our country again. I wonder why they -came, and why they were chipping the rocks?” - -I told him that they were evidently mining prospectors; that Englishmen -travelled all over the world to discover minerals; and that a mine in -his country would be a source of great wealth. But my explanation did -not appeal to him. He could not see why they were chipping off those -pieces of rock. It was not flint, otherwise they might have wanted them -for gun-locks. No, the trio were distinctly suspicious characters, and -he was glad that he had expelled them. - -“Have you ever held Englishmen to ransom?” I inquired. - -“One. Five years ago. He came here shooting—after bears, I think. He was -evidently a great gentleman, for his guns were beautiful. The Turks paid -promptly.” - -“Because he was an Englishman—eh?” - -“Most probably,” he laughed. “Are they afraid of you English as they are -afraid of us?” - -And soon afterwards he bade me good-night, and left me to throw myself -down upon my mattress of leaves and listen to the snoring of Palok and -the assembled family in the adjoining room. - -I had thought Skodra barbaric, but here I was in an utterly unknown -corner of the earth, in an absolutely savage land—a land that knows no -law and acknowledges no master; a land that is the same to-day as it was -in the days of Diocletian and of Constantine the Great—Albania the -Unchanging. - -[Illustration: Among the Skreli: Lûk (first on the right) and his -friends.] - - - - - CHAPTER V - LIFE WITH A BRIGAND BAND - -The Skreli a lawless tribe—No man’s life safe unless the chief gives his - word—Vatt prophesies a rising against the Turks—Our walks and - talks—Our meeting with our neighbours the Kastrati, and with Dêd - Presci their chief—A woman who avenged her husband’s death—The - significant story of Kol—Manners and customs of the wild - tribes—Farewell to my good friend Dêd—An incident a fortnight later. - - -The bright sunny days I remained with the Skreli were full of interest. - -On every hand, from Vatt himself down to the humblest of his tribe, I -received only the greatest kindness and hospitality. If I went out in -Vatt’s absence, a dozen armed banditti followed me, mounting guard over -me; for, as they told me, one never knew what little “accident” might -happen. With the tribes of the Shiala and the Pulati they were not just -then on particularly friendly terms, and there had been a series of -sharp encounters a week ago. Having given their word to be responsible -for my safety, it behoved them to take precautions. - -I walked with Vatt Marashi every day, making long excursions through the -mountains by the secret paths known only to the tribe. - -Would I care for some sport? If I cared to come next year and bring a -friend, or even two, he would let me shoot. My friends would always be -welcome, and I could assure them of their safety. There was plenty of -game, and lots of bears, lynx, and wolves. I should tell my friends in -England, and come back for a month or two. I promised that I would, for -in our walks I saw quantities of game. My friend shot several eagles, -but I was not successful in bagging one. - -As he was stalking at my side one afternoon, his argus eyes everywhere -and a cigarette in his mouth, I returned to the subject of the Turks and -their “occupation” of Albania. - -“Bah!” he exclaimed, with a sneering curl of the lip. “They dare not -come here. We, with the Kastrati, the Hoti, the Klementi, the Pulati, -and the Shiala, are masters here. We have held the land always, and -shall hold it still. We acknowledge no law except our own, and pay no -taxes to anybody. The Turks, when they conquered Northern Albania, -thought they could crush us. They tried to, but soon discovered their -mistake. So ever since that they have left us severely alone, and -retired into Skodra. They know full well that when we unite with our -brothers, the Miriditi, in the south, then Skodra will be at our mercy.” - -“And if the Sultan sends his soldiers here?” - -“Well, and what then?” he asked, with a flash in his eyes. “Do you think -we fear them? Many of them are Albanians, and would not fight us. Again, -you have experienced the road here. What would an army do here? We -should pick them off as fast as they came up. There are forty thousand -of us Skreli alone, remember, without all the other tribes. If a Turkish -army came in here, depend upon it, it would never get out again.” - -“And is there likely to be a rising against the Turks?” I inquired, much -interested. - -“Why, of course. The revolt will come one day ere long—when we are -ready. We can, however, afford to wait at present. Turkey will soon have -her hands full with Bulgaria and Macedonia, and then—well, we shall help -Bulgaria, and in a week there won’t be a Turk in Skodra.” - -“You mean there will be a massacre?” - -For answer he shrugged his shoulders. - -“And after the revolution?” - -“After we have driven out the Turk we hope to obtain our independence -under either France or some other far-off country—England, for instance. -Austria and Italy are, through their priests, conducting a strenuous -propaganda all through Northern Albania—so strenuous as to be -ridiculous. They foolishly think that we are like children, and that we -do not discern their ulterior motives. Oh, it is very amusing, I can -tell you! We accept their schools and their money, and put our fingers -in our cheeks, for we don’t intend to have anything to do with either -Power when the rising comes. We will help Servia or Bulgaria, or even -Montenegro, to drive the Turk from Albania, but we will not lift a -finger for either Italy or Austria. The secret agents of both Powers are -always endeavouring to penetrate here among us and carry on their -propaganda. But we do not want them, and will not have them. More than -one has of late—disappeared.” - -“Shot?” - -He smiled in the affirmative. - -“It is true,” he said, “that we kill—and kill often—for the vendetta—for -espionage—and in the frontier disputes with Montenegro. Alas! we have -here but little of the _bessa_ (truce). But you must remember we are not -like you English. The people have no government, except myself. I make -the law, and they obey. We are Christians. We believe in God and in the -Virgin, and soon we will drive the Mohammedan fanatics from our land.” - -He spoke with an air of conviction, and, judging from my observations -while I was guest of his tribe, I believe that when war between Turkey -and Bulgaria comes—as it must come one day before long—these wild people -will sweep down upon the Turks and play frightful havoc with them. - -Skodra is often alarmed, and the people retire into their houses and bar -their doors because the tribes are believed to be coming. One day they -will come, and when they do those open drains in the streets will run -with blood. The sign of the cross upon the Christian houses is in -preparation for the day of vengeance. - -My walks with Vatt Marashi, though often very fatiguing, were full of -interest. He was never tired of making inquiries regarding England and -England’s power. Did the Sultan recognise England as an independent -state, and did we send an Ambassador to the Sublime Porte, like Austria -and Germany? He knew that England once had a Vice-Consul in Skodra—but -he committed suicide, it was said, poor fellow. - -Nothing very extraordinary, I remarked inwardly. Doomed to live in such -an out-of-the-world place as Skodra would be sufficient to drive any -European to take his life. Of brigandage, Vatt Marashi told me that they -held up but few travellers nowadays, and only, indeed, when there was -necessity. Yet a year or two ago they held the worst reputation of any -of the tribes. - -One day while we were climbing the rocks—for Vatt and his bodyguard -thought that they might get a shot at a bear—there was a sudden alarm. -The hawk’s eyes of my companions espied strangers, and a sudden halt was -called. In a moment we were all under cover of the rocks. Every man -unslung his rifle, and Vatt himself, with knit brows, drew his big -pistol with silver butt, while I crouched behind a rock with my rifle -ready, expecting something to happen. - -Nothing, however, did happen, for a few moments later there were shouts -from the opposite side of the defile, answered by my companions, who -came forth and waved their rifles over their heads as sign of greeting. - -Vatt, replacing his pistol in his belt, spoke in a loud, sharp voice, -and received an answer. Those mountaineers can throw their voices long -distances, and be heard distinctly, a fact I often noticed. - -Then Palok told me that the strangers were of the neighbouring tribe, -the Kastrati, and that their chief, Dêd Presci, had come to pay Vatt a -visit. - -For me this was fortunate, for it gave me an opportunity of meeting the -other ruler of Northern Albania; for next to the Skreli the Kastrati are -most powerful in the Accursed Mountains. - -[Illustration: MRIKA, the woman who carried on the blood-feud.] - -Half an hour later we met our visitors. Dressed very similarly to my -companions, they wore white tassel-less fezes instead of the little -white skullcap, and the black stripes down their trousers were somewhat -different. The two chieftains touched foreheads, and I was afterwards -introduced. Dêd Presci, a round-faced, pleasant man, rather stout and -burly, his hair cut in mediæval style, gripped me warmly by the hand, -saying— - -“I heard that you were in Skodra during the _festà_. Some of my men told -me there was an Englishman. But I never expected to meet you. Perhaps -you are coming across to see me—eh? If so, you are quite welcome.” - -“I may come next year to shoot, with a couple of English friends. May I -visit you then?” - -“Most certainly. You have only to warn me of your coming through one of -our men down in Skodra, and I will give you safe escort,” was his reply. -“If you are fond of sport, you will find plenty with us. Only bring a -tent, and perhaps some provisions; for our food is not what you -foreigners are used to.” - -“Then I shall return one day before long,” I promised. - -“Do. You need fear nothing, you know. We never betray a friend.” - -“Or forgive an enemy,” added Vatt, laughing. - -“Especially if he be a Turk,” I remarked; whereat both chiefs laughed in -chorus. - -That evening I ate with the pair in a small lonely house on the -mountainside, and the moon had long risen before Palok and I returned to -Lûk’s. - -My photographic camera was, from the first, regarded with a good deal of -suspicion, and it was with very great difficulty I persuaded anybody to -have his picture taken. Many surreptitious snap-shots I took with a -small “Brownie” camera, for unfortunately I had run out of films for my -own larger Kodak. But I was able to secure some photographs, which now -appear in this volume. - -Early one morning, soon after sunrise, I was walking with Lûk and Palok -when a young woman passed us. - -“That is Mrika Kol Marashut,” Lûk remarked. - -“And who is she?” I asked. - -“Mrika—the woman who carried on the blood-feud,” was his answer. “Two -years ago she was the most beautiful girl of our tribe, and had a dozen -men ready to marry her. She married Lez, a smart young man from the -Pulati side, and one of the _Baryaktar’s_ bodyguard, like myself. A -month after their marriage Lez was treacherously killed by his brother, -who lived down by the White Drin, and was violently in love with her. -When she received the news she became half demented by grief. But, by -slow degrees, she formed her plans for the blood-feud, and having no -male relatives, resolved to take it on herself. She therefore left us -and was absent nearly a year, during which time she persistently -followed her brother-in-law first to Ochrida, in Macedonia, then to -Skopia, Prisrend, and many other places, always awaiting her opportunity -to strike the blow. This came one afternoon when her husband’s assassin -was walking in the main street in Skodra, and she took Lez’s pistol from -her belt and blew his face away. It was valiant of a woman—was it not? -But not only that,” he went on. “Having killed the murderer, she went -straight to his parents’ house, three days’ journey, and shot them both -dead. Since then she has been back with us, for poor Lez’s death has -been avenged. I was sorry he died,” he added regretfully, “for he was -one of my dearest friends.” - -Murder is hardly a crime in Albania, for life is cheap—very cheap. An -enemy or a stranger is shot like a dog, and left at the roadside. - -Palok told me of an incident which truly illustrates the utter disregard -the Albanian has for other people’s lives. He was once with a man of the -Hoti—on the Montenegrin frontier—who had just obtained a new rifle, -probably from a murdered Turkish soldier. While he was inspecting it a -man passed close by, a stranger, whereupon the man with the new gun -raised it to his shoulder, took aim, and fired. The stranger fell dead. -Palok remonstrated, but his companion merely said that he was testing -his gun’s accuracy. Was it not better, he asked, to test it that way, -instead of waiting till face to face with an enemy? - -The assassin is never punished, except by those who take up the -blood-feud. If the murder takes place in a town the guilty one escapes -to the mountains, or gets away into Macedonia, or into Servia, where he -earns his living by sawing firewood. Every few years the Sultan issues -an irade “for the pacification of the blood,” as it is put, and the -murderer then returns. He pays a small tax to the Turkish Government, -after which he cannot be arrested; and if he pays about three hundred -crowns to the relatives of his victim, the blood-feud is at an end. - -This, of course, does not apply to the mountain tribes. They care not a -jot for the Sultan or for his irades. There is no law—save that of the -blood-feud, the vendetta falling upon the murderer and upon his next -male relative. Many were the curious facts regarding the blood-feud and -the Albanian laws of hospitality told to me. - -A case in point was that of a young man named Kol, a friend of Lûk’s, a -tall, wiry youth, of somewhat sinister expression—a typical bandit out -of a book-illustration. - -I was talking to Lûk about the hospitality extended by the various -tribes to each other when Kol passed, and he beckoned him, saying— - -“He has just had a curious experience in the Klementi country. Let him -relate it to you.” - -So at Palok’s invitation the young fellow accepted one of my cigarettes, -placed his rifle against the wall, and flung himself down upon a small -boulder near us. - -He blew a cloud of smoke from his lips, stroked his knees with his -hands, and looked at me with considerable curiosity, wondering why I -should want to know his story. - -“The stranger is interested in your adventures with the Klementi. Tell -him all about them.” - -“Bah!” he said, with a slight shrug of the shoulders. “It was -nothing—mere chance—luck, if you like to call it so. There is nothing to -tell.” - -“But what there is interests the Englishman. He is the _Baryaktar’s_ -guest, remember,” Lûk remarked. - -“Well,” said the young man reluctantly, “I was in blood-feud with a man -of the Klementi, and went over there to kill him. I laid in wait one -evening, and as he drove home his sheep I shot him from behind a rock. -He had killed my father, therefore I had a just right to avenge his -blood. My shot, however, aroused the whole valley, and I knew that I, -the only stranger, would be suspected and killed. Therefore I sped away -down the valley in the darkness till I reached a poor little house. An -old woman was there, and I craved food and shelter for the night. She -gave me food at once—for, like ourselves, the Klementi never send a -stranger empty away. I was hungry, for I had crossed into the Klementi -region in secret, and dared not seek food lest my presence became known -to the man I intended to kill. - -“Scarcely had I eaten the meat the old woman had given me when there -came the sound of voices outside, and to my horror I saw four men -carrying the body of my victim. - -“‘See!’ they cried to the woman who was befriending me. ‘One of the -Skreli has killed your son!’ - -“Then I knew that it was the murdered man’s mother who had given me -shelter. A moment later the men, among whom was the elder brother of the -victim, discovered me. - -“‘See!’ they cried. ‘There is your son’s murderer. We will kill him!’ - -“I stood with my back to the wall, knowing well that my last moment had -come. The dead man’s brother raised his rifle while I drew my pistol, -prepared at least to fire once more before I died. I was caught like a -rat in a trap! - -“The old woman, however, seeing my position and my helplessness, cried— - -“‘No. Though he has killed your brother, you may not touch him. He is -beneath our roof; he has eaten our bread, and our protection must remain -over him till to-morrow’s sunset. Remember, my son. It is our law.’ - -“The man dropped his rifle, and his friends drew back at the old woman’s -reproof. - -“‘Go!’ she said to me, after glancing at her son’s body. ‘You have eaten -our bread, and therefore you cannot be harmed.’ - -“‘Yes, go,’ added my victim’s brother. ‘Till to-morrow’s sundown I will -not follow. But after that, I shall track you down, and, before Heaven, -I will kill you.’ - -“Need I say that I took up my rifle, and leaving the house travelled -quickly all night and all next day, until I returned here? But,” added -Kol, with a slight sigh, “we shall meet one day—and he will most -certainly kill me.” - -Is there any other country in the world where such a code of honour -exists? I am inclined to think not. - -Had I been in the midst of a highly civilised people—a foreigner -wandering in the wilds of Yorkshire, for example—I certainly should -never have received the many charming kindnesses that I did at the hands -of those rough, uncivilised tribes. Climbing like cats up the -mountainsides as they did, I was often compelled to lag behind, being -unused to such walking. But, laughing merrily, those armed banditti -would take me by the arms and help me up the steeper places; they would -roll cigarettes for me, carry my rifle when I grew fagged, and fetch and -carry for me like children. - -My neat Smith-Wesson hammerless revolver was constantly admired, as -being a much more handy and serviceable weapon than their own big -pistols—Austrian-made revolvers fitted to antique silver butts that had -once done service to flintlocks. My Browning repeating revolver, with -its magazine holding eight cartridges, was declared a marvel of -ingenuity, and on many occasions Vatt and his men amused themselves by -firing with it at targets. - -Once he remarked, with a grim smile, that it would be a handy weapon -against the Turks. Where could he get one? Was it costly? - -And when I promised to send him one through our mutual friend in the -bazaar down in Skodra, as souvenir of my visit, his joy knew no bounds. - -A month later I fulfilled my promise, sending it across from Sofia, and -have since received an acknowledgment of its safe receipt. - -I wonder whether he has yet used it against the hated Turk? Whether or -not, he no doubt struts about with it in his belt, a greater chief than -all the others, because he possesses the very latest and deadliest of -weapons. - -When one evening I told my host that I had still a long way to -go—through Bosnia, Herzegovina, Servia, Bulgaria, Roumania, and -Macedonia—and that I must bid him farewell, his face fell. He seemed to -genuinely regret. - -“But you will return soon,” he urged. “You will redeem your promise, and -bring your friends to shoot. Bring that friend you told me about who -shoots tigers in India. I want to see what sort of shot he is. And the -friend who shoots partridges and pheasants.” - -I promised that I would go back to him before long. - -“Remember, there will be no danger—none. Tell your friends that Vatt -invites them, and that they are free to go anywhere—anywhere,” he said, -waving his hand over the wild panorama of mountain and valley that is -his indisputable domain. - -Next day I rose, packed my small belongings, and with a little present -to Lûk and to his pretty wife prepared to leave, when, judge my -amazement to find Vatt and his bodyguard outside, and to hear that the -chief had decided to accompany me right down to Skodra! - -This indeed he did, and when we arrived in the town held by the Turks he -strutted down the main street with me, apparently proud of his guest, -and in open defiance of the scowling ragged soldiers in dirty red fezes. - -Though a deadly enemy of the Turks, he openly defied them. As we walked -along the streets there came close behind us twenty of his faithful -followers, armed to the teeth and carrying their rifles ready loaded in -case of trouble. - -But there was no trouble. The Turks of Skodra are wise enough to let the -Skreli severely alone. - -Trouble will, however, come one day before long, and then alas for the -subjects of the Sultan. The Albanians will avenge the blood of the -Christians now spilt daily in Macedonia, and the Turk will be driven -back southward—or at least what is left of him. - -[Illustration: My Body-guard in Northern Albania.] - -I parted from Vatt at the door of my so-called _albergo_. He took a -glass of _rakhi_ with me, and afterwards, with a hearty hand-grip, he -told me not to forget my promise to return. Then he left me, stalking at -the head of his armed band, who one and all wished me _bon voyage_, and -he went down the street on his return to his mountain home. - -But the irony of Fate followed. A fortnight later I found myself riding -with a strong military escort on the other side of the mountains, where -I had been so hospitably entertained—along the frontier of the Skreli -country. - -It was growing dusk, and we were passing through a deep ravine, our -horses stumbling at every step, when of a sudden the crack of a rifle -startled us. - -Next instant a dozen rifles flashed fire in the deep shadows to our -left. The Skreli outposts were sniping at us! - -In a moment we had all dismounted and sought cover, and for fully ten -minutes returned their fire vigorously, while the officer of the escort -kept up a volley of imprecations on the heads of my late hosts, who -were, of course, in ignorance that they were firing upon “the -Englishman.” We were too far off each other to do much harm, therefore -we simply blazed away. I was crouched behind a rock with the muzzle of -my rifle poked through a convenient crack, and fired towards the spot -where the flashes showed. - -A good deal of powder and bad language were expended, until at last our -friends on the other side of the valley, apparently thinking we were too -far away, ceased firing, and we of course did the same. - -It was a mutual truce. For ten minutes longer we waited in order to see -what would happen. Then, leading our horses, we crept carefully along on -our way northward, out of the range of our friends’ guns. - -Those moments were exciting, however, while they lasted, yet they were -not without their grim humour. - - - - - BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - - - - - CHAPTER I - SOME REVELATIONS - -Through Dalmatia to Herzegovina—Over the Balkan watershed—Bosnia and - Sarayevo—A half-Turkish, half-Servian town—Austrian persecution of - the Christians—Some astounding facts—A land of spies and - scandals—The police as murderers—A disgrace to European - civilisation. - - -In the darkest hour before daylight I bade farewell to my friend Mr. -Charles des Graz, the British Chargé d’Affaires in Cettinje, and -mounting into the pair-horse carriage, left the Montenegrin capital to -descend that most wonderfully engineered road over the face of the bare -mountains to Cattaro, on my way to Herzegovina and Bosnia. - -Though still dark, Cettinje was already stirring, and as I drove through -the long main street, armed men who were my friends saluted me, and -shouted “_S’bogom!_” My driver and myself were armed too, in case of -“accident,” yet the Montenegrin roads are quite safe nowadays, thanks to -the pacific and beneficent rule of His Royal Highness Prince Nicholas. - -Our eight-hour journey through the mountains was full of interest. Over -those bare, tumbled limestone rocks, devoid of herbage and wild to the -extremity of desolation, came the first rosy flush of dawn, and as we -watched, the sun gradually dispelled the greys into yellows and golds in -all the glory of the bursting of an autumn day. First, over the great -plateau on which Cettinje is situated; then up the bare face of the -mountain in a series of zigzags with acute angles; up, higher and -higher, where the wind cut one’s face like a knife; and higher still, -where we got out to walk, and so lighten the horses and warm ourselves. -I gave my driver a pull at my flask, for the temperature was below zero, -and we were both cramped and cold. Even through my leather-lined -motor-coat the wind cut like a knife, chilling me to the bone. - -At the summit a glorious view, one more wonderful, perhaps, than any in -the whole of the Balkans. On the one side in the far blue distance the -Accursed Mountains of Albania, where dwelt my friend Vatt Marashi and -his fearless men, and on the other, away down in the rolling mists, lay -what looked like a series of lakes, but which in reality was the -wandering arm of the Adriatic, the magnificent fjord called the Mouths -of Cattaro—the Bocche di Cattaro. - -Here we struck the single telegraph-wire which places remote Cettinje in -connection with the rest of the civilised world, and then the pace of -our rough mountain horses showed that we were descending. Far below were -a number of scattered houses, the little town of Nyegush, the chief -edifice of which is the unpretentious palace of the Prince, and for a -full hour and a half we wound down and down ere we reached its main -street and pulled up at the inn for half an hour to get some coffee and -to rest the horses. - -Cramped and half-frozen as I was, the big steaming bowl of coffee was -indeed welcome. Then, after scribbling some postcards to friends in -England, I went for a brisk walk, took a photograph or two, and -returned, just as the horses were being reharnessed. - -Down again, ever down, past a great dark cavern, and on until we came to -the row of stone slabs set in the road that marks the frontier between -gallant little Montenegro and her enemy Austria. And then, what a view! -Surely the most superb in all Europe! - -Our old familiar tourist-Switzerland, the toy-Tyrol, the Norwegian -fjords, the trumpery-Apennines, and the high Balkans are full of -magnificent scenery, but for a picturesque combination of blue sea and -sheer bare mountain nothing that I have ever seen—and I have knocked -about Europe, I believe, as much as most men—equals that view from the -Montenegrin road. - -[Illustration: Bunaquelle: Bosnia.] - -[Illustration: Jajace: Bosnia.] - -All is beautiful—all save that frowning fortress which the Austrians -have lately constructed to command the road, and which it is strictly -forbidden to photograph under pain of imprisonment as a spy. I, however, -risked it, and took another picture, which turned out rather well. - -In Cattaro, being the bearer of despatches for His Britannic Majesty’s -Foreign Office in London, and being therefore armed with a -_laisser-passer_, my baggage was not examined, and at one o’clock I -again boarded the same steamer which had brought me from Trieste, the -_Graf Wurmbrand_, bound for Gravosa—which is the port for Ragusa, in -Dalmatia. - -Ragusa I found a quaint, mediæval place, reminding me strongly of one of -those old towns on the Italian Riviera—I mean those unfashionable ones, -at which the train stops and nobody gets out—ones that you only visit if -you are motoring from Monte Carlo along to Genoa. It is a town of -ponderous walls, of narrow streets, and queer dark byways. Across its -dry moat and through its ancient gateway carriages do not pass, and as -soon as you are in the main street you are out of it again, and passing -through a water-gate are upon a small quay. - -Difficult it is to realise that this quiet, old-world town, where -everyone speaks Italian, was once the great port of the Balkan -hinterland in the days when Venice was Queen of the Seas. And yet to the -antiquary it is pleasant to stroll in and out of the old -sixteenth-century churches, the Rector’s Palace, and the rest, to -examine the mediæval Onofrio fountain, and to spend a day, as I did, -among the architectural relics of an age bygone and long forgotten. - -While there it rained for the first time after the long dry season. And -if you have ever been in Italy—or anywhere, indeed—in the extreme south -of Europe on the first day of the rainy season, you will know what I -mean when I say it was not a mere shower. Water came down in sheets, and -for a whole day and a whole night it never ceased, while the lightning -flashed and the thunder crashed and echoed in the chain of mountains -behind the town. - -Palms and oranges grow in profusion in Ragusa, while across on the -beautiful island of Lacroma—which legend connects with Richard Cœur -de Lion—is vegetation more luxuriant than even upon the French Riviera. -Prince Mirko of Montenegro, Colonel Constantinovitch, his father-in-law, -and a number of wealthy people, mostly Austrians, have fine winter -villas outside the town, and life there in spring is said to be quite -charming. - -Many yachts call there during the season, and there is opera at frequent -intervals. Zara, Spalato, and Lussinpiccolo are all favourite winter -resorts of the Austrians and Hungarians, but none is so smart or so -select as Ragusa, which, by the way, has its hotel, the Imperial, where -the charges equal, if not quite eclipse, those of the best hotels at -Nice or Monte Carlo, while the cooking is inferior. - -For the owner of a pretty villa overlooking the sea who desires to spend -a quiet, healthful winter, Ragusa may be pleasant, but I confess it -struck me as a particularly dull little town—a place so full of faded -glory as to be painful. - -The journey from Gravosa across Dalmatia, Herzegovina, Bosnia, and -Hungary to Servia I found tedious, though mostly through fine wild -mountain scenery. I performed it partly by road and partly by rail, -making Mostar and Sarayevo—the Bosnian capital—my halting-places. - -The rail, a narrow-gauge one with a single train a day, starts from -Gravosa at five o’clock in the morning and first ascends the Ombla -valley from the sea. Gradually it rises in a series of zigzags over the -grey bare rocks and through many tunnels for sixty miles to Gabela, a -little mountain town, and then through the dry beds of a series of great -lakes, and across barren plateaux until it descends into the valley of -the Narenta, which narrows into a series of dark, romantic defiles, -while the mountains grow higher and more wild, until Mostar, the capital -of Herzegovina, is reached. - -Mostar is a rather dull little town on the Narenta, still half-Turkish, -with its mosques and bazaar where one can obtain inlaid silver work from -Livino. But there was certainly nothing to attract, so I pushed on next -day to Sarayevo. Between the two capitals the scenery is superb, indeed -some of the grandest in the whole of the Balkans. Through the Great -Defile, or Gorge of the Narenta, the train slowly wends its sinuous -course beneath the high precipices of Velez, and then through the Prenj -Mountains, across the Glogosnica valley to the small garrison town of -Jablanica, a lonely little place in a very wild district. - -Twenty miles farther on we came to Konjica, a picturesque little place -with a fine old Turkish bridge spanning the Narenta, where the train -halts, affording us time to explore the place and take a photograph or -two. Then the ascent is so steep that the puffing little locomotive is -fitted with cog-wheels to take us through the Trescanica valley up over -the ridge of the wild Ivan Planina, the high watershed between the Black -Sea and the Adriatic. - -Progress is slow and halts are frequent. In places there have been -landslips, and we creep along the edges of dangerous precipices. But the -scenery fully compensates for the many tedious hours and for lack of -food—for in our ignorance I had omitted to lay in stores, and the only -thing I could obtain during the day was half a dozen apples! The Bosnian -frontier crossed, the train traverses the saddle of Vilovac, then -descends rapidly through beautiful wooded valleys and along the Bosna -and Zeljeznica rivers, until, in the darkness, Sarayevo with its many -electric lamps is reached—a railway journey even more interesting than -the well-known Gothard route. - -My fellow-passengers from Mostar were two. One was a Turkish gentleman -who removed his slippers and sat cross-legged on the seat fingering his -beads until the sundown, when he produced some sandwiches from the tail -of his frock-coat, and slowly consumed them after his long fast since -four o’clock that morning. The other was a particularly communicative -Austrian gentleman, whom I recognised at once to be a spy. - -Sarayevo, the Bosnian capital, is very Eastern, and, being so, is full -of attraction for the stranger. There is a very fair old-fashioned -hotel, the Europa, in the centre of the town, nearly two miles from the -station. It is a city of mosques, the minarets of which were all gaily -illuminated on the night of my arrival, producing a picturesque effect -against the night-sky. - -The place is prettily situated—a town of some forty thousand -inhabitants, half Serb, half Eastern. Lying in the narrow valley, whence -the river Milyacka bursts forth from a gorge just above the town, the -dwellers by the riverside are mostly Austrian immigrants, while the -natives have their houses and their mosques on the hillside. Every house -has its own little garden, as in Servia, and of course the bazaar is the -centre of trade, as in every town where the beslippered Turk still -remains. - -This _charshiya_, or bazaar, is a great labyrinth of dark, narrow, -ill-paved alleys flanked with booths, where every trade, each with its -particular quarter, is carried on in open view to the passers-by. The -copper ware, silver filigree, and carpets are attractive, but most of -the so-called Oriental goods are “fakes.” The place, though there is a -variety of costume everywhere, is not half so attractive as Skodra, -because of the Austrian bogey that pervades everything. - -To buy specimens of Bosnian chiselled metal work it is best to go to the -Government School of Industrial Art, where the finest pieces of -workmanship may be seen in course of execution, and where the price -asked is a fixed one, below that demanded either in the bazaar or in -shops. The services for Turkish coffee in chiselled copper-gilt are of -chaste and very elegant design, perfect marvels of patience in -chiselling, and very appreciable to the Western taste in decorative art. - -The chief feature of the bazaar is the Husref Beg Mosque, the finest in -the town, to which, though an Infidel, I was granted admission. I of -course put on overshoes, and made an interesting tour round with a -priest who only spoke Turkish, so that I did not learn very much from -him. Built about 1540, it is a fine spacious structure, with dome and -high minarets, and in front, in the quiet old courtyard, is a fine old -fountain for ablutions shaded by a very ancient lime tree. Before it, -sit several Turkish pedlars in turbans selling rosaries, printed texts -from the Koran, imitation otto-of-rose manufactured from geranium, -European collar-studs, and other trifles. - -Another industry peculiar to Bosnia is the inlay of gold and silver into -bog-oak, or gun-metal, and many quaint little objects—boxes, bracelets, -brooches, and belt-buckles—quite unique in England, may be purchased. -The old silver filigree buttons displayed everywhere may also be used -with advantage by ladies for hat-pins. - -A stroll through the town shows at once the mixed character of the -people, for all the names of streets are written up in three -languages—Turkish, Croatian, and Serb. The noisy thoroughfares are -crowded with Europeans, mixed up with baggy-legged men and veiled women, -men in fezes in all stages of disintegration, while the Bosnian ladies -wear the queerest head-gear I have ever set eyes upon. The hair is -parted in the middle and brushed down straight, while upon it is stuck a -tiny pork-pie cap of gaudy-coloured chintz or silk, edged with a -thousand gilt sequins sewn closely together, the most ugly and most -unbecoming head-dress imaginable. Yet it is evidently the _mode_, and is -worn by European ladies in all other respects attired as one would find -them in Vienna or in Budapest. - -But this is Bosnia, and assuredly strange things happen here under the -unjust rule of Austria. - -Strangers seldom come to Sarayevo. In the heart of that mountainous -region between the Save and the Adriatic, only approached from the south -by that rack-and-pinion railway, or from the north by the one train a -day from that un-get-at-able station in Slavonia, Bosnche-Brod, it is -entirely shut away from European influence—or European eyes, for the -matter of that—and quite off the track taken by strangers in the -Balkans. - -Indeed, I would never advise the intending traveller to take that route -from Ragusa to Belgrade. Better by far take the steamer right up the -Adriatic to Fiume, and thence by rail, as it is quicker, and much less -fatiguing. I did not go to Bosnia, however, so much to see its capital -as to obtain some idea of the present system of government there, and to -hear from the lips of the people themselves the advantages, or -disadvantages, of the rule of His Majesty the Emperor Francis Josef. - -With many well-known men in Sarayevo I talked. I heard both sides. -But I am bound to admit that some of the facts proved to me were -utterly amazing, showing how ill and unjustly governed is both -Bosnia and Herzegovina. I had read André Barre’s recent book, _La -Bosnie-Herzegovina_, and had doubted the very serious and direct -charges which he brings against the Austrian Administration. - -Therefore I went to see for myself, to make inquiry, and to thoroughly -investigate. - -The opinion I formed, after analysing the many facts placed before me, -is that the present oppressed state of Bosnia is surely a vivid -object-lesson to Servia, where day by day Austria is endeavouring, by -the most ingenious and unscrupulous forms of intrigue, to obtain a -footing. This latter I will explain more fully in my chapters on the -future of Servia. Suffice it here to say that poor struggling Bosnia is -to-day helpless beneath the talons of the Austrian eagle, and that the -administration is a shameful travesty of civilised rule. - -The Serb population are more essentially the sufferers, and have been so -ever since the Austrian occupation allowed by the Treaty of Berlin. -Through the four centuries of the Turkish rule, the Christians were from -time to time oppressed, and in return revolted, more particularly in -1850 and 1875; but the position of the Serbs to-day is very little -better, if any, than it was before the Russo-Turkish War. - -Indeed, it seems that the whole policy of Austria in Bosnia has been -directed against the Servian Orthodox people. The Servian Mohammedans -are not feared because of their ignorance, while their fatalism renders -them docile. On the contrary, however, the local Government of Bosnia -fears those professing the Orthodox faith, and, having established the -Jesuits solidly in the country, have proceeded upon a course of -systematic persecution. Austrian methods are too apparent all over the -Balkans. Unscrupulous to a degree, her policy in Bosnia has been one of -terror, of espionage, of famine, and of assassination. In truth it is -accomplishing the moral and material ruin of a splendid country, the -crushing of the noble Servian race which has, alas! fallen beneath its -hand. - -At first I was inclined to doubt. The Serb is a patriot, sometimes given -to exaggeration. But very quickly, as the result of my inquiries, -evidences of Austria’s evil rule were apparent on every hand. To go into -a mass of detail is not within the province of this record of inquiry, -neither do I wish to scream hysterical condemnations. I went to the -Balkans, not for sight-seeing, but seeking to penetrate some of the -mysteries of their politics, and their aims for the future. I travelled -there in order to have audiences with the Kings, Princes, and Cabinet -Ministers of the various countries in the Peninsula. These were granted -me, and thus I obtained, at first hand, their views regarding the -present situation, and their hopes and aspirations. - -In Bosnia, both on the Mohammedan and Christian side, I found only a -grave and grim story of misrule and oppression, which it may be well to -briefly outline, in order to show how Austria rules the unfortunate -country that falls beneath her dominion. - -Under Austria, the Servian Orthodox Church is treated in a manner -utterly inconceivable in this enlightened century. Neither trouble nor -intrigue has been spared to separate the people from the Church. The -metropolitans nominated by the Emperor have been alienated from the -people, with the result that at Mostar the head of the Church is the -object of unanimous derision. No one will attend his church if he is -present, and on passing him in the streets they turn their heads or -hiss. Again, in Sarayevo the metropolitan is regarded with equal -disfavour. The old people refuse to receive the communion at his hands, -and each day upon the walls of his house are posted insulting placards. -To those who know the veneration with which the Serbs regard their -metropolitans, such signs as these show the general demoralisation -brought about by intrigue and the circulation of base calumnies. Not -only are the people encouraged to treat the heads of the Church with -contempt, but they are taught to hate the priests and to scoff at -religion. And this by an Empire which has the miserable effrontery to -call itself Christian! - -Again, Saint Sava is, as is well known, the patron saint of the Servian -Church. He is considered the protector of churches and schools, and all -new churches in Bosnia and Herzegovina adopt for their _slava_, or -festival, the day consecrated to Saint Sava, January 14 (O.S.). This day -the Orthodox Serbs everywhere regard as a feast. In the morning there is -a solemn service, and in the evening the young people assemble to sing -national songs and dance national dances. But even this has been -disapproved of by Austria, who regards the feast as preserving the -national conscience. The Government commenced by prohibiting the second -portion of the fête, and then gradually suppressing the first. Pressed -by the authorities, the priests each 14th of January are suddenly taken -so ill that they cannot perform the service, or else they are -unavoidably absent from home on that day, so that no _slava_ can take -place. In this oppressed country every programme of a fête, no matter -what, must first pass the censor, who prohibits the singing of the old -Servian songs, and places a penalty upon anyone singing the “Hymn of -Saint Sava,” which is purely a religious one. Again, in many cases the -reply of the censor will arrive eight or ten days after the date of the -festival. Indeed, in many places, the _slava_ of private families—the -domestic name-day feast which, to the Servian, surpasses in interest -either Christmas or Easter—has actually been prohibited by the very -enlightened local authorities! This happened in the arrondissement of -Rielinski quite recently. - -Of the history of the struggle of the Orthodox Church in Bosnia, or of -the strenuous Catholic propaganda, it is unnecessary to speak. Let us -deal with the present deplorable state of affairs, and with the future. -Woe-betide any heard singing the patriotic song of the Prince of -Montenegro, “Onamo ... Onamo,” for he will be punished severely. Spies -are on every hand, and no man knows at any moment when he may be thrown -into prison upon some fictitious charge. Austria, indeed, is -endeavouring to civilise and subject Bosnia by continued oppression, and -nowhere is this more apparent than in the Press. Like in Russia, every -word is subjected to the censor before printed. One buys the -_Musavat_—the organ of the Serb Mohammedans in Herzegovina, printed at -Mostar—and finds every paragraph bearing a number. There are many -numbers with the spaces blank—suppressed altogether. Again, in the -_Servian Word_, the organ of the Servian Orthodox in Bosnia, one finds -the same thing—numbers and blanks. - -This is not, perhaps, surprising when practically every organ of the -Press is prohibited save the Government publications, of which the -_Bosniak_—an amusing journal fabricated by amateur journalistic -functionaries of the State—is a good example. - -Among the hundred and four journals prohibited are most of the Servian -newspapers, even commercial, religious, and literary reviews; a number -of Hungarian journals, including the _Dubrovnik_ of Ragusa; every -Russian journal of whatever kind or description; and last, but surely -not least, the _Comments upon the Evangelists_ by the Metropolitan -Firmilien! - -Every book or newspaper entering Bosnia or Herzegovina goes through the -censor’s office, while the postal employés note, and hand to the police, -the names and addresses of the receivers of prohibited publications. So -it is not only in Russia and Turkey where one cannot read a foreign -journal, but here, under the enlightened rule of His Majesty the Emperor -Francis Josef. - -Bosnia is, truth to tell, an unknown land as far as the rest of Europe -is concerned, and probably these facts may come as a complete surprise -to English readers, who are apt to regard Austria as a Christian and -progressive Power, instead of what she is, the Ogre of the Balkans. - -To the injustices inflicted upon the peasantry, to their many grievances -and their violated rights, I have not space here to refer. Under such -rule as pertains, the wretched condition of the Serbs in the rural -districts may well be imagined. As André Barre has truly said, “Austria -entered Bosnia and Herzegovina, not for the purposes of reform, nor to -civilise, but to satisfy a political desire, a military ambition to -triumph over a people by slowly and methodically exterminating them.” - -“J’ai mis le pied sur la tête du serpent,” said Count Andrassy, speaking -to Lord Salisbury after the signature of the Treaty of Berlin. And those -words give to-day the key to the Austrian policy. She seeks to crush the -Serbs, not only in Bosnia, but in the kingdom of Servia itself, and to -Germanise the whole land by steel and by hunger. And such is the present -pitiable situation—a situation unrealised in England—a situation which -has actually called forth the hostile criticism of the Vienna journals -themselves—including the semi-official _Neue Freie Presse_—against the -present barbarism of the occupation. - -Any industry or commerce exploited by Serbs is at once crushed and -ruined, while in the police we have vivid examples of corrupt -maladministration only equalled in Russia. The police persecutions are -scandalous. Many were related to me by persons who had themselves been -victims. The Bosnian citizen beneath the claws of the police is utterly -without defence. If the paternal Government of Austria attempt to deny -this, let the recent cases of M. Gligorie Jeftanovitch of Sarayevo, M. -Chola of Mostar, M. Stiepo Srchkitch, M. Ilia Duckovitch, M. Risto -Maximovitch, M. Radoulovitch, M. Nikolas Pichkakutch of Banja-Louka, and -the sad affair of Pierre Dorliatcha of Bosnia-Novi, amid a thousand -others, be cited, to show what travesties of justice are performed in -this remote corner of the Balkans. A whole volume, indeed, could be -written upon the corrupt Austrian police methods which vie with those of -Holy Russia. But it must suffice here to cite cases upon which no denial -can be offered by the authorities. - -The Austrian authorities, who are so glib with their semi-official -denials and statements, which we see almost daily in the London -newspapers, will have some difficulty in disproving the disgraceful -incident at Sokolatz, near Sarayevo, not long ago. Here, during the -Easter fête, the gendarmes were formed round the church “to maintain -order.” A peasant saw one of the gendarmes endeavouring to outrage a -young woman, and ran to inform the authorities. Whereupon the gendarme -shot the peasant dead with his revolver. There was no inquiry regarding -the murder, though witnessed by at least a hundred persons. And the -official account of the affair—which I have myself seen—actually -declares that the unfortunate peasant died _a natural death_! - -This is but one single case of hundreds. All over the country the police -and gendarmes shoot the witnesses of their crimes, and there is never an -inquiry. Of a verity the barbarities of the police in Bosnia are a -disgrace to a nation that calls itself civilised, and cry for reform -quite as loudly as they do in the Land of the Tzar. - -Let the reader who doubts this outspoken condemnation of Austrian -administration go to Bosnia and see for himself. He will find that I -have understated the facts, and things will be told him that surely will -stagger belief. - - - - - CHAPTER II - DUST IN THE EYES OF EUROPE - -How spies work in Bosnia—Secret agents dog the stranger’s footsteps—My - own experience—Fighting the spy with his own weapons—To “nobble” the - foreigner—How an unfavourable book was purchased by the Austrian - Government—Bribery of Press correspondents—A country worse than - Russia—Some suggested reforms—The secret policy of Austria in the - Balkans. - - -Spies are a necessity to autocratic Governments. Their business is to -prevent the execution of plots, to discover all secrets affecting the -security of the Prince or the State, and to supply information which may -be used with advantage in diplomacy by their employers. - -In Bosnia one of the largest items in the national expenditure is the -sum expended upon espionage. Here, however, its character is very -different from that described above. Its agents have no work in -connection with political plots, for the crushed and humiliated people -are far too feeble to conspire against the State. Their nefarious work -is simply to spread intimidation and suspicion among the inhabitants, -and to put them in defiance one against the other—indeed, to promote -disorder, so that the force of Austria may be consolidated upon them. - -This secret stirring up of internal strife by Austria is part of her -policy, not only in Bosnia but in Servia and other parts of the Balkans. -In the kingdom of Servia she is especially active to-day. Indeed, her -unscrupulous methods are well illustrated by what occurred on the -assassination of King Alexander and Queen Draga. Instantly after the -assassination Austria mobilised her troops in all the garrisons on the -Servian frontier, at Semlin, Pancsova, and Neusatz, with orders to enter -Servian territory on the first sign of trouble. At the same time there -was sent into Belgrade a perfect army of _agents provocateurs_—police -spies, all of them—who promenaded the town crying to the crowd, “Come -on! Come on! Let us wreck and demolish the Embassy of Austria, the -supporters of the dynasty of Obrenovitch!” - -The Servian people, fortunately, hesitated, though they all had good -cause to make a demonstration against their bitterest enemies. Then the -Minister of the Interior intervened, and put military guards at all the -Legations. The agitators were arrested, and at their trial were proved -beyond doubt to be actual agents of Austria, sent there to create -disorder and so allow the Austrian troops to enter Servia! - -And as such, with a strong protest to Vienna, they were ignominiously -expelled. - -In Sarayevo one half of the population is paid to spy upon the other -half. Ask any man in Bosnia or in Herzegovina his opinion of his -neighbour, and he will tell you to beware of him, as “he is a spy, and -will denounce you to the authorities.” Ask the accused about his -accuser, and he will tell you exactly the same thing. The whole place -simply swarms with secret agents. In the country, peasants are given -cows in payment for information about their neighbours, which is, of -course, very often false. Stories are manufactured for the sake of -reward. Expense is nothing. Agents follow you everywhere—in the town, in -the country, and even beyond the frontier. - -Oh yes! Bosnia, with all her natural beauties of scenery, is a truly -delightful place under the present régime. The Government have their -spies in private houses in the guise of domestics—for, by preference, -they employ women and priests. Every pavement in the towns carries a -spy, therefore silence here is certainly golden. The spy system is more -complete and elaborate than either in Russia or in France, and a good -deal more costly—all energies being devoted against the unfortunate -Serbs. - -In such an oppressed and persecuted country it goes without saying that -the stranger is well looked after. From the moment I crossed the -frontier of Herzegovina, to the moment I left Slavonia at Zimony, I was -never lost sight of. Perhaps because I was known to be the bearer of -Government despatches, I was suspected of being a British agent in -disguise. My passport was never asked for until I desired to leave -Austrian territory and cross the Save to Belgrade, yet with the -marvellous secret system I was, while in Bosnia, a marked man. Each time -I strolled in the streets of Mostar or of Sarayevo, a spy dogged my -footsteps—sometimes a man, sometimes a woman—and my every movement was -carefully noted. - -A gentleman, apparently staying in the hotel and speaking excellent -French, volunteered to be my guide about Sarayevo. He was a pleasant, -nonchalant fellow, and represented himself to be a commercial traveller. -I accepted his kind offices, well knowing him to be a spy, and was -rather amused at the idea of the authorities providing me gratuitously -with such an excellent cicerone. Wherever I went, so also did he. By all -kinds of clever ruses he endeavoured to discover the reason of my visit; -and I, in order to aggravate him, managed to elude his questions and so -increase his suspicions. In my travels in various out-of-the-world -corners of the Continent I have had a wide experience of spies and their -ways, therefore I set myself to puzzle my inquisitive friend by adopting -the self-same methods as he himself was adopting. - -This continued for a couple of days, when he gave me up and disappeared. -After that I was watched by two agents, who kept me always under close -surveillance. I was more amused than annoyed, yet I confess I -entertained constant anxiety regarding the confidential despatches that -were in my possession, to be handed over to the King’s Messenger on his -way from Constantinople to London at the earliest moment. - -The traveller can only reach Sarayevo from three points: from the north -from Bosnche-Brod or Banja-Louka, and from the south by Metkovitch. The -local authorities of these three places know each traveller who passes, -and to the stranger’s compartment there enters a pleasant person of -engaging manner, who becomes his fellow-traveller, whiles away the -tedious hours, explains the objects of interest along the route, and at -the same time discovers a good deal about the new-comer. The secret -agent will discourse upon the peace of the country, the prosperity of -the people, the impartiality of the administration, and the rapid -strides of progress being made on every hand. Meanwhile, news of the -stranger has been telegraphed to Sarayevo, and when the polite traveller -has parted from the stranger, the latter at once falls under a strict -surveillance, of which he never dreams. - -Should you let drop the remark that you have come to Bosnia to study the -conditions of the country, then the attention paid to you will be -prodigious. Kind friends, overflowing with information, will be your -guides everywhere: they will conduct you to visit the authorities; they -will pay for your cabs, give you luncheons at restaurants, and accompany -you of an evening even to the door of your bedroom, until you will think -the country a veritable El Dorado. Strangers who come to study are, of -course, dangerous to the Administration, and therefore are carefully -watched, and treated with unsurpassing generosity. Spies surround him, -and the people, knowing those spies by sight, fear to approach him. In -some cases a peasant or a citizen has approached a stranger and told him -some plain truths—the truths I have learnt and written in these -pages—and for doing so has invariably been sent to prison. These lessons -have borne fruit, for nowadays nothing in the world will induce the -Bosnian peasant to talk to a stranger. He is far too afraid. - -If any serious criticism of Bosnian administration is published abroad, -the authorities always seek to immediately purchase and suppress it, and -many are the sums yearly paid in blackmail to unscrupulous writers who, -knowing the truth, threaten to make exposure. I will give a case in -point. Not very long ago there was in Prague published a brochure -severely criticising the Bosnian policy, giving a description of the -maladministration, and pointing out the disastrous state of the -finances. A copy of this fell into the hands of M. Stakievitch, late -director of the administration of the Bosnian local Government, and at -that moment _en congé_. He at once apprised the local Government, who -immediately sent Dr. Berx to Prague, with orders to suppress the -publication of the book at all costs. The Government, after some brief -negotiations, paid the sum of 100,000 florins (200,000 fcs.) for the -destruction of the book and the silence of its author upon the state of -Bosnian finance! - -Then on the return of Dr. Berx no fewer than forty functionaries were -arrested on charges of having given information to the author. Is not -this sufficiently significant? Every newspaper in Bosnia and Herzegovina -is well subsidised, and in return is compelled to chant the praises of -the administration of the local Government, while all correspondents of -foreign journals are equally the recipient of money from the State. In -Bosnia the foreign newspaper correspondent lives well and grows fat. - -Thus does Austria throw dust in the eyes of Europe. - -With religion persecuted, education at a standstill, and the Press -either gagged or suborned, Austria is slowly carrying out her policy of -crushing the Serbs. In Bosnia you have no right to pray, no right to -think; you must blindly obey and laud with flattery the very talons -outstretched to rend you. It is a land where justice is a farce, where -lies are told as truths, where the police persecute and murder, where -the poor are oppressed, where the official grows wealthy, and where no -man is secure from the false denunciation of spies eager for reward. - -Should it be permitted in this twentieth century to one European people -to crush another European people under the false pretext of -civilisation? The Bosnians are neither negroes nor red-skins, but a -civilised religious race, part of the great Serb nation, with the same -right to live, the same right to religion, liberty, and to justice as -the canting hypocrites of Vienna themselves. Why should they be -exterminated? - -So careful is the local Government of Bosnia not to allow the truth to -leak out that up to the present little has been heard in Europe of the -plain, unvarnished facts I have here put forward. But it is a subject -that will come before the public ere long, and then we shall see if the -Powers will still stand by and allow the destruction of a people who do -not merit the hatred of their master. - -[Illustration: Sarayevo: Bosnia.] - -[Illustration: In Herzegovina.] - -Bosnia and Herzegovina are both rich countries; the soil is productive, -the inhabitants are intelligent and apt in agriculture, industry, and -commerce. The provinces are capable of moral and material expansion, if -such were permitted, and there is no reason why the whole country should -not be peaceable and prosperous. - -Save André Barre, scarcely a writer has up to to-day had the courage to -frankly criticise the rule of His Imperial and Royal Majesty the Emperor -of Austria. So carefully are the facts concealed by the local -authorities—who adopt the self-same tactics of Russia before the -uprising—that strangers going to Bosnia see or hear practically nothing, -and what they do see is all rose-tinted. What I have written here is, -however, based upon my own observations, and upon what was told and -proved to me by responsible persons in Mostar and Sarayevo, men who, -living under the persecution of police and Government, risked their -liberty in speaking with me. I have therefore put the facts plainly, in -order that the English reading public may form their own conclusions. - -The reforms urgently needed are many. - -From the religious point of view, what is required is effective liberty -of conscience, liberty of the cult, and the autonomy of the Serb -Orthodox Church. From the moral point of view, the religions and customs -of the different nationalities in Bosnia should be respected, liberty of -education should be given as well as liberty of speech and liberty of -the Press. - -Regarded from an economic point of view, an immediate solution of the -agrarian question is required; a readjustment of the unjust taxes; the -establishment of schools of agriculture, as in Servia and Bulgaria; -liberty of commerce and industry; and the establishment of poor-relief -and poor-houses. - -Many reforms are also required in the Administration. The citizens of -the two countries should be eligible for employment in public offices; -the public functionaries should be replaced by a more educated class; -the police force should be purged and diminished; the costly spy system -should be entirely abolished; a less corrupt justice should be -introduced, and economy effected in the present wasted finances. - -Yet how can one hope for reforms from a nation like Austria, who is -working daily and unscrupulously to crush and exterminate the -unfortunate Serbs under their rule, with one aim and one policy, namely, -to extend their territory south through Novi-Bazar and Macedonia in -order to obtain the port of Salonica? - -Under the Treaty of Berlin the Powers have a right to interfere. If they -would check Austria’s advances southward they should step in at once and -claim, in the name of civilisation and humanity, justice for poor -persecuted Bosnia. If half a dozen African negroes are maltreated by a -Belgian rubber-hunter we throw up our hands in pious horror, lift our -eyes heavenward, the papers are flooded with “atrocities,” often -manufactured, and questions are asked in the House. Yet when we have -here a whole country being vigorously and secretly crushed under our -very noses, by a Power who intends to be one of our rivals in the East, -we turn our heads in the opposite direction. Austria, we say, is a -Christian country, and can do no wrong! - -Go to the Balkans, and you will see what I have seen. You will then -realise the clever, subtle influence of Austrian agents in -Montenegro—where they persuade the pride of the country to emigrate, -themselves paying the expenses, and thus sap the nation of its future -population; in Northern Albania, where the priests in Austrian pay never -cease to descant upon the benefits of Austrian rule; in Servia, where -they are ever stirring strife; in Bulgaria, where their spies are ever -active; and in Macedonia, where they secretly encourage the Greek bands -to massacre the Bulgars. - -Thus over the whole of the Balkans Austria has spread forth her wings, -and her dark, threatening shadow is now across everything. The Austrian -policy, shown so very plainly to all who travel in the Balkans, is to -compete with Germany and become the paramount Power in the Peninsula, -and obtain Montenegro, Albania, and Macedonia for herself, together with -the much-coveted port of Salonica. From this latter point she already -has a railway—constructed by the late Baron Hirsch—through Usküb, and -joining the main Vienna-Constantinople line at Nisch, in Servia. -Therefore part of the policy is to lay hold of the kingdom of -Servia—though under the present régime there, and with a Government so -firmly established as it is, there is, I think, very little to fear in -this latter. Fortunately, Servia knows how to take care of herself. - -Such is the programme of Austria—one of extermination and extension. And -with these facts in view, indisputable to every traveller, surely it is -in the interests of the Powers to remain no longer indifferent to the -state of affairs in Bosnia. - -Is it possible that the prophetic words of the Russian delegate -Gortchakoff, speaking at the Berlin Congress, will ever come true, as so -many of his prophecies have done? - -He said, “The tomb of Austria is in the Balkans.” - - SERVIA - - - - - CHAPTER I - THE TRUTH ABOUT SERVIA - -The diplomatic circle in Belgrade—Studying both sides of the Servian - question—Austrian intrigue—113 known foreign spies in Belgrade!—An - illustration of the work of secret agents—Quaint Servian - customs—Pauperism unknown—Servia to-day and to-morrow. - - -The stranger’s first impression of Belgrade is that it is a rather dull -Russian town. - -Coming from Bosnia and Albania, one misses the quaint costumes and the -life and movement in the streets, the fierce men with rifles, and the -veiled shuffling women. The Turk, though he has a mosque here, is -unseen. - -At Semlin—or Zimony, as the Hungarians call it—the last town on the -Austrian side of the Save, one’s passport is carefully examined and -registered, not by the Servians, to allow you into the country, but by -the Austrians, to allow you to pass out! - -As bearer of despatches for His Britannic Majesty’s Government, I had no -difficulty either with passport or luggage; otherwise, with the Customs -War raging, I might have suffered considerable delay. Crossing the -river, I ere long found myself in comfortable quarters in the Grand -Hotel in Belgrade—comfortable indeed after the rough life and hard fare -in Northern Albania. - -My letters of introduction having been presented to the Servian Cabinet -Ministers and members of both political parties, and having called upon -Mr. Beethom Whitehead, the newly appointed British Minister, I quickly -found myself in the centre of a very smart and merry diplomatic circle. - -To His Excellency M. Nicholas Pachitch,—the Premier and strongest man in -Servia; to Madame Pachitch; to His Excellency Dr. Milenko Vesnitch, -Minister of Justice; to Madame Vesnitch, an American and one of the most -charming and beautiful ladies in Belgrade; to M. Stoyanovitch, Minister -of Commerce; to Commandant Yossiphovitch, aide-de-camp to His Majesty; -to Colonel Tcholak-Antich, the Royal Marechal; to the Minister of -Finance; to M. Drago Yankovitch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; to -Mr. Alexander Yovitchitch, late Servian Minister in London; to Colonel -Christich, his wife, an Irish lady, and Miss Annie Christich; to Mr. C. -L. Blakeney of the British Legation; and also to Mr. Beethom Whitehead, -the British Minister, and Mrs. Whitehead, I owe a deep debt of gratitude -for their kindness to me socially, and their invaluable assistance -during my inquiries. - -There are but few English in Belgrade—not more than two or three -residents. But at the hotel I was fortunate in finding my friend Mr. A. -M. Tucker, Servian Consul-General in London, who with his wife was in -Belgrade in connection with a financial undertaking. Mr. Tucker is an -official who has rendered many services to the Servian Government. - -Moving in the official set, I was soon able to see for myself the social -life in Belgrade, which I found very bright and very entertaining. In -the mornings the streets are filled with well-dressed ladies and gallant -officers, in perhaps the smartest uniforms in Europe. The hour of the -siesta is from one till three, then at five the cafés overflow till -seven. Someone is always giving a dinner or reception, and bridge is -played everywhere; for in no other city in Europe has it “caught on” -more than it has in Belgrade. - -The British Legation is, of course, the smartest house among those of -the diplomatists, and that of Madame Vesnitch among the Cabinet -Ministers. French and Italian are the languages spoken in society. - -[Illustration: - - 24 Octob. 1900 Belgrad. Nic. P. Pachitch - Prime Minister of Servia. -] - -The city of Belgrade is in a transition state. Already in many of the -principal streets fine new buildings have been completed, and many are -now in the course of construction. The roads, it must be said, are -execrably paved, so uneven that driving is a torture. But the reason -they have not been repaved during the present régime is because a new -drainage system is about to be carried out, and when this is done they -will be asphalted and converted into boulevards. The natural situation -of “Beograd”—or the White Fortress—is magnificent, high up on a hill at -the junction of the Save and the Danube. Behind rises the extinct -volcano of Avala, where, according to one tradition, a great treasure is -hidden, and to another that the mountain is rich in gold and silver -deposits. - -The centre of life in Belgrade is the gay café of the Grand Hotel. From -five to seven in the afternoon everyone is there, card-playing, smoking, -sipping _slivovitza_ (plum gin) or drinking _bock_, and listening to the -excellent band, while the inner hall is filled with smart ladies and -their cavaliers. Save the peasantry one sees about the street, the oxen -drawing primitive carts, and now and then a man wearing a fez, there is -little that is Eastern in Belgrade, save the slightly dark complexion -and cast of features of the Servians. For the most part the women are -very handsome, but they seem, like most Eastern races, to lose their -beauty at an early age. - -Though I made it my duty to hear and study both sides of political -questions in Belgrade, and though I spent many hours with those in -fierce opposition to the present régime, I must say that I received on -every hand the greatest kindness, while everybody seemed ever ready to -render me a service. - -The Servians are a highly intelligent and thoughtful race. The young -officers in the streets are not of the ogling, giggling genus one knows -so well in Germany, France, and Italy, but though smarter in appearance -than either nation, they are serious, polite, and gentlemanly to a -degree. The King, when speaking to me of military matters, pointed out a -curious fact, namely, that so intelligent was the average Servian -recruit that in six months he usually learnt what in France took him -eighteen months. - -In feminine circles it struck me that there was a great extravagance in -dress. I saw the very latest Paris hats and smart, well-cut gowns, which -bore evidence of the expensive _couturière_ worn by the wives of -struggling officials, and I learnt that about ten pounds was no uncommon -price for a hat. All classes seem to vie with each other to dress well, -and in the brilliant salons at night one sees some of the smartest gowns -in Europe. - -As regards cooking, I fear I cannot say very much that is favourable. -That at the Grand is decidedly poor, save perhaps the dishes of -delicious sterlet; and of the various restaurants I tried, the only one -which reached excellence was that kept by an Italian, one Perolo, who -was for many years chef to King Milan. There one can dine well—if one -knows what to order. The younger diplomatists dine there in a room -together, entrance to which is forbidden, save to a few chosen ones. - -The diplomatic circle do a good deal of entertaining. The British -Minister and his wife give large dinner-parties every Tuesday, which are -very delightful functions; while each Thursday afternoon Mrs. -Whitehead—who is a very charming hostess—is at home. The Foreign Office -have certainly been happy in their choice of Mr. Whitehead to fulfil the -very difficult and onerous task of renewing diplomatic relations, for he -is a skilled diplomatist, and has been for many years in St. Petersburg, -Brussels, Tokio, Constantinople, and Berlin, where he was, until -recently, Councillor of Embassy. He also speaks Russian. - -The Legation is one of the most tasteful houses in Belgrade, and is -filled with highly interesting collections from Japan. The German -Minister, Prince Max Ratibor, with his wife and stepdaughter, the young -Princess Taxis, also give a good many smart entertainments. - -The capital is, of course, a hotbed of political intrigue, and all -foreigners arriving are suspected of being secret agents. They are -watched, their correspondence often opened, and their business in -Belgrade thoroughly investigated and reported upon. At first the -stranger resents this kind of thing. On my arrival I found myself -constantly watched, but as soon as it was known who and what I was, the -surveillance ceased. - -I mentioned the matter to one of the high police officials, whereupon he -explained that in Belgrade alone he held a list of no fewer than 113 -known secret agents of Austria! “We therefore keep secret agents for our -own protection. Can you blame us?” he asked. - -In the diplomatic circle one hears everywhere a cry of “shame” upon the -false news which, being supposed to emanate from reliable sources in -Belgrade, is really manufactured across the Save at Zimony by -irresponsible journalists in the pay of Austria. The Servian officials -actually gave me the names of some of these gentlemen. - -In the English newspapers one reads constantly telegrams from Vienna, -generally to that very irresponsible and sensational journal the _Zeit_, -declaring that there are all sorts of plots in Servia against King -Peter. A short time ago this journal actually had the audacity to say -that the Crown Prince was insane! Such telegrams should be read with -entire disbelief, for they emanate from certain Hungarian journalists -who were expelled from Belgrade on account of the false news despatched -from there, and now live across the river at Zimony, whence they -continually launch their tirades against Servia and the Servians. - -What I read from time to time in the English papers regarding Servia is -so utterly opposed to the truth—and in our most responsible journals, -too—that it often utterly amazes me. - -There is a scheme on foot started by an English company to build a large -new hotel in Belgrade—which is badly wanted. The Grand is full to -overflowing all the year round, and strangers are nightly turned away. -It is, I believe, intended to build the hotel on English lines, with a -few private sitting-rooms where the traveller can be quiet and rest in -peace away from the turmoil and clatter inseparable from a huge garish -café. - -The streets are usually broad, straight, and if not actually handsome -thoroughfares, are well adapted for improvement and the erection of -larger buildings. Most of the suburban houses are of a ground floor -only, which strike the Englishman as curious; for as the windows are on -a level with the street, there is an utter lack of privacy in family -life. Servians of both sexes, I noticed, are great cigarette-smokers, -and Servian cigarettes I found were the best in the Balkans. - -The pleasantest promenade is the Kalemegdan, the pretty gardens situated -behind the old fortress which commands the junction of the Danube and -the Save, while on the bank rises the Neboyscha (the fearless) tower, of -which many terrible tales are told of the days of the Turks. In the -Kalemegdan, adorned with bronze busts of Servian poets and savants, -smart Belgrade promenades every afternoon and admires the beautiful view -from the Fikir-Bair (“the slope of dreaming”), the smart uniforms of the -officers lending the necessary touch of colour to complete a charming -scene. - -The religion is, of course, Greek Orthodox, with the independent Servian -Church, while the population of Servia is about three millions. Some of -the characteristic traits of the Servians are curious and interesting. -Every Servian family has, each year, its saint’s day, and in every -Servian drawing-room one finds a small wood panel with the image of that -saint painted thereon. The day usually falls upon that of some great -fête such as that of St. Nicholas, the Archangel Michael, etc., which -are perhaps the two most fêted. The day in question is called the -_Slava_ (fête of the patron saint of the family). The saint fêted by the -head of the family is also fêted by his wife, children, and servants. - -Some days before the fête the priest visits the house for the -benediction of water placed in a basin, after which he sprinkles with a -bunch of basil all members of the family, as well as various rooms, and -the image of the fêted saint. - -All the household regard the week prior to the fête as a fast. The eve -of the day of the _Slava_ the lamp is lit before the image of the saint, -and is burnt for two days. A couple of days before the anniversary a -tasty dish is prepared, called the _Koljivo_, mainly composed of wheat, -nuts, and almonds. Those families, however, who fête the Archangel -Michael do not prepare this cake, for the people believe that the -Archangel still lives, and cakes are only offerings to the dead. - -[Illustration: - - HIS EXCELLENCY DR. MILENKO VESNITCH, - Servian Minister of Justice. -] - -On the morning of the fête the head of the family lights a taper, and -the priest, after a ceremony, cuts a kind of bread specially prepared -and bearing a cross; after which he sprinkles wine upon it and upon the -_Koljivo_. - -Everybody, from early morning, salutes the head of the family with the -words, “Sretna slava” (a happy fête), and grasps his hand. If the -visitor is a man, he embraces the husband; if a woman, the wife. The -daughter of the house offers the _Koljivo_ to the guests, and everyone -takes a spoonful of _slatko_—a kind of fruit preserve—brandy and coffee. -At noon, wine is also drunk. To the houses of the better class telegrams -and letters arrive all day. In the country districts the day is given up -to eating, drinking, singing, and toasts. - -The fêted saint is considered to be the protector of the family, to whom -daily prayers are said and mediation asked with the Almighty. - -Next to the _Slava_, the fête most widely celebrated is Christmas. There -is a Servian couplet that runs— - - “_As there’s no day without light, - So there’s no rejoicing without the Servian Christmas._” - -After a long fast, the Servian people await Christmas impatiently. It is -a day of feasting in the whole country. Two days before Christmas -Day—old style, of course—roasts are prepared, consisting of a lamb and a -sucking-pig. On the morning of Christmas Eve one of the boys of the -family goes into the forest and cuts the Christmas log or _Badgnak_—a -usage which was recognised in the old days in France. Choosing a young -tree, he recites a prayer and cuts it down, while another lad is careful -that the first branch cut does not fall to the ground. He clutches hold -of it, and it is placed in the milk, so that good cream shall be -produced, or upon the beehive, that the bees may bring good honey. The -bringing home of the Christmas log is attended by many quaint -ceremonies. - -That evening, while the family is at supper—which mostly consists of -fruits—the head of the house takes three nuts in his right hand, and -throwing them towards the east exclaims, “In the name of the Father”; -then three others, which he throws to the west saying, “and of the Son”; -and then three others he throws to the north, adding, “and of the Holy -Ghost.” Then with three others he makes the sign of the cross, and -throwing them to the south, exclaims “Amen.” - -With the dawn of Christmas Day visits commence, the first person -generally to arrive being a young man neighbour, known as the -_polaznik_. He embraces the master of the house, makes the sign of the -cross upon the Yule-log, and wishes good luck to the household. In the -Christmas cake is placed a piece of money, and the person to whom it -falls will have good fortune all the year. - -The Easter feast comes third with the Servians, and is a great occasion -for egg-breaking, one egg being broken against the other. Each visitor -receives an egg, and the fête lasts three days. The gipsies, of whom -there are very many in the Balkans, go from house to house at Easter, -singing and wishing good fortune to the householders, receiving, of -course, money in return for their good wishes. - -There is also an extraordinary institution among the Servians called the -_pobratime_. It often occurs that two persons of the same sex love one -another very dearly, and regret that they are not allied by -relationship. In such a case they go through a solemn ceremony, and -become _pobratimes_, or brothers by election. It is the same with both -sexes. In many cases religion or nationality does not count, for there -are numbers of cases where a Serb has chosen for _pobratime_ a Turk or -an Albanian. In some cases the ceremony is a grave and solemn one before -a priest. Sometimes, indeed, the two persons make a slight cut in each -other’s hands, and suck each other’s blood, so becoming blood relations. -This custom is, strangely enough, very prevalent among the more savage -of the African tribes. The _pobratimes_ remain faithful and devoted one -to the other until death. - -[Illustration: - - HIS EXCELLENCY COSTA STOYANOVITCH, - Servian Minister of Commerce. -] - -Belgrade resembles no other European capital for several reasons. There -are no poor quarters of squalor and misery, and pauperism is unknown. -During the whole time I was in the capital not a single person solicited -alms. During the last thirty years land in the vicinity of the city has -quadrupled in value. Each house is generally occupied by one family, and -almost every house has a pretty garden or courtyard. For many years -there has been constant rebuilding, and nowadays houses are usually -built of brick in preference to stone—although there is a Brick Trust in -the country. A good granite is also employed, and the new buildings are -mostly ornate and handsome. - -Modern Belgrade is well planned. The Rue Terasia and the Rue Prince -Michel run on the highest part of the plateau and form the main artery -of traffic, while from these two streets diverge other thoroughfares, on -the one side leading to the Danube, and on the other to the Save. - -Viewed from the Danube, the panorama of Belgrade is a fine and imposing -one. A commodious quay is badly required for the ever-increasing river -traffic, but plans have already been prepared, and shortly the work will -be put in hand. High above the river runs the pleasant promenade in the -Kalemegdan Gardens, leading to the old fortress with its time-mellowed -red brick bastions, now turned into a prison. The position of the city -is certainly well adapted to expand into a really fine, handsome -capital, as it must become in the near future. It is the centre of -intellectual life of Servia. The Library and Museum testify to the -literary tastes of the Servians. The Museum is very rich in antiques, -and contains a highly interesting numismatic collection. Both science -and art are well cultivated in the Servian capital, which is also the -headquarters of the Metropolitan Archbishop, the courts of Cassation and -of Appeal, the État Major, the Military School, the Faculties, and the -Ecclesiastical School. - -The capital of Servia therefore occupies a most favourable position, and -is designed to become a very important centre of commerce. Its situation -being at the junction of the Save and the Danube, at the head of the -railway which unites the European capitals with the Black Sea ports, as -well as with Salonica and Constantinople, it cannot fail to be the gate -of the whole commerce of the Orient. It is, indeed, the Gateway of the -East. - -Nisch, in the south, is the town second in importance. In 1874 it -contained only 12,000 population, while to-day it has more than 30,000 -inhabitants. Standing as it does at the junction of the Oriental with -the European railways, all the merchandise to or from Turkey passes -through it: either by way of Sofia, or by Usküb and Macedonia. The old -Turkish quarter has been recently destroyed, wide streets built, and the -town thoroughly modernised and brought up to date, while there are -several comfortable hotels. The country around Nisch is noted for its -excellent light wines, which, having tasted, I can recommend. In Nisch, -as in many other parts of Servia, there are many openings for the -profitable employment of British capital. - -The Servian Government is anxious to promote commerce and industry -throughout the kingdom. It is ready to give facility and encouragement -to foreigners—and especially the English—to exploit the wealth that -undoubtedly abounds, and it will treat them honestly, justly, and well. - -Country life presents many interesting features. The Servian is much -more industrious than the Roumanian or the Bulgar, and consequently is -much more the master of his own household. The house of the Servian -peasant is generally constructed of brick, situate in the valleys and -ravines, and is usually of one storey only. There are generally three or -four rooms, the larger one being used as a common sitting and dining -room. The furniture of the common room is very simple—a table, chairs, -and settle and wardrobe; while upon the whitewashed walls are coloured -religious prints. The other rooms are covered with bright-coloured -Servian carpets, and in some villages of the Machva and the valley of -the Morava—where the peasants appear to live in greater comfort—I found -Viennese bent-wood furniture. In the poorer districts the house often -consists of one room only, and is often constructed by the peasant -himself. Each house has its little garden, cultivated by the women or -the old folk, where vegetables are grown, more especially cabbages, of -which there is a great consumption in various forms, often preserved as -a kind of _choucroute_. Fresh-water fish is also a staple article of -diet, while caviare too is plentiful. - -In my journey through Servia I was struck by the prosperity of the -peasant and his high intelligence everywhere. The country, especially in -the more mountainous districts, is most picturesque, and the quaint -costumes of both sexes are highly interesting. Time was when there were -many brigands in the more remote districts. An officer of my -acquaintance who has explored practically every corner of Servia told me -an amusing episode that quite lately occurred to him. He was riding one -day in the mountains in a far remote part of Servia, many miles from a -town, when he overtook a rather evil-looking man, who scowled at him. He -passed the time of day and inquired the road to his destination. Then he -added, “I’ve heard there are brigands round about here. Is it true?” - -“Brigands!” exclaimed the man. “Well, we used to be brigands. But -nowadays the law is so strict that I and my comrades have given it up!” - -The costume of the Servian peasant-women is quaint and of interest. It -consists of an ample skirt of wool or silk and a corset on which, over -the chest, is placed a piece of white gauze crossed. Over this is a kind -of bolero of tanned skin with the fur inside, cut lower than the waist -at the back, and open in front. Upon it are often gold or silver -embroideries. Upon the head is worn a small scarlet fez, around which -the plaited hair is coiled. The fez is often embroidered with seed -pearls, which descend from generation to generation and are often worth -twenty to thirty pounds. Then, lastly, there is the apron, which is part -of the national costume, and is of wool, hand-embroidered in gay -colours, many of them being of quaint and original design. - -In the towns both men and women now adopt European costume. In the -country every peasant possesses a gun, and shooting as they do from -childhood, they are mostly very fine shots. They love the chase, and -shoot everything they can, for the country is full of all kinds of birds -and animals. - -There is a good deal of superstition among the peasants, who are an -imaginative people, who believe in vampires, evil spirits, and witches, -and have many extraordinary legends and sayings concerning them. - - - - - CHAPTER II - AN AUDIENCE OF KING PETER - -At the New Konak—I sign His Majesty’s birthday-book—The - audience-chamber—King Peter greets me, and we chat over - cigarettes—My private audience—His Majesty and English - capitalists—Great openings for British enterprise—The King gives me - some instances of paying concerns, and tells me many interesting - facts—His Majesty invites me to return. - - -As I drove into the wide gates of the New Konak one evening in November -to have private audience of His Majesty King Peter of Servia, sentries -saluted, idling detectives bowed, and the lines of blue-and-gold -servants drawn up in the entrance all bent low with one accord. The -royal palace is, indeed, well guarded. - -In the large inner hall was a wide horseshoe staircase, which I -ascended. On every hand was a regal splendour, all in excellent taste -and all very new, for the palace built by King Milan has been renovated -since 1903, when the former royal residence of such tragic memory was -pulled down. Its site is now a pretty lawn. - -At the head of the stairs the Royal Marechal, Colonel Tcholak-Antich, a -young man in bright blue uniform and many decorations, met me. With the -usual etiquette he told me his name, I told him mine, and we shook -hands. Then he said, “His Majesty is anxious that you should sign his -birthday book,” and he led me to the big council-chamber, where at the -head of the table he opened a beautiful book, which I signed upon the -proper page. - -[Illustration: The Royal Palace, Belgrade: The Ballroom.] - -I was at once conducted to the audience-chamber, the double doors of -which—to prevent eavesdroppers—were closed behind me, and I was left -alone to await His Majesty. The room, of fine dimensions, seemed, under -the myriad electric lamps, ablaze with gold. The beautiful gilt -furniture showed well against the carpet of crushed-strawberry, the -damask of the upholstery matching the carpet and being brocaded with -gold. Several fine modern paintings were upon the walls, and in the -centre of the magnificent apartment a large settee and several fine gilt -chairs set against a big gilt Renaissance table. - -Scarce had I time to glance at my surroundings when the long white -folding-doors at the end of the room opened, and there entered a slim, -alert figure in a dark blue military uniform—a keen, dark-eyed, -grey-moustached man with a pleasant smile and hand outstretched—His -Majesty. - -I made my obeisance, and took the proffered hand. “Come,” said the King -kindly in French, seating himself at the table, and motioning me to a -chair opposite him. “Well,” he commenced, “you know I have lived in -London, and I have heard of you, Monsieur N——,” and he went on to say -some highly gratifying words concerning myself; then producing a big -silver box of most excellent Servian cigarettes, gave me one, held the -match for me, and also smoked himself. He was, I noticed, quick, smart, -and shrewd, with both figure and bearing that greatly reminded me of -Lord Roberts, his general’s dark undress uniform being relieved by one -touch of colour, the crimson-and-white ribbon and white enamelled star -of Karageorge. - -Then, when we were comfortably settled, I explained to him my reasons -for visiting the Balkans. - -“You are very welcome here in Servia,” His Majesty said. “You have been -kind enough to say generous things about our country. All we ask of you -is not to flatter us—only inquire the truth for yourself. We Servians -have our faults—all nations have. But it must be remembered that we are -a young nation—like France was after the war of 1870. The Press of -Europe have not been altogether fair to us, for very many false -statements have been published regarding our people, and myself -personally. But how could they be contradicted? We only wish the organs -of the British Press would tell the truth regarding Servia. We have -enemies—who has not? But our policy is one of peace, and our earnest -endeavour is to develop the great resources of our country. Servia is, -as you know, one of the richest mineral countries in Europe.” - -“I presume your Majesty’s Government will grant concessions for the -working of mines, or for other industrial enterprises?” - -“Most readily. But only to responsible persons, who can show their -earnestness and that capital is at their command. Of late we have had -many concession-hunters here from various parts of Europe, but the -majority have gone empty away because they were discovered to be mere -speculators. No. Our urgent desire is that your British capitalists -should come here and study matters for themselves.” - -“I believe some mines are already being worked by foreign capital?” I -remarked. - -“Certainly—and very wealthy they are too. Take the Bor copper mine, for -instance. I visited it myself this year. The 500-franc shares are now at -3000 francs, and the output will shortly be enormous. They have recently -discovered in the workings traces that the ancient Romans had been -there. It will, so experts say, be found to be one of the richest copper -mines in Europe. Besides copper we have iron, coal, antimony, and even -gold—all of which might, with great advantage, be exploited by English -companies. We invite the English in preference, because I know that -English commercial undertakings are, for the most part, solid and sound. -You English always think well before you commence, and when you do -commence you go straight on to success. Therefore any industrial -enterprise, or any railways—which we want badly—that you may suggest to -us on behalf of British capitalists shall have our most earnest -consideration. That the country is in a settled state and is prospering -is, I think, shown by our finances. Before 1903 there was constantly a -deficit on the Budget. In 1903 we had over one million francs in excess -of the estimates, in 1904 we had five millions, and in 1905 a little -over four millions. Our engagements are regularly paid, and we have no -floating debt.” - -[Illustration: Royal Palace: Belgrade.] - -[Illustration: Principal Boulevard of Belgrade.] - -“And the future?” - -“Ah! you want me to talk politics,” he laughed, raising his hand with -the fine diamond upon it. “No. I make a rule never to do so. One of our -chief faults in Servia is that we gossip too much upon politics. You -have noticed that, I daresay, in the cafés, in the Legations, and -elsewhere—eh? All we Servians are the same—in Montenegro, in Bosnia, and -elsewhere. It is always so with a young nation. The future of Servia -will, I fervently hope, be one of peace and prosperity. It shall be my -most earnest endeavour to secure this for my people, so that Servia may -prove to Europe that she does not now merit the hard things said of her -in the past.” - -His Majesty, after we had chatted about Florence, a city which I found -he knew quite well, then told me a very interesting fact. “We have here, -in Servia,” he said, “a most wonderful cure for rheumatism—the Ribarska -Banya. I only tell you what happened personally to me. During the -Russo-Turkish War I contracted acute rheumatism, and have been a martyr -to it ever since. I visited every watering-place in Europe, but none of -the so-called “cures” did me any good. Two years ago, with some -reluctance, I went to Ribarska and took the cure, and from that moment I -have never since been troubled. It was miraculous! With my own eyes I -saw a poor woman wheeled there entirely crippled, and twenty days later -I saw her commencing to walk. I would not have believed it had I not -seen it with my own eyes.” - -For an hour and a half we chatted upon many things—of London, of Paris, -of Rome, of Vienna—for His Majesty is essentially an up-to-date man of -the world, as well as a monarch. Sincere and yet humorous, kindly and -yet with a hauteur that well befits his military bearing, he struck me -as a man well adapted to rule the Servian nation—a man who is thoroughly -in earnest, and is doing his level best for the future of his nation. -“We want no external troubles,” he declared to me. “We want to be -allowed to progress.” - -And when I took my leave His Majesty grasped my hand warmly, saying, “I -hope, M’sieur N——, you will return to Servia often, and remember that -whenever you are in Belgrade I shall always be happy to give you -audience and have another chat with you. _Bon soir._” - -I bowed. The long white doors opened noiselessly by an unseen hand, and -His Majesty was gone. - -Next day an aide-de-camp brought me the autographed portrait which -appears in these pages, together with a very kindly message from His -Majesty. - -Not only did I endeavour to learn the truth at the royal palace, but I -went among the people in various towns in Servia, making inquiries, and -I found on every hand that Servia was pleased and satisfied with her new -ruler. - -King Peter was born on July 11, 1844, at Belgrade. A son of the reigning -Prince Alexander Karageorgevitch. Educated at Belgrade and Geneva, he -went to St. Cyr in France, and afterwards, during the war of 1870, -volunteered in the French army. In 1883 he married the Princess Zorka, -eldest daughter of Prince Nicholas of Montenegro, with whom he led a -very happy family life until her unfortunate death in 1890. For about -ten years he lived in Montenegro, but after his wife’s death he went to -Geneva for the education of his children. In Montenegro there is still -great admiration for him among the people, who have always regarded him -as one of the Serb princes. - -There were four children, of whom three are still living, namely, the -Crown Prince George, now aged 20; Princess Helene, aged 19; and Prince -Alexander, aged 18. The Crown Prince after his studies in Geneva was -admitted by order of the Tzar into the Noble Guard at St. Petersburg, -and on the accession of his father left Russia to complete his studies -in Servia. At the present time he is engaged in university studies, -combined with his military ones. I had an opportunity of meeting him, -and found him a very smart and intelligent young fellow. Legally he is -now of age, and lately he represented his father at a great national -festivity, and acquitted himself with complete success. He is greatly -interested in all military questions, and is himself one of the best -riders in the country. - -[Illustration: HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE GEORGE OF SERVIA.] - -In his domestic circle the King is a model father, and his actions and -views are designed to promote in every way a good family life among his -people. He leaves politics to his Ministers, who are all of them highly -responsible men, but greatly interests himself in sanitation, -improvements in agriculture, the securing of a better standard of -morality, and in all questions of religion—in fact, his chief aim is the -advancement and well-being of his people, which, he is confident, cannot -be attained without a strong religious belief. - -Only a short time ago he was making a tour in the country when to him -came the priests and authorities complaining that the people did not go -to church. His Majesty’s reply to the priests was: “If the people do not -come to you, you should go to them.” - -From my own personal observation of His Majesty, I found him to be -exceedingly active, both physically and mentally. Though sixty-two years -of age, he may be seen every morning at five o’clock out riding in the -environs of Belgrade, making inspections of military camps and often -gossiping with and giving counsel to the lowliest peasants. Many are the -amusing stories told of these encounters, for often the peasants are -unaware that it is their sovereign. On one occasion, quite lately, he -was speaking with a peasant who complained to him of misbehaviour of a -subordinate functionary, and said, “The King ought to know it!” -whereupon His Majesty replied, “Yes, I think so. I will certainly tell -him.” - -His Majesty told me himself that he does not believe in the old idea -that “the King can do no wrong,” or that monarchs are only “_par la -grâce de Dieu_.” He is of opinion that they should do everything to -fulfil the second part of the formula, “by the will of the people,” and -do their utmost for the people over whom they rule. - -Without prejudice, and without bias, I have no hesitation in saying that -Servia to-day is under a most beneficent régime, and it is hoped that -her ruler, a splendid type of man and an up-to-date monarch, may be -spared many years to realise the high aspirations which he has for the -country that gave him birth. - - - - - CHAPTER III - SERVIA’S AIMS AND ASPIRATIONS - -Audiences of M. Pachitch, the Premier and “strong man” of Servia, and of - M. Stoyanovitch, Minister of Commerce—My friend, Dr. Milenko - Vesnitch, Minister of Justice—The Servian case as I found it—Austria - Servia’s arch-enemy—Dr. Vesnitch an up-to-date politician—Undeniable - prosperity of the country under King Peter’s rule. - - -He who attempts to study Servian politics will find himself engulfed in -a perfect vortex of mystery and intrigue. - -Politics occupy everyone’s thought in Belgrade. The Pachitch Party is on -everyone’s tongue. Be it at the luncheon table of the restaurant, over -the card-table at the Grand Café at six o’clock, in the salons of the -Ministers’ wives, or at the smart diplomatic receptions, the gossip is -always of politics. Hence it is that the secret agent is everywhere, and -one hears complaints on every hand of telegrams being noted and letters -tampered with. - -Having regard to recent events and the presence of a horde of Austrian -spies, this is not, perhaps, surprising. Though Servia is undoubtedly -prospering and contented under King Peter and the present Ministry, yet -there is, of course, in politics an opposition—though not a formidable -one. - -During my stay in Belgrade, besides being graciously granted private -audience by His Majesty King Peter, I had many opportunities of -discussing Servian politics with the Premier, M. Nicholas Pachitch; Dr. -Milenko Vesnitch, Minister of Justice; M. Stoyanovitch, the Minister of -Commerce; M. Patchu, Minister of Finance; M. Andrea Nikolitch, Minister -of Public Instruction; M. Yovan Gyaya, who has formed the new Radical -Party; and many other leading men of both sides. I very carefully -investigated each question, in order to present to the British public, -for the first time, the actual truth of the present state of affairs in -Servia. - -Quite recently the British Government resumed diplomatic relations with -the Servian Court, therefore it is fitting that a fair and unbiassed -statement should now be put forward, in order to show Servia as she -really is, her aims, her aspirations, and her future policy in the -Balkans. - -I confess that I found considerable difficulty in forming my -conclusions. The policy, however, which the present strong and -level-headed Government are pursuing is a policy which, having carefully -heard both sides, I have no hesitation whatever in endorsing as the very -best for the peace and future of the nation. It is strong, without being -belligerent, even though Austria has never ceased to annoy, irritate, -and intrigue. - -Balkan questions are both difficult and intricate, but I will endeavour -to describe the true state of affairs as plainly and briefly as -possible. This work, though not intended to be a political treatise, -would be incomplete without some explanation of the mysteries of the -politics of the various Balkan countries I visited. Therefore, at risk -of being perhaps a little too outspoken, I will state the Servian case -just as I found it. - -One of the burning questions in Servia at the present time is the -Customs War with Austria. The latter Power has endeavoured to ruin -Servia, but has fortunately not succeeded, even though her emissaries -are everywhere, and many newspaper correspondents are undoubtedly in her -pay. For this latter reason Servia has, for many years past, been -presented to Europe in a false light and columns of untruths telegraphed -from Zimony, or Semlin, the Hungarian town on the opposite bank of the -Save. - -Briefly, the truth is as follows:— - -Austria—and with her Germany—is slowly but surely marching to the East. -One sees and hears evidence of it everywhere in the Balkans. The -extended talons of the Austrian eagle are as apparent—and perhaps more -so in Servia than in Montenegro. Servia bars Austria’s way southward to -that much-coveted port, Salonica. It is therefore not to Austria’s -interest that Servia should be at peace. Unfortunately for Servia, the -Occidental people view the Eastern questions through the spectacles of -the Vienna Press, which is—for the most part—inspired by the Austrian -Government. - -Austria is at the bottom of the whole of the Servian difficulties. As -long as things went badly in Servia—as under the régime of the late King -Alexander—they allowed matters to go on without interference, and -watched eagerly for the downfall of the kingdom. Unfortunate events -occurred, as is well known, but to the great dismay of Servia’s -arch-enemy, the country has become contented and is greatly prospering -under the rule of King Peter. For this reason, therefore, because a -prosperous era has set in, Austria has once again sought to stir discord -and to create troubles and difficulties. At the moment of writing the -secret police have a long list of over one hundred Austrian political -agents living in Belgrade alone! - -How Austria seeks to compromise Servia in the eyes of Europe, and the -scandalous methods by which she is seeking to attain that end, is well -illustrated by a telegram which was supposed to emanate from Odessa, but -which I have indisputable evidence came from the same source as all the -others—an unscrupulous correspondent in Vienna in the secret pay of the -Austrian Government. - -[Illustration: - - MR. ALEX. TUCKER, - Servian Consul-General in London. -] - -[Illustration: - - MR. BEETHOM WHITEHEAD, - British Minister at Belgrade. -] - -The amazing telegram in question appeared in the London newspapers on -January 2 this year, and was as follows:— - - “The local agency of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which - for the last twenty years has been specially retained in Odessa as a - convenient medium of secret intelligence respecting the Balkan States, - is in possession of indisputable proofs of the existence, - notwithstanding all recent and official denials from Belgrade, of a - widely ramified and elaborately matured plot for the execution of a - sudden _coup d’état_ and the expulsion of the Karageorgevitch dynasty - from Servia. Leading members, civil and military, of both the chief - political parties are stated to have joined the conspiracy. - - “According to this information, the intended first result of the _coup - d’état_, if it be not marred, will be the establishment of a - provisional regency in the administrative hands of six or eight - Ministers. The regents would then take time to prepare a comprehensive - explanatory statement of the situation for presentation to the Great - Powers, which they would also consult as to the choice of an alien - prince for the royal throne of Servia. They will urge upon the - friendly consideration of the Powers the fact that the two peasant - dynasties of Obrenovitch and Karageorgevitch have been fairly tried - and justly found impossible and incompatible with the economical - welfare and progressive culture necessary to the worthy attainment of - Servia’s proper political destiny.” - -In reply to this, the Servian Government nailed the lies upon Austria by -the following official statement, issued on January 3 from the Ministry -of Foreign Affairs at Belgrade:— - - “All sorts of misleading fabrications have lately been issued to the - world by the Austrian Press for the purpose of compromising the - political situation in Servia, the latest report being that of an - alleged plot to exile the Karageorgevitch dynasty. Gradually and - systematically the Viennese newspapers have been communicating to the - foreign Press alarming news, injurious to Servia’s good name, and - certain quarters in Vienna consider it necessary to reserve the - fabrication regarding the exile of the Karageorgevitch dynasty as the - final stroke on the eve of the conclusion of the Servian loan. The - Austrian Press has even gone so far as to make use of prevarications - in order to succeed in giving credence to its report regarding the - exile of the royal dynasty, alleging they had obtained news from the - Russian Agency created at Odessa by the Russian Minister of Foreign - Affairs for special political service in the Balkans. According to our - information, _such an agency does not even exist_.” - -Again, an ingenious gentleman representing the Vienna _Zeit_, who lives -opposite Belgrade, at Semlin, in Hungary, and fears to cross into -Servia, sent the other day, not only to the _Zeit_ but to the _Daily -Mail_, an extraordinary telegram declaring the Servian Crown Prince to -be slightly demented, and casting all sorts of insinuations as to what -was happening in the palace. - -I chanced to be in Belgrade at the time, and showed the Crown Prince the -ridiculous concoction, and we both laughed over it. - -“Bah!” he said, “it is really too silly to require contradiction.” - -The true fact is that the young Crown Prince, who gave me the signed -portrait that appears in these pages, is a particularly smart young man, -and not only do his tutors, but also the Cabinet Ministers of Servia, -speak in the highest terms of his tact and intelligence. - -But to Austria no method is too mean or too unscrupulous by which to -circulate false news to the detriment of Servia. Ask any Servian, and he -will tell you of Austria’s machinations in every quarter. - -Quite recently a Servian author wrote some libellous and untrue articles -regarding the present dynasty, and was consequently arrested and -condemned to imprisonment. Whereupon the Austrian Minister in Belgrade, -without asking permission of the Minister of Justice, went to the prison -and prevailed upon the Governor to be allowed to see the prisoner -privately. Such action surely speaks louder than words! - -The Austrian attitude was well exhibited on the occasion of the -accession of King Peter. His Majesty received two telegrams. The first -was from the Tzar, who said, “I hope you may be able to bring happiness -to the Servian people, and by doing so you will receive my friendship.” -The other was from the Emperor Francis Josef, and was certainly in the -spirit of dividing King and people, for His Majesty merely expressed a -hope that the evils existing would be remedied. - -Austria’s chief aim in Servia is to estrange the people from their King, -to create as much discord and discontent as possible to crush the trade -of the country and to keep her poor. As long as she believed that Servia -was in a bad position economically and financially, things were allowed -to go from bad to worse. But as soon as an improvement was observed in -the national prosperity, a hostile policy was adopted, which has -rendered trade between the two countries impossible. - -Careful inquiries of the Servian Cabinet Ministers and many statesmen of -both political parties show that even in the present position, with -Austria closed against her, Servia is nevertheless progressing, and -prospering more than the outside world ever dreams. - -The last commercial treaty between Austria and Servia expired in 1904. -There was a desire on the part of Servia to at once renew it, but this -Austria-Hungary was unable to do, as she was rearranging her treaty with -Germany. When, however, the first negotiations were started, Austria -made very severe complaints regarding the Serbo-Bulgarian Customs Union, -and asked that the treaty in question should be annulled before -negotiations for the new treaty were started. The Servian Government, -desirous of pleasing Austria, replied that in the Serbo-Bulgarian -Customs Union there was a clause to the effect that if one of the Great -Powers raised a protest, amendments might be introduced. They therefore -suggested the postponement of this question, hoping that Austria was -satisfied, and would begin the _pourparlers_. But no such thing. Austria -had other aims, for very soon they coolly declared that if the -commercial treaty were renewed, Servia must buy her new armament for the -artillery of the Scoda works in Austria. This is peculiar, inasmuch as -the cannon in question is not that in use by the Austrian artillery! - -The reason for this has been explained by the fact that certain members -of the Austrian Imperial family were financially interested in the works -in question. This, however, was not the real reason. There was one far -more subtle. The true political reason, indeed, was that the Austrian -Government wished to get a seat in the “Autonom-Monopol” -administration—the body which controls the loans, and which consists of -six members, namely, one French delegate, one German, and four Servians. -France and Germany were both friendly, but Austria, had she gained a -seat there, could at once have created internal dissension and -difficulty. - -Nominally, the annual income from this “Monopol” is about thirty million -dinars, or francs, of which twenty million go to the creditors, leaving -ten million at the free disposal of the Government. Now had Austria -obtained a hand in this administration, she would have been able to -exercise a prerogative and a right of intervention in many matters -affecting the good government of the country—a danger that will at once -be apparent. - -Austrian intrigue is everywhere apparent, not only in Belgrade, but -throughout the whole of Servia. Austria does not wish either a national -or a staple Government in Servia, and so, because they could not obtain -their ends, and because the present Government voices the national ideas -of the whole of the Serb people—who are as a matter of fact spread over -Croatia, Slavonia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, and part of -Hungary—they have pursued the Customs War, and put a prohibitive tariff -upon everything in the endeavour to close entirely the world’s markets -to Servia. The latter has of course retaliated by placing a prohibitive -tariff upon all goods from those nations who have no treaty—a move which -is of course directed against Austria, but by which other Powers must, -for the present, suffer. - -As regards England, the first commercial treaty made by Servia after the -Berlin Treaty was with Great Britain, and it served as the base of all -the other treaties. Of this Austria-Hungary was jealous, and from that -time until to-day Austria has done everything in her power to discredit -and discourage British trade in the Balkans. In fact, so seriously -detrimental has been Austria’s influence against British trade that -naturally some time must elapse ere the damage done can be repaired. - -Meanwhile, a new commercial treaty with England has been arranged, for -it was in Servia’s greatest interest that this should be done. Every -Servian I spoke to was loud in his praises of England, and of English -methods. Servia is very anxious to export her agricultural produce to -England, while in Servia—now that Austrian imports have stopped—there -are many open markets for English goods. - -Austria believed that as all Servian exports were sent into -Austria-Hungary, Servia would be obliged in the end to accept their -drastic and unfair terms—the purchase of cannon and other restrictions. -On the contrary, however, it says much for Servia’s enterprise that, -though the Austrian frontier has been closed during 1906, yet Servia has -exported all her goods by way of Varna or Braila, or by Salonica, to -which port a line of rail runs from Nisch. The producer has felt the -Austrian oppression but little, if any at all. In fact, it is the -opinion of many statesmen in Servia that it would actually be in the -country’s interests if Austria continues her present hostile Customs -policy, for it will then compel the Servians to look for markets farther -afield, and arouse them to take strong initiatives. - -It should be noted, too, that fifteen years ago Austria raised the same -trouble with Roumania, and the Roumanians are now happily emancipated -from the Austrian market, and are consequently prosperous. - -At present, with the Austrian frontier barred for export, Servia must -build a railway to the Adriatic. The line from Nisch, _viâ_ Usküb, to -Salonica, though it runs through Macedonia, is practically under -Austrian control, and goods sent over it from Servia are subjected to -high tariff. Therefore there is a project afoot to construct a new line -from Kragooyevatz across the Kopaonik Mountains to Prisrend, and thence -through Northern Albania down to Skodra and the Adriatic at the port of -San Giovanni di Medua. An alternative scheme is to construct the line so -that it passes through Montenegro, and joins the line at present being -made by an Italian company from Antivari on the coast to Virpasar on the -Lake of Scutari. - -One or other of these two schemes will certainly be adopted in the near -future, and when the line is completed, Servia will at once be entirely -independent of Austria, and secure an outlet to the Adriatic. Such a -railway will be of great strategic importance, as will be seen from a -glance on the map. I have been over parts of the projected route, and -certainly it will be a very difficult line to construct, on account of -the wall of mountains lying between the Lake of Scutari and the Servian -frontier. But its opening will mean civilising the wild tribes of -Albania and the further cementing of the Serb nation. - -This last point is, indeed, the chief line of the Servian Balkan policy. -In my conversations with the Premier, with Dr. Milenko Vesnitch, -Minister of Justice, and with the Ministers of Commerce and of Finance, -I found them all in accord upon the one great principle of policy, -namely, the preservation of the great Serb nation, which consists of -over ten million persons, spread through Bosnia, Herzegovina, Slavonia, -Kossovo, Montenegro, Servia, Dalmatia, and many parts of Hungary itself. -This great population speak the same language and have the same -aspirations, namely, the unity of the great nation whose past history is -such a splendid one. - -The policy of the Servian Ministry, whether military, economical, or -political, is all directed towards this one end, and here it may be -pointed out that King Peter is grandson of the great hero of the Servian -people, the peasant Karageorge, who in 1804 raised the Servians against -the Turks and defeated them. - -King Peter has already given evidence of his patriotic sentiments, not -only interesting himself in the nation before he was elected ruler, but -perhaps it is not generally remembered that in 1875 he fought at the -head of his troop—which he raised himself, and crippled his finances -thereby—for the emancipation of Bosnia. In the Servian national poetry -there is a hero called Peter Mrcognitch, the Protector of the Poor -against the oppressors, and it was under this assumed name that the -present ruler of Servia fought. In 1870, too, he fought with the French -against the Germans, and was awarded the Legion of Honour for valour on -the battlefield. Therefore the Servians regard him as a patriot—as -indeed he is—and up to the present he has certainly shown himself an -able, wise, and discreet ruler, who has the interests of his country -very deeply at heart. - -[Illustration: The Road to the East: The last view of Europe.] - -[Illustration: Villagers and Gypsies in Miriavo (Servia).] - -To refer to the tragic events of the night of June 11, 1903, is -unnecessary. All I can personally say is that I arrived in Belgrade full -of an Englishman’s natural prejudice against the present régime, but -after careful inquiry, not only in government and diplomatic circles, -but also among the adherents of the old régime, I came to the conclusion -that though drastic and cruel, yet had not those events happened that -night, hundreds of unfortunate ones would have lost their lives on the -following morning. - -In the régime of the late King no one was safe in Belgrade. Draga had -her spies everywhere, and alas for those who dared to utter a word -against her or her methods! Leading men in the political, social, and -literary world of Belgrade to-day have explained to me how they had from -day to day lived in fear and dread of false accusations and arrest, -until life became so intolerable that many were almost driven from the -country. These men strongly disagreed with the methods of the regicides, -but they are now thankful they are free. - -The truth of those black days of spies and suspicion in Belgrade in the -last days of Alexander’s reign has never been told. Only those who lived -there, and only those who hear the truth from the lips of responsible -persons, can realise how entirely the country was in the hands of one -unscrupulous woman. The journalists of Europe were horrified at the -methods by which the Obrenovitch were wiped out, and they condemned the -Servians. Not one had the courage, or the inclination, to put the facts -fairly and impartially before the public. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - THE FUTURE OF SERVIA - -Servia and the Macedonian question—A sound Cabinet—England and - Servia—Appointment of Mr. Beethom Whitehead as British Minister very - gratifying to the Servians—King Peter ever solicitous for the - welfare of the people—What the Prime Minister told me concerning the - future—The new railway to the Adriatic. - - -I make no apology for the assassination of King Alexander and his Queen. -That matter is a closed page of Servian history. I only can state what I -saw and heard in Servia, and explain how I drew my own entirely -unbiassed conclusions. - -One thing is certain, that Servia is at this moment in a very much more -prosperous condition than ever she was under King Alexander. Having met -every one of the Ministers, and spent many hours with them, I can safely -assert that, headed by M. Pachitch, quiet-mannered, sensible, and -thoughtful, they are, one and all, a very strong and intelligent -Cabinet, each member of which is doing his very utmost for the -commercial development and future welfare of the country he loves so -dearly. - -There is no _poseur_ or political adventurer among them. Each man is a -sound, intelligent, and trustful statesman, whose watchword is, as His -Excellency Monsieur Pachitch put it to me, “Servia for the Servians.” - -While in Belgrade I had several conversations with members of the -Cabinet, and also with Dr. J. Cvijic, the eminent author of that most -thoughtful work, _Remarks on the Ethnography of the Macedonian Slavs_, -regarding the all-absorbing question of Macedonia. Mention Macedonia to -any Balkan statesman, and he raises his shoulders and shakes his head. -It is a problem that nobody can solve. I endeavoured, however, by dint -of many inquiries, to discover in what way Servia would like the -Macedonian question settled. - -Roughly speaking, Macedonia is divided into three _vilayets_—Kossovo, -Monastir, and Salonica. Now Kossovo is essentially Old Servia, and there -is no question that its people are still Serbs. Yet here we run up -against Austria again. She is doing all in her power to cause the -population to emigrate, and in their place attracting Albanians who -assist the Austrian propaganda. As regards the other two _vilayets_ of -Monastir and Salonica, the inhabitants are Serbs, Bulgars, Greeks, and -Mohammedans. Now it is a curious fact, and one which I believe no other -writer has noted, that until two years ago nobody spoke of any other -people in Macedonia but these. Suddenly, however, Europe was made aware -that there was still another people, for the Koutzo-Vlachs were, for the -first time, mentioned, and formed a new element in the already mixed -difficulty. - -Now without doubt this new problem was introduced into the controversy -by Germany for two reasons. The first was to create, besides the -Mohammedan and Albanian, a Christian Conservative element for the -preservation of the Turk in Europe. Germany has therefore an economic -propaganda in Turkey, and when the time is ripe it will be followed by a -strong political one. She could not count on either Serbs or Bulgars in -Macedonia, but by this new intrigue she has courted the support of the -Mohammedans. - -The second reason of the introduction of these hitherto unheard-of -Koutzo-Vlachs concerned the position in Roumania, of which a -Hohenzollern is King. Until two years ago the Roumanian patriots were -occupying themselves with a propaganda in Transylvania. As, however, it -is a great point in German policy to keep Roumania within the confines -of the Triple Alliance, and as hostilities had arisen between Austria -and Roumania on account of the propaganda, it was necessary for Germany -to find a means to occupy in some other way the fantasy of the Roumanian -people. And so the Koutzo-Vlachs were pushed forward as a fresh -discovery, and the King of Roumania, in a speech to his Parliament, -spoke of “their brothers in Macedonia.” Beyond this, all the claims put -in by the Koutzo-Vlachs for the expenses of their schools and other -things to-day receive the support of the German Ambassador at the Porte. - -From the Servian point of view—a view that is shared very widely—it -would appear that the best method of solving the very difficult question -of Macedonia would be to give the various peoples complete -tolerance—that is, to give the Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians, and Moslems -complete liberty to develop themselves for, say, ten years. After this -time a plebiscite, under the control of the Powers, might be established -with success. This would solve the ethnographical difficulty, which is -really the base of the whole question. - -The signatories to the Berlin Treaty would do well to take the -initiative in this matter, and so end the internal trouble which is for -ever a disturbing element in Balkan politics. Servia is very anxious to -see England interesting and asserting her power more in the Balkans, and -British statesmen might well follow the policy of Palmerston and -Castlereagh. The first British representative to Servia was Colonel -Hodges, who in 1837 went to Belgrade, and very quickly secured a -predominant position in Servian matters, owing to the unselfishness of -the British policy in the Balkans and the liberal ideas which England -always represents in the world. The Servians therefore still look to -England as taking a leading part in the settlement of Macedonia, and the -sooner this is done the less peril will exist in the Near East. - -Since the accession of King Peter many reforms have been introduced, and -on all sides the Servian people express content and prosperity. I will -give a few examples. For instance, in the budget before the King’s -accession there were periodical deficits, but every year since, as I -have already pointed out, shows a very substantial balance. Therefore -the present increasing prosperity is apparent at a glance. The financial -market, too, shows how Servian finances stand in Europe. - -[Illustration: The British Legation: Belgrade.] - -[Illustration: The Knes Mihajelowa: Belgrade.] - -This is no doubt due, in the first place, to the constitutional -cautiousness of King Peter. He has inspired with confidence the -financial world in Paris and elsewhere, for it is well known that he is, -before all, a constitutional ruler, and that his Government will never -be anything else than a constitutional one. Therefore, by his attitude, -he has so improved the state of Servian finance that the future -prosperity of the country is assured. - -When King Peter was proclaimed, the Servians restored their liberal -Constitution, which the late King, under the influence of his father, -had abrogated. This has opened the way to the development of the country -in every direction. There is, of course, much yet to be done. As regards -the administration of justice, several excellent reforms have been -introduced during the present reign. Dr. Vesnitch is at present -reforming the prison system, and is about to introduce, after studying -the question for fifteen years, a new and unique system. He is of -opinion that the prisoners from the towns should be separated from those -from the country, for two reasons. - -He declares that when criminals from the towns commit crimes it is in -most cases because they are not sufficiently instructed in their skilled -labour. They are bad workmen, and hence their downfall. If, however, -they were classified and instructed in the prison, they would, when -discharged, be better prepared, with the assistance of the Prisoners’ -Aid Societies, to seek an honest living. Again, the second reason is -that the influence of town-bred prisoners upon those from the country is -always an evil one, and should at all times be avoided. The Servian -Government have adopted the Minister’s point of view, and fresh prisons -are to be constructed upon that basis. - -Another reform about to be introduced by Dr. Vesnitch is that of -“conditional release.” It is intended to preserve first offenders from -the demoralising influence of prison life, and to create a good moral -influence over those who commit a crime for the first time. In a word, -the Servian project seeks to conciliate the English method with the -French Loi Beranger. - -In all the other administrations—public instruction, war, finance, and -agriculture—many other reforms have been introduced, and many are in -course of preparation. As a matter of fact, until two years ago Servia -had no University, but at present an excellent institution has been -established, the professors of which rank well with those of other -nations. - -In the department of war, a very important reform is about to be carried -out, namely, the rearmament of the artillery. This is, of course, a wide -subject, and time must elapse before the defences of the country are in -an absolutely perfect state. Suffice it, however, to say that the -Ministers of War and Finance are exerting every effort to obtain the -best weapons in France, and, at the same time, to leave the country’s -finances uncrippled. - -Recently diplomatic relations have been resumed with England, and the -Foreign Office have appointed Mr. Beethom Whitehead as Minister to -Servia. This has given great satisfaction to the Servians, for they see -in this action of England that their Government has already merited -serious consideration. The resumption of friendship with Great Britain -has been the means of greatly fortifying the Pachitch Ministry. It was -obtained through the good services of Italy and France, and especially -of the King of Italy, who, as is well known, is a great admirer of -England, in addition to being brother-in-law of King Peter. - -Servia hopes that the result of this renewed friendship will be to -combat the German advances to the East; and this, of course, is greatly -to the advantage of England. The Servians also hope that in the near -future England will see her way to minimise the evils which Lord -Beaconsfield’s policy created in the Balkans when he allowed Austria to -occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina and to monopolise Balkan trade generally. -It is probable that Lord Beaconsfield’s error was due to his fear of a -Pan-Slavonic danger, but the time is certainly now ripe for England to -assert her power and stem the German tide. - -It is within the range of possibility that ere long Russia will unite -with England, France, and Italy to take joint steps in the Balkans, and -if this is realised it will mean for Servia that her autonomy and free -development will be secured. Diplomacy is working towards this end, and -as the British Liberal Party is believed to be the protector of weak -nations, it is more than likely the hope will very soon mature. - -I have in this chapter spoken always of Austria, and not of Hungary. I -have done so because Hungary hopes for her independence, and will, if -she gains it, certainly find herself on a level with Servia. The -sympathy between the Servian and Hungarian people is historical, and it -was proved lately by the transfer of the relics of the Hungarian hero, -Racotzy, who was the greatest opposer to Austrian rule. Quite recently -Wekerle, the Hungarian Premier, said in Parliament that “the basis of -Hungarian foreign policy has been, is, and has to be, the continuance of -Servia’s friendship.” - -Hungary has always found warm friends in England on account of her -struggle for independence, and without doubt England will still support -her when the day comes. Until ten years ago it was generally thought in -Hungary that the Slav tendencies were dangerous to Hungary’s existence, -but that has now entirely changed, and instead of regarding Servia as an -enemy, they look upon her as an ally, and Germany as an enemy. - -The renewal of diplomatic relations between Servia and England will, it -is felt certain, be the means of inducing British capitalists to make -inquiry of the many and excellent openings now existing. When once -England is materially interested in the Serb countries she will have a -motive in promoting Servia’s prosperity, and in protecting her from the -German advance, as a policy which surely will be to her own advancement. - -It may be here interesting, too, if in conclusion I give a very brief -summary of the trade of Servia during 1905—the last published year—as -compared with the four previous years, as it will show the rapidly -growing prosperity under the present régime. In 1901 the exports were -65,685,653 fcs., and the imports 43,835,428 fcs.—a total of 109,521,081 -fcs.; in 1902 the total was 116,944,408 fcs.; in 1903, 118,202,666 fcs. - -For 1905 the figures were as follow:— - - 1905. 1904. Difference in 1905. - more (+) less (-) - Fcs. Fcs. Fcs. - Exports 71,996,274 62,156,066 +9,840,208 - Imports 55,600,644 60,926,406 -5,325,672 - Totals 127,596,918 123,082,472 +4,517,446 - Increase of trade 16,395,630 1,226,660 - -Thus it will be seen that the country is undoubtedly entering upon an -era of prosperity. - -By the Department of Public Instruction I was afforded facilities for -studying the educational system, and a few facts may prove interesting. -Though Servia has been a free country for less than a century, education -has already reached a very high level. It possesses a large number of -primary schools, secondary schools, and special schools, as well as a -high school in Belgrade which has lately been turned into a university. - -The name “popular schools” is given to infant schools, primary schools, -and the superior primary schools. The course in the primary schools -lasts for six years, and in the primary superior schools two years. -Children in towns are sent into the first class of primary schools at -the age of six, and in the country at seven, the school year commencing -on September 1 and ending on June 29. - -Schoolmasters on leaving the training college receive 800 dinars -(francs) per annum, and rise to 3000 dinars. Beyond this they receive an -allowance of 30 to 80 dinars a month in lieu of lodging. For 1905 I was -unfortunately unable to obtain the statistics, but I found that in 1904 -there were in Servia 1093 schools for boys and 170 schools for girls, or -1263 primary schools. There were 1349 masters and 856 mistresses, or a -total of 2205 teachers. At the end of that scholastic year there were -85,365 boys studying and 22,081 girls, a total of 107,446 scholars. -There were also five normal schools with 25 masters, and six schools for -young girls with 25 mistresses. There are also several excellent private -schools. One Protestant and one Catholic are in Belgrade, while of the -three private schools for girls two are in Belgrade and one in Nisch. - -As regards secondary schools, the course lasts eight years and is -terminable by examination. When the high school, or university course, -is ended, the students intending to become masters receive a -supernumerary place in a secondary school with a salary of 1500 dinars. -After about two years they pass the examination of professors, whereupon -they receive 2500 dinars, which is raised periodically to 6000 dinars. -The time-limit for professors is thirty years. In the secondary schools -are masters of languages and fine arts, and a very high standard of -instruction is given. The last return showed there were 4561 scholars -and 313 masters in these schools. These figures, however, do not -comprise the private gymnasiums of Alexinac and Gradiste, or the -superior schools for young girls at Belgrade and Kragooyevac. - -The special schools comprise the religious seminary, the academy of -commerce, and the schools of agriculture. The religious seminary is at -Belgrade, and the course of instruction lasts nine years. There are two -schools of male teachers, one at Alexinac and the other at Yagodina, and -also two schools for female teachers, at Belgrade and at Kragooyevac. -Here, the course is for four years. The Academy of Commerce is in -Belgrade, where a course of three years is given. There is an excellent -School of Agriculture at Kralyevo, as well as a School of Forestry and -Viticulture at Bukovo, where a three years’ course is given. - -The University, which is at Belgrade, has only recently been -established, for hitherto it was only a high school. The instruction is -of the very highest order, and without doubt it will turn out many -intellectual men in the near future. - -One afternoon I went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have audience -of M. Nicholas Pachitch, the President of the Council of Ministers and -Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. - -The Foreign Office is a great comfortable old building adjoining the -gardens of the royal palace, painted dead white, and commanding from its -windows a beautiful view over the Save and the rolling plains beyond. -The ante-chamber is a sombre, old-fashioned room, with heavy furniture, -several fine pictures, and polished floor. But I was not given long to -inspect it, for a few minutes later I was ushered into the private room -of the man whom all Servia regards as the greatest and cleverest -politician—the man who is to make the New Servia. - -I found him a quiet-mannered man, with kindly smiling eyes behind his -spectacles, his long beard and hair just silvered with grey, his voice -low, soft, and deliberate. - -In the midst of a turbulent day—for the Skupshtina was sitting and -important questions were being discussed—he received me calmly, and -though two Cabinet Ministers were waiting outside for audience, he was -cool and deliberate. His manner was charmingly polite, and after -greeting me, gave me a seat at the table beside him, and readily -answered the questions I put to him. - -“You have come here to learn about our country,” he said, smiling. -“Well, what can I tell you? You have, I daresay, heard a good deal in -England—some truth, and some facts that are untrue—facts manufactured by -the enemies of Servia! We want peace. Our tariff difficulties with -Austria are regrettable, but we cannot accept the Austrian terms. We -cannot guarantee to buy our war material and railway rolling-stock from -Austria. Because we are a small country the Austrian Empire is imposing -upon us terms which it is utterly impossible for us to accept. We must -arm our artillery with the best armament, be it Austrian, French, -German, or English. It is surely the duty of the Government to do this. -Why should we be bound to Austria in this matter? As regards England, -Servia is delighted at the resumption of diplomatic relations, and at -the appointment of Mr. Whitehead, who is a clever diplomatist, a -cosmopolitan, and who already understands us. It is now our intention to -show Europe that we are a sound nation, and by so doing we hope that -English capitalists will seek to exploit our vast mineral wealth. In -Servia there are mines in all parts—coal, iron, copper, lead, antimony, -zinc, and even gold. They only require working, and great profits must -accrue. I daresay you have seen the geological map which the Ministry of -Commerce has recently prepared. If not, I am sure Mr. Stoyanovitch, the -Minister, will allow you to see it.” - -“And the present condition of the country?” I asked. - -“Under the present rule the people have shown themselves absolutely -contented. There is an entire personal liberty which did not exist under -the late King. Our watchword is ‘Servia for the Servians.’ Our policy is -to avoid all outside complications, and endeavour to do our utmost to -develop the resources of the country.” - -“And Macedonia?” - -His Excellency smiled and shrugged his shoulders slightly. - -“Ah! Macedonia!” he sighed. “Now you have touched upon a difficult -question. The population there is mixed, it is true, and the problem -puzzles every statesman in Europe; yet my own personal opinion is that -in the course of a year or two the Powers will discover a mode of -settlement which will be found to be beneficial to all concerned.” - -“And the future policy of Servia?” - -“You can tell them in England that all Servia desires is ‘peace,’” His -Excellency answered, smiling at me through his spectacles. “This we are -doing all we possibly can to promote. His Majesty has great admiration -for the English, and the Government are ready to grant concessions for -industrial and mining enterprises to English capitalists—if properly -introduced. I can assure you that they will find in Servia excellent -returns for their investments. But inquire for yourself, and you will -find that Servia is to-day more prosperous than ever she was under the -late King. Inquire among the people, not only in Belgrade, but away in -the heart of the country where you are going. Let the people speak for -themselves, and they will tell you how far our endeavours have been -successful.” - -And then, after half an hour’s chat, during which he told me many -interesting facts, and gave me every facility to enable me to conduct my -inquiries, I rose, shook hands, and left, convinced that a Ministry -under such a clear, level-headed statesman—a really great man—could not -do otherwise than raise the country into a position of wealth combined -with respect. - -Upon every Servian’s tongue I heard the name of Pachitch, and my own -observations all showed most conclusively that he and his party, with -the concurrence of the King, are guiding Servia to peace, happiness, and -great prosperity. - -A few days later, while at luncheon at the house of Dr. Vesnitch, -Minister of Justice, I had an interview with M. Stoyanovitch, the -Minister of Commerce. He, like all the other members of the Cabinet, has -the interest of Servia deeply at heart. He is dark-haired, middle-aged, -keen, clever, and a thoroughly competent business man. Our conversation -mainly turned upon the projected railway to unite the Danube with San -Giovanni di Medua, in Albania, and so give to Russia, Roumania, and -Servia a port on the Adriatic. - -The future of Servia, he declared, depended upon this line. She must -have a direct outlet for her trade, and he prophesied that within three -years the line would be built. The cost will be about 80,000,000 francs, -or 150,000 francs per kilometre. Roughly, the length is about 500 -kilometres. He pointed out that an English company would experience but -little difficulty in obtaining a concession from the Turkish Government -to pass through Turkish territory, while a French and German company -would be prohibited. The line would be the highroad to Russia from the -south, and would be an extremely paying one, for in addition almost the -whole of the Servian imports and exports would be carried over it. - -“British capitalists would do well to inquire into it,” he said. “We -have surveyed the route, and have the complete plans at the Ministry of -Public Works. To anyone introduced by you, Monsieur N——, we should be -very pleased to show them.” - -And the Minister went into details as to the excellent results which -must certainly accrue from the undertaking and the profits which the -company would certainly make. - -Servia has undoubtedly a very big future before her, and her statesmen -are ever looking far ahead. - - - - - CHAPTER V - TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW IN SERVIA - -A retrospect—A sitting of the Skupshtina—Peasants as deputies—Servia as - an open field for British enterprise—Enormous mineral wealth—Mr. - Finney, a mining engineer who has prospected in Servia for seventeen - years, tells me some interesting facts regarding rich mines awaiting - development—No adventurers need apply. - - -Servia has, indeed, had a turbulent past. - -For centuries she has been torn by war and ground under the heel of the -oppressor. From the days of Stevan Lazarevitch, at the end of the -fourteenth century, until the revolt of the Serbs against Turkish rule -under Karageorge in 1804, the country was constantly crushed and -constantly disturbed. Karageorge declared Belgrade and the neighbouring -region the free State of Servia, which was unfortunately not -accomplished until after great sacrifices and many heroic battles. - -In 1813, however, while Russia was engaged in her final conflict with -Napoleon, the Turks again seized Servia, and Karageorge with several -other chiefs was exiled to Austria. Two years later, Milosch -Obrenovitch, with the aid of some chiefs, made another struggle for -liberty, which, thanks to the Treaty of Bucharest, was crowned with -success, and the interior autonomy of Servia thus became an accomplished -fact. - -In 1842 Alexander Karageorgevitch, the younger son of Karageorge, -ascended the Servian throne as Prince, and under his rule the government -of the country was modelled upon modern lines, and many institutions -started which aided to develop the civilisation. - -Exterior politics and the corruption of the officials by friends of the -Obrenovitch were successful in creating so much discontent that -Alexander at last abandoned the throne. Upon this, the Skupshtina, or -National Assembly, elected the aged Prince Milosch, who died very soon -afterwards. In 1861 his son, Prince Mihailo, succeeded, but in 1868 was -shot at Topschider, near Belgrade, through motives of personal -animosity. His cousin Milan, who was heir to the throne, was then in his -minority, and Servia was governed by a Regency of three persons. - -During Milan’s reign there occurred, 1876-78, the war with Turkey and -the securing of four new departments, the recognition of the -independence of Servia by the Berlin Treaty, the proclamation of the -kingdom in 1882, the unfortunate war with Bulgaria in 1885, and the -promulgation of a new constitution which, with some slight modification, -is still in force. After the abdication of King Milan, his son Alexander -mounted the throne. His unfortunate matrimonial alliance with the -ambitious Draga, who quickly assumed authority, was soon responsible for -much discontent. Life became impossible in Servia owing to the -maladministration in every department, and the army revolted, with the -tragic and regrettable result that is so well known. - -After the death of King Alexander in 1903, the Skupshtina elected the -son of Alexander Karageorgevitch as King under the title of Peter I. - -With the present political acquisitions and the progress already made in -the highroad of civilisation, Servia has already obtained a high place -among civilised nations. But, alas! as the Servian author, M. Zrnitch, -has put it, the Servians are only free in the head—Servia—and the -arms—Montenegro. The other parts of their organism are still held in -thraldom by the foreigner. - -While in Belgrade I was afforded an opportunity of visiting the -Skupshtina and being present at a somewhat heated debate. Just before my -arrival two deputies had, it was said, come to blows. All that I saw -there was most orderly, and certainly the speakers—even those in their -quaint brown peasant dress—were mostly eloquent. - -Servia badly needs a new Parliament House. The present Skupshtina is a -large bare whitewashed building with two galleries, one for the -diplomats and Press, and the other for the public. In front of a -life-sized portrait of His Majesty sits the President, keeping order -with his bell, and on either side at baize-covered tables sit the -Ministers. The benches are set in horseshoe shape, and look very -uncomfortable. The deputies consist of all classes, from the wealthy -landowner to the peasant, and all receive fifteen francs a day expenses -while the House sits. - -Plans have already been prepared for a new and handsome Parliament -House, which is to be built on a fine site behind the royal palace, and -it is believed the work will be commenced during the present year. The -sooner the National Assembly is properly housed the better, for the -present building is mostly of wood, old, rickety, and the reverse of -dignified. None are so alive to the urgent necessity of providing -comfortable quarters for the deliberations of the Skupshtina than His -Majesty himself, for it was he who explained to me what is intended. - -After the revolution of June 2, 1903, the National Assembly convoked by -the Government of the kingdom of Servia gave the country, on June 15, a -new constitution, which was ratified three days later. The Skupshtina is -composed of deputies elected directly by the people, and its members, -during their office, cannot be sued or arrested without the consent of -the Skupshtina itself—save in the case of _flagrant delit_. Besides the -“Little Skupshtina,” which carries on the government of the country, -there is also the “Grand Skupshtina,” which consists of double the -number of deputies, and which is only summoned in exceptional -circumstances, namely, to elect the King; to elect regents; to decide -the succession of the throne; to deliberate upon any modification of the -constitution; to decide upon any cession or exchange of territory; or -when the King wishes to consult them. The King alone has the right to -choose or dismiss his Ministers. - -In Servia there are 17 departments, 81 arrondissements, and 1571 -communes. At the head of each department is a prefect nominated by the -King, at the head of each arrondissement a sous-prefect, and at the head -of each commune a mayor elected by the people. - -Military service is compulsory, and the number of conscripts average -26,700 a year. The duration of service in the active army is for cavalry -and infantry two years, and eighteen months for other branches of the -service. I visited various barracks, and was afforded several -opportunities of inspecting the troops. Both officers and men seem -exceedingly smart and capable. Many of the officers had received their -military education in France, Germany, and Russia, while one artillery -officer I met had studied at Shoeburyness! - -When the defensive forces are re-armed, as they will be completely -within the next twelve months, Europe will find in Servia a very capable -and well-trained army. Every Serb is a born fighter, and no detail is -being overlooked to render Servia’s defences up to date and complete. - -Servia is not a country of great landowners. Apart from the property -held by the State, the land is almost wholly divided among peasant -proprietors. The law grants to every Servian peasant 2.8 hectares of -land, which cannot be sold to pay private debts. It is also forbidden -for cultivators to give bills of exchange. These two measures are of -great importance in preserving the land to the Servian peasant. The -country is a very rich agricultural one—perhaps one of the richest in -Europe. Yet one fact struck me as curious, namely, that in Belgrade one -cannot obtain any good milk, and all butter worth eating comes from -Budapest. There is a very great opening in Servia for dairy-farmers, a -branch of industry which, it seems, does not exist. The vines have, in -recent years, been all destroyed by the phylloxera, but they are being -rapidly replaced by the American variety. The country around the -arrondissements of Smederevo, Golubac, Ram, and Krayina are particularly -noted for good grapes and excellent wine. - -[Illustration: In “The Kalemegdan”: Belgrade.] - -[Illustration: The Market Place: Belgrade.] - -Tobacco is a monopoly of the State. It is purchased upon a tariff fixed -by special commission, and is of well-known quality and peculiarly -adapted for the manufacture of cigarettes. The departments where it is -principally cultivated are Vranya, Krayina, Nisch, d’Uzice, and -Kragooyevac, while in other parts of Servia the Turkish varieties are -grown with great success, and for aroma will compare well with the -tobacco of Albania or Kavala. Not only is sufficient tobacco grown in -Servia to supply the wants of the country, but the quantities exported -are increasing year by year. A favoured few Englishmen, and especially -diplomats in various parts of Europe—who know the excellence of the -special quality of Servian cigarettes—have them direct from Belgrade. -Cigarettes bought for export cost one-half the price they do for -consumption in Servia. - -Marmalade and _slivovitza_—an _eau-de-vie_ made of prunes—are also two -articles manufactured in Servia and largely exported, about three -million francs’ worth of the former, and two hundred thousand francs’ -worth of the latter being sent out of the country annually. - -There are immense forests in various parts of the country with a great -wealth of timber unexploited, as a glance at any good map of Servia will -show, while the sportsman will find there plenty of game of every kind, -from bear, lynx, wolf, and such-like animals, down to the quail, pigeon, -partridge, pheasant, and woodcock. The whole country teems with game, -and the only prohibitions are upon the stag, deer, chamois, and hen -pheasants. There are many sporting clubs, the chief one being in -Belgrade, where a paper is also published called _Le Chasseur_. - -Servia’s mineral wealth is well known to geologists. Gold, in diluvial -and alluvial deposits, is being worked at Timok, at Pek, and at other -places, while cinnabar is found at Avala, near Belgrade, and in the -villages of Brajici, Bare, and Donja Tresnica. At Podrinye, at Lyuta -Strana, at Zuce, at Crveni Breg, in the region of Avala, at Rudnik, at -Kopaonik, at Djurina Sreca there is lead; at Zavlaca and Kucajna, zinc; -and at Povlen, Suvobor, Cemerno, Aldinac, Majdanpek, Bor in Timok and -Rtanj, large deposits of copper. Arsenic is found in various regions, -but principally near Donja Tresnica, in the department of Podrinye; -while antimony is known to exist in the Zajaca region. Rich iron is -waiting to be exploited upon the Kopaonik, in Vlasina, Rudna Glava, -Crnajka (department of Krajina), on the Vencac, in the centre of Servia, -and on the Boranja (in Podrinye); while there is coal in places too -innumerable to mention in this work. - -All this enormous mineral wealth might well be exploited by British -capital. The Servian Government are, however, very careful to whom they -give concessions, and will not entertain, for a single moment, any -application, unless the applicant is properly introduced and can give -undeniable proof of his _bona fides_. Therefore the adventurer who -thinks he will, without capital, be able to make a “good thing” will -find himself sadly disappointed. The Government is extremely anxious to -receive _bona-fide_ proposals, and as His Majesty himself informed me, -will grant concessions, but only to firms or companies who mean serious -and legitimate business. - -The Servian State is owner of all the subsoil of its territory, and can -give what rights it thinks proper to foreigners to prospect and work. - -British capitalists would do well to make inquiries, for, from certain -information I gathered in Belgrade, I have no hesitation in saying that -great returns await those who commence serious mining operations in that -rich and inexhaustible field. - -As the future wealth of Servia will depend to a large extent on the -exploitation of her mineral resources, and as Englishmen must, ere long, -be interested in her mines—as they are in mines all over the world—a few -facts concerning the Mining Law of Servia may not be out of place here. - -The Government grants two kinds of rights to make researches, the -“simple right” and the “exclusive right.” The former is given for one -year, and may be extended to two years, and is limited to the three -communes indicated. The second lasts a year, but is renewable each year -as long as required, and it gives a right to explore over 500,000 square -metres of mining field. - -The State gives concessions for mines for fifty years upon a sufficient -number of mining-fields each of 100,000 square metres, the boundaries of -which are fixed by a special commission. To obtain a concession it must -first be proved that there are undoubted traces of minerals; that the -capital is sufficient, and a plan of the proposed works has to be -furnished. The concessionaire, after fifteen years of uninterrupted -work, becomes proprietor, but he must continue to pay the mining duties, -and of course conform to the Mining Law. - -Both the prospector and the concessionaire are obliged to work -regularly, take proper precautions for the well-being and personal -safety of their workpeople, report annually upon work executed, and -furnish each year plans for next year’s work. There must be no mining -beneath roads, water-courses, buildings, or cemeteries. - -All rights of research and all concessions are lost if the specified -work is not executed within the first year, or is interrupted without a -reason approved by the Minister, or by bankruptcy. - -The State, in order to encourage industry, favours the importation of -all machinery and material for use in mines, as well as the exportation -of the ore obtained, and gives many other advantages to the -concessionaire. - -Of late, Belgrade has been overrun with foreign concession-hunters, most -of them of the adventurer type. I met several of them in Belgrade. In my -conversation with the Ministers I quickly learnt that the Government, -fully alive to the great mineral resources of their country, and -confident in the great wealth that must in a few years accrue, will have -absolutely nothing to do with any person who comes to them without -introduction. - -In Belgrade, I repeat, the doors are closed to the irresponsible -concession-hunter, but at once open to anyone who on being introduced -can show his _bona fides_ and that he has capital behind him. - -In the course of my inquiries into the mineral wealth I had a number of -conversations with Mr. J. R. Finney, Ass. I. M. & M., an English mining -engineer who has spent seventeen years in prospecting and working mines -in Servia. - -No one knows more about mines and traces of minerals in the country than -he. - -He pointed out to me that the mineral deposits of Servia have been -worked to a very great extent from very early times, as the remains of -Roman and Venetian works prove and the enormous slag-heaps found in -various parts of the country. He himself has on many occasions found, -while prospecting, rude ancient implements, bones, etc. Of the ancient -Roman workings, copper, galena, and silver were obtained at Kopaonik; at -Rudnik, lead, silver, and zinc were mined; at Kucajna, gold, silver, -zinc, and coal, while alluvial gold is to be found all along the Pek -River, and especially where it joins the Danube. This gold has, he said, -evidently been worked down in course of time from a rich quartz reef -which is known by certain persons, including himself, to exist. - -At the Rebel copper mine, which Mr. Finney himself discovered, he found -ancient workings that had been shored up with timber, but so long ago -that the wood was petrified! Again, the wood was pine, which does not -now exist in the forests. The latter are all beeches, and it is known -that in course of long ages beeches kill the pines. At the mine in -question is an extensive copper-smelting works, and a very large -percentage of metal is obtained. All over this same district Mr. Finney -has prospected, and declares that in the mountains of Medvednick and -Povlen there are large deposits of lead, copper, silver, and antimony -all awaiting exploitation. - -Some very important copper mines and smelting works are at Maydan Pek, -and have been worked at a good profit for years, while at Bor there has -been erected a large smelting works, which are capable of producing ten -tons of copper daily. Large deposits of antimony exist, to Mr. Finney’s -knowledge, at Zajitchar and Krupanj. - -“I quite admit,” said Mr. Finney, as we were chatting, “that some mines -in Servia have not been successful. The bulk of them have been -over-capitalised. Take, as an instance, one company with £300,000 -capital, which left £20,000 for working. The consequence is that the sum -at disposal has not been sufficient to develop the mine or to work -sufficient to pay interest on £280,000. - -“Again, in many cases men unacquainted with any foreign language, or -with the customs of the country, have been sent out here to manage, and -with instructions from a board in London utterly ignorant of the -requirements of the case. As an instance of this, a certain company that -I could name sent out to Servia six managers in three years. In such a -case, with a manager dependent upon interpreters and ignorant of the -people, the price of labour and materials rises from 200 to 300 per -cent. I have known these prices to be paid. Again, there is some little -reform needed in the mining laws, and the Government would be well -advised if they compelled the communes to put the roads in better -repair. Transport is at present somewhat difficult, and if the communes -put the roads in order they would, in the long-run, greatly benefit by -the opening up of the country. Such,” Mr. Finney added, “are some of the -reasons why foreign mining undertakings in Servia have not been -altogether successful in the past. But for the future there is great -hope, and English capitalists will do well to regard Servia as a field -where good profits may easily be made.” - - ---------------------------- - - AN ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL SERVIAN PLACE-NAMES - - ALEXANDROVATZ Chief town of the arrondissement of Koznitza, - on the river of that name. - ALEXINATZ Chief town of the department of the same - name, at the junction of the Morawa with - the Morawfitz. 6000 inhabitants. Copper - mines. The monastery of Sant Stepan is in - close proximity. - ALEXINATZ Department with arrondissement of 30 - communes. - ARANGYELOVATZ Chief town of Jassenitza, department of - Kragooyevatz. 1000 inhabitants. Source of - Boukovik mineral waters. Watering-place - much frequented from May till October. - ARILIE An arrondissement of 23 communes in Oujitze, - valley of the Morawa Serbe. - ARILIE Chief town of arrondissement of that name, - department of Oujitze. - AZANJA Town in Jassenitza. 4500 inhabitants. - AZBOUKOVATZ Arrondissement of 38 communes in Podrinié. - BANIA Watering-place very frequented, in the - department of Alexinatz. Ruins of a Roman - bath and of a feudal castle. View upon - Pyramid of Rtanje, and one of the most - picturesque places in Servia. - BANIA Hot-water springs an hour from Nisch. - BANIA-YOSCHANITZA Chief town of Yoschanitza, in Kruschevatz. - BELAVIA Mineral-water springs in the arrondissement - of Yagodina. - BELIVNIA Chief town of the arrondissement of - Prokoupatz, department of Toplitza. - BIELA-PALANKA Arrondissement in Pirot of 44 communes. - BIELITZA Small tributary of the Morawa. Also name of - an arrondissement. - BLATO-LUZNITZA Chief town of Luznitza, department of Pirot. - BOGATITCH Chief town in the arrondissement of Matchva, - in Schabatz district. - BOLIEVATZ Chief town of an arrondissement in the - department of Tzrna Reka, at foot of Mount - Ratni. - BOLIEVATZ An arrondissement of the Zrnarjeka. - BRESTOVATZ Station between Nisch and Vranya. - BRZA-PALANKA Chief town of an arrondissement in Kraina, on - the Danube. - BRZA-PALANKA Arrondissement on the Roumanian frontier with - 20 communes. - DERVEN Chief town of the arrondissement of - Sverlichka, department of Kniajevatz. - Monastery of S. Arangel in the vicinity. - DESPOTOVATZ Arrondissement with 33 communes in Tchoupria. - DJEP Station between Nisch and Vrania. - DJUNIS Station on the Morawa. - DOBRA Coal-mine on the Danube between Golubatz and - Dolni Milanovatz. - DOBRITSH Arrondissement in Toplitza with 85 communes. - DOLNI DUCHNIK Chief town in the arrondissement of Zaplania, - department of Nisch. - DOLNI MILANOVATZ Chief town of the arrondissement of - Poreschka-Rieka, in Kraina, on the Danube. - Fine forests; stone and lignite in the - vicinity. - DRAGATCHEVO Name of an arrondissement of which Gutscha is - the chief town, in Tchatchak. 55 communes. - DRINA Tributary of the Save between Bosnia and the - Servian frontier. Excellent trout-fishing. - GAMSIGRAD A locality near Zaitchar. Close by upon a - plateau near Timok are most interesting - ruins of a Roman fortress. One of the best - preserved ruins in Servia. - GLEDIKJ A plateau south of Kragouievatz. - GOLEMO-SELO Chief town of the arrondissement of - Polianitza, in Vrania. - GOLIA Mountains on the frontier of Novi-Bazar. - GOLUBATZ Arrondissement of 29 communes. - GOLUBATZ Mining centre on the Danube. - GOLUBINIE Mountains in Kraina. - GORNI-MILANOVATZ Chief town of the arrondissement of Takovo - and of the department of Rudnik. 3000 - inhabitants. School of commerce. - GRDELITZA Station on the Nisch-Vrania railway, south of - Vlatchotinza. - GREATCH Station near Alexinatz, on the Belgrade-Nisch - railway. - GROTZKA Small river, which gives its name to an - arrondissement of 17 communes. - GROTZKA Town on the Danube, near Belgrade. - GRUJA Tributary of the Morawa Srbska, which gives - its name to an arrondissement of 63 - communes. - GUBEREVATZ Important traces of minerals 35 kilometres - from Belgrade. - GUTSCHA Chief town of Dragatchevo, department of - Tchatchak. Splendid pastures. - GUTSCHEVO-BORANJA Mountains in the department of Podrinie. - HASSAN-PACHA Chief town of the arrondissement of - Jassenitza, department of Semendria. 3200 - inhabitants. - IBAR Tributary of the Morawa Srbska. - IVANYITZA Chief town of Moravitza, department of - Oujitze. 200 inhabitants. Wheat-growing. - JADAR Tributary of the Drina, which gives its name - to an arrondissement of 40 communes. Chief - town, Loznitza. - KAMENITZA Chief town of the arrondissement of - Podgaratz, in Valievo. - KATSCHER Arrondissement, of which the chief town is - Rudnik. 38 communes. - KLADOVA Chief town of the arrondissement of - Kljoutscha, department of Kraina, on the - Danube. 2706 inhabitants. - KLIOUTSCHA Arrondissement, of which the chief town is - Kladova, north of the Kraina. - KNIAJEVATZ Chief town of the department of that name at - the foot of the Balkans. Growing of cereals - and a school of commerce. - KOLUBARA Tributary of the Save. Gives its name to two - arrondissements. - KOPAONIK Mountains to the south of the Dinaric Alps. - KORMAN Station ten kilometres north of Alexinatz. - KOSSMAY Mountain which gives its name to an - arrondissement of which the chief town is - Iopot, department of Belgrade. 26 communes. - KOSTLENIK Mountain in the department of Rudnik. - KOURSCHOUMLIE Chief town of the arrondissement of - Kossanitza, on the Turkish frontier. - Country noted for its wines. - KOUTSCHEVO Chief town of the arrondissement of Svidje, - on the Pek. Coal mines. - KOZIERITZA Chief town of the arrondissement of Tzerna - Gora, department of Oujitza. - KOZNITZA Watercourse and tributary of the Morawa - Srbska, which gives its name to an - arrondissement of 92 communes in the - department of Kruschevatz. - KRAGOUIEVATZ Chief town of the department of that name, - and ancient capital of Servia. Situated on - the Lepnitza. 13,000 inhabitants. Contains - a large library, a gun-factory, and - powder-magazine. Potteries and stone - quarries. Excellent wine grown here. - KRAINA Department in the north-east of Servia. Chief - town, Negotin. - KRALIEVO Chief town of the arrondissement of the same - name, department of Tchatchak. 4200 - inhabitants. Lead and iron mines. Military - school. - KROUPANIE Town in the department of Loznitza. Lead, - zinc, and antimony mines. - KRUSCHEVATZ Chief town of the arrondissement and - department of that name, with 6200 - inhabitants. Ancient residence of the Tzars - of Servia. Vine culture. - LAPOVO Junction of the railway Belgrade-Nisch with - the line to Kragouievatz. - LEBANE Chief town of the arrondissement of - Yablonitza, at the junction of the Medvedja - and Buguecka. - LEPENATZ A series of plateaux in the south-west, near - the environs of Nisch. - LEPNITZA Tributary of the Morawa, which gives its name - to the arrondissement of which Ratscha is - the chief town. 40 communes. - LESKOVATZ Chief town of an arrondissement of that name - in the department of Nisch. Monastery of S. - Radni in vicinity. Arrondissement contains - 77 communes. - LIPOVATSCHA Small river in the arrondissement of Ratscha. - LOZNITZA Chief town of the department of Podrinie. - 4000 inhabitants. School of commerce. - LUBOVIA Chief town of the arrondissement of - Asboukovatz, upon the Drina. - LUZNITZA An arrondissement with 54 communes in the - department of Pirot. - MAIDANPEK Important mining centre 30 kilometres from - Dolni-Milanovatz, on the Danube. Iron and - copper. Vast forests. - MASSOURITZA An arrondissement on the Bulgarian frontier, - department of Vrania. 43 communes. - MATSCHWA An arrondissement of 24 communes in Schabatz - district, north-east of Servia. - MIONITZA Chief town of the arrondissement of Kolubara, - department of Valievo. - MLAVA Tributary of the Danube which gives its name - to an arrondissement of which the chief - town is Petrovatz. 32 communes. - MORAWA Chief river in Servia, and by its tributary - the Morawa which rises in the Yavor - mountains, waters much territory in the - south-east of the kingdom. There is an - arrondissement of the same name in the - department of Rudnik, with 38 communes. - MORAWITZA Tributary of the Morawa which gives its name - to two arrondissements, one of 31 communes, - the chief town of which is Bania, in - Alexinatz, and the other, of which Yvanitza - is the chief town, in Oujitza, with 149 - communes. - NEGOTIN A town of 6000 inhabitants, in Kraina, East - Servia. Noted for its wines. - NISCHAVA Tributary of the Morawa, which gives its name - to the arrondissement of which Pirot is the - chief town. 65 communes. - NOVI HAN Chief town of the arrondissement of Timok, in - the Tchiprovatz Mountains, on the Bulgarian - frontier. - OBRENOVATZ Chief town of the arrondissement of Possava, - department of Valievo, on the Tamnava, near - its confluence with the Danube. 3000 - inhabitants. - OMOLJE Mountains. Highest, 3500 metres, in the - department of Pojarevatz. - ORATSCHA A town in Semendria, upon the small river - Rallya. Also the name of an arrondissement - of 14 communes. - OROPSI Mineral springs near Belgrade. - OUB Chief town of the arrondissement of Tamnava, - in Valievo. - OUJITZE Town of 8000 inhabitants in the department of - the same name. Wine and school of commerce. - OVTSCHAR Mountains near Tchatchak. Sulphur baths. - PARATCHIN Chief town of an arrondissement of that name - on the Zanitza, department of Tchoupria. - The monastery of S. Pelka is not far - distant. - PETCHENIKOTZA Town at the confluence of the Jablonitza and - the Morawa. - PETROVATZ Chief town of the arrondissement of Mlava, in - Pojarewatz. - PIROT Chief town of the department of that name in - the south-east of Servia. 14,000 - inhabitants. - PODGORATZ Mines of iron, copper, and lead, in Valievo. - Lithographic stone is quarried. - PODGORIE Arrondissement of 29 communes in Valievo. - PODRINYE A department in the west of Servia. Chief - town, Loznitza. - PODUNAVLYE Arrondissement of 25 communes in Smederevo. - POJAREVATZ Chief town of an arrondissement of that name. - 13,000 inhabitants. Mining centre. School - of agriculture. The scene of the famous - Congress of 1718. - POJEGA Chief town of an arrondissement of that name, - department of Oujitza. The arrondissement - contains 52 communes. - POLYANITZA An arrondissement on the Turkish frontier, - department of Vrania. - PORESCHKA Tributary of the Danube in a deep valley - between the Pekska and the Misosch - mountains. It gives its name to an - arrondissement of 11 communes, in Kraina. - PORTES DE FER (GYERDAP) “The Iron Gates” of the Danube, or passage - between the Balkans at the point where the - river leaves Servia. There is also a small - town of 3000 inhabitants. In the mountains - in the vicinity the wild cherry is found. - It is very rare, and is much sought after - for the manufactory of expensive furniture. - POSSAVA An arrondissement of 27 communes in Belgrade. - Also one in the department of Valievo. - POSSAVO-TAMNAVA Arrondissement of 54 communes in the - department of Schabatz. - POTSERIE Arrondissement of 34 communes, of which the - chief town is Schabatz. - PRECHILOVATZ Chief town of an arrondissement of that name - in Alexinatz. - PREILLINA Chief town of the arrondissement of the - Morawa, a few kilometres from Tchatchak. - PRIBOI Town on the railway Nisch-Vrania. - PRILIKA Mineral springs in the arrondissement of - Oujitze. - PROKOUPATZ Arrondissement of 104 communes in department - of Toplitza. - PROKOUPLIE Chief town of Toplitza and of the - arrondissement of Dobritsch. - PSCHINIE An arrondissement of 89 communes in Vrania. - RADJEVINA Chief town of Radjevo, in Podrinie, on the - Bosnian frontier. Lead mines. - RADJEVO Arrondissement of 32 communes. - RADOUYEVATZ A town on the Danube at the point where the - right bank ceases to be in Servia. - RAJAN Chief town of the arrondissement of that - name, in Alexinatz. The Monastery of S. - Roman is in the vicinity. - RALLYA Station on the Belgrade-Nisch line. Important - mining centre. Also the name of a small - river. - RAMA Arrondissement of 31 communes, of which - Veliko Graditcha is the chief town. - RASCHKA Chief town in the arrondissement of - Stoudenitza, department of Tchatchak, at - the foot of Mount Golia. - RATSCHA Chief town of the arrondissement of Lepnitza, - in Kragouievatz. Also the name of an - arrondissement of 28 communes in Oujitze. - REKOVATZ Chief town of the arrondissement of Levatch, - in Yagodina. - RESNIK Station on the Belgrade-Nisch railway. - RESSAVA Tributary of the Morawa which gives its name - to an arrondissement of 24 communes in - Tchoupria. - RIPANIE Station and mine on the line Belgrade-Nisch. - RTANIE A pyramidical mountain of 3900 metres in the - arrondissement of Alexinatz. - RUDNIK Chief town of the arrondissement of Kastcher, - department of Rudnik; also the name of a - range of mountains in the centre of Servia. - RYBAR Mineral springs in Kruschevatz. - SAVA A tributary of the Danube which joins the - latter at Belgrade. - SCHABATZ A town of 11,000 inhabitants upon the Save, - capital of a department of that name. - SCHORNIK A plateaux to the west of Oujitze. - SCHUMADIA A vast forest extending through the - departments of Belgrade and Rudnik. - SEMENDRIA Chief town of a department of that name, - situated on the Danube, with 7500 - inhabitants. Vine culture. - SIKIRITZA A station between Belgrade and Nisch. Lignite - is known to exist here in large quantities. - SIKOLIE A mining centre in the Kraina. - SLATIBOR A chain of mountains forming part of the - Dinaric Alps separating Servia and Rascie - (Novi Bazar). Also the name of an - arrondissement of 30 communes in Oujitze. - SMRDAN-BARA Excellent sulphur springs at the confluence - of the Drina and the Save in Loznitza. Very - picturesque. - SOPOT Chief town on the arrondissement of Kossmai, - department of Belgrade. - STALATZ The junction of the railway - Kruschevatz-Oujitze and the line - Belgrade-Nisch. - STANISCHITZA High plateaux in Kruschevatz. - STIG An arrondissement of 13 communes in - Pojarevatz, the chief town being - Koutschevo. - STUDENITZA Tributary of the Ibar, which joins it between - the mountains Iakowo and Radotschewo. It - gives its name to an arrondissement of 144 - communes in Tchatchak. The chief town is - Ratschka, near which is the celebrated - monastery of Tsarska Lavra, built in the - twelfth century by the orders of Krale - Stefan Nemania, who became a monk under the - name of Simeon. The monastery, in the - Slavonic style, Orthodox and Byzantine, is - entirely constructed of white marble, and - is of marvellous beauty. - SVERLICHKA Arrondissement of 40 communes, the chief town - of which is Derven, in Kniajevatz. - SVILAINATZ Chief town of Ressava, upon the river of that - name in the department of Tchoupria. - TAKOVO Arrondissement of 43 communes in Rudnik. - TAMNAVA A tributary of the Save which gives its name - to an arrondissement of 42 communes in - Valievo. - TCHAITINA Chief town of the arrondissement of Slatibor, - near the Bosnian frontier, twenty - kilometres from Mokragora. - TCHATCHAK Chief town of a department of that name, - situated upon the Morawa Serbe. 4200 - inhabitants. - TCHOPITZ Chief town of Kolubara, department of - Belgrade. - TCHOUPRIA Chief town of a department of that name, - situated upon the Morawa at its confluence - with the Kamenitza. 5200 inhabitants. - Lignite. - TEMNITCH A department with capital of the same name. - TEMNITCHKA Mountains in the south of Yagodina which give - their names to an arrondissement of 43 - communes. - TIMOK A river which rises near Biela Palanka, runs - to the north, and falls into the Danube a - little below Radouyevatz, after serving as - frontier to Servia and Bulgaria for 50 - kilometres. The name also of an - arrondissement of 20 communes of which - Novi-Han is the chief town, in the - department of Kniajevatz. - TOPLITZA A river rising in the Kopaonik mountains, and - falls into the Morawa near Nisch. It also - gives its name to a department of which - Prokouplie is the chief town. - TOPOLA A small town in Kragouievatz. 3100 - inhabitants. - TOPSCHIDER First station on the line Belgrade-Nisch. - Royal villa and gardens. Also mining - centre. The name of a small river falling - into the Save. - TRNAVA An arrondissement of 29 communes, the chief - town of which is Tchatchak. - TRSTENIK A town of 2000 inhabitants, situated on the - Morawa Srbska, in Kruschevatz. Manufacture - of millstones. Also the name of an - arrondissement of 38 communes. - TZERNAGORA A mountain which gives its name to an - arrondissement of 126 communes in Oujitze. - UMKA A town on the Save, department of Belgrade. - VALIEVO Chief town of the department and - arrondissement (of 62 communes) of the same - name. 7500 inhabitants. Lithographic stone. - Town lit by electricity by an English - concessionaire, Mr. J. R. Finney. - VARVARIN A town in the department of Yagodina. Stalatz - station. - VELIKA-LUKANIA A town at the foot of Mount Radotschina, - department of Pirot. The monastery of S. - Aranghel is near. - VELIKA-PLANA The junction of railways between - Belgrade-Nisch and Semendria. - VELIKI-POPOVITCH Chief town of the arrondissement of - Despotovatz, situated on the Retsava. - VELIKO-GRADISHTE A town at the confluence of the Pek and - Danube. 4016 inhabitants. Wheat-growing. - VERSCHKA-TCHOUKA Mountain between Novi-Han and Zaitchar. Rich - coal mines. - VIZZOTSCHKA An arrondissement in Pirot containing 26 - communes. - VLADIMIRTSI Chief town of the arrondissement of - Possavo-Tamnava, in Schabatz. - VLADITCHIN-HAN Small station on the Nisch-Vrania line. - VLASCHKA Fifth station from Belgrade, towards Nisch. - VLASSINA Chief town of the arrondissement of - Mazouritza, in Vrania, on the Bosnian - frontier. - VLASSOTINZE A town situate on the Vlassina-Vignes, in - Nisch. Also the name of an arrondissement - of 51 communes. - VRANIA Chief town of a department of that name in - South Servia, on the Nisch-Uskub line. Vine - culture. At Bania, in the vicinity, mineral - springs. - VRATCHAR Arrondissement of 20 communes in the - department of Belgrade. - WRATARNITZA A plateau to the east of Zrna-Rieka, - Bulgarian frontier. - WRNTZE Excellent mineral springs upon the road from - Kralievo to Trstenik, in the arrondissement - of Kruschevatz. - YABAR Chief town in the arrondissement of Morawa. - Abundant lignite. - YABLANITZA A river falling into the Morawa at - Brestovatz-Tchetina, and giving its name to - an arrondissement of 58 communes, - department of Toplitza. - YADAR A tributary of the Drina which gives its name - to an arrondissement of 40 communes in - Podrinie. - YAGODINA Chief town of the department of that name and - of the arrondissement of Bielitza, upon the - Constantinople road. 5000 inhabitants. - Station on the Belgrade-Nisch line. - YASSENITZA A tributary of the Morawa, which gives its - name to an arrondissement of 27 communes in - Kragouievatz. Also a small tributary of the - Medjloudje and the name of an - arrondissement of 15 communes in Semendria. - YAVOR Mountains on the western frontier of Servia. - YBAR Tributary of the Morawa Serbe, which it joins - near Kralievo. - YOSCHANITZA Small tributary of the Ibar which gives its - name to an arrondissement of 71 communes in - Kruschevatz. - YVANITZA Chief town of the arrondissement of - Morawitza, in Oujitze. 2000 inhabitants. - Cereals. - ZAGLAV An arrondissement of 51 communes, of which - Kniajevatz is the chief town. - ZAGOUBITZA Chief town of the arrondissement of Omolje, - upon the Mlava. The celebrated monastery of - S. Giorgiak is in the vicinity. - ZAITCHAR One of the arrondissements of the Zrna Rieka. - 25 communes. Also name of the capital of - the department. 7000 inhabitants. Coal - mines. - ZAPLANIE An arrondissement of 55 communes in the - department of Nisch. - - - - - BULGARIA - - - - -[Illustration: HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE FERDINAND OF BULGARIA.] - - - - - CHAPTER I - SOFIA OF TO-DAY - -At the Bulgarian frontier—A chat with M. Etienne, French ex-Minister of - War—Evening in Sofia—A city of rapid progress—Engaging peasants for - Earl’s Court Exhibition—Amusing episodes—Social life in Sofia—The - diplomats’ club—The Bulgarian Government grant me special facilities - for investigation. - - -The Orient Express—that train of dusty _wagons-lits_ which three days a -week gives communication between Ostend and the East—had just passed the -Bulgarian frontier at Tzaribrod, and my passport had been examined and -stamped by a keen-eyed little man in black. - -I was sitting in the dining-car with a very distinguished French -statesman, M. Etienne, ex-Minister of War, and we had been chatting for -several hours as the train wound through the defiles of the Servian -mountains. - -A diplomat’s wife, with four pet spaniels, on her way, I believe, from -Japan to the Turkish capital, was seated at the next table to ours. She -had ordered coffee, for which she paid with a thousand-franc French -note! The takings of the “pudding-car” of the “Orient” must be -considerable, for the _maître d’hôtel_ promptly cashed the note—nine -“one-hundreds,” some French gold, silver, and copper—and received a few -centimes as a tip! It was my first quaint experience in Bulgaria. Mark -Twain with his million-pound-note should come here. Curiously enough, I -afterwards met the diplomat’s wife in Constantinople. - -Entering Sofia from the station, the traveller is at first sadly -disappointed. The place looks dismal and half finished. There are wide -roads and boulevards laid out, with scarcely a house in them. Your cab -suddenly turns a corner. The high pointed minaret of a mosque comes into -view, and lo! you are in a wide boulevard, which would really do credit -to Brussels. You pass a many-domed building, the Cathedral, and -presently a pretty garden behind railings, and a long handsome building -with sentries at the entrance-gate—the Palace of Prince Ferdinand. You -are in modern Sofia. - -After a wash at the hotel, I went to the Palace, signed my name in His -Royal Highness’s visiting-book, and then went forth to wander in the -streets. - -It was now already dark. In the trees of the central boulevard thousands -of rooks were cawing and circling above, disturbed by the lights and -movement of the street. Men were shouting the evening newspapers in -strident voices, and one could almost imagine oneself back on the -Boulevard des Italiens at the absinthe hour, with the camelots crying -“_V’la la Presse!_” Only, in Paris, rooks do not nest in the streets, -nor do the watchmakers have twenty-four inches of space and a chair in -the windows of the smaller cafés. A walk along any of the principal -streets at once shows the Bulgar to be a fighter, for the display of -arms of all kinds, even to the modern Browning automatic pistol, is -immense. - -Here, one is really in the Balkans. The last official census gives -sixty-six Englishmen and forty-six Englishwomen in the whole of -Bulgaria. I met six only. Uniforms, upon Russian models, are -everywhere—the peaked cap, the grey overcoat, the big revolver. Men in -European dress jostle with peasants in linen blouses, round astrachan -caps, and drab blankets around them, or others in sheepskin jackets with -the wool inside, all with the inevitable round Balkan cap of astrachan. -The Turk, too, is quite at home and friendly with the Christian, and -modern progress is typified by the electric trams whizzing and clanging -everywhere. - -[Illustration: Peasants in Sofia Market Place.] - -[Illustration: The Old Mosque: Sofia.] - -Sofia is essentially a town of progress. During the past eighteen months -whole streets of new villas have sprung up upon its outskirts, and such -a rush has there lately been for building plots that our Foreign -Office—who want to build a new Legation—are unable to get any decent -site in a central position. Sofia is just now in the transition stage. -Great new public buildings and fine boulevards are springing up -everywhere. There is a beautiful new theatre, a new post office, a new -Agricultural Bank, and hosts of minor structures, all spacious and well -built, which, in themselves, show Bulgaria to be a country of rapid -advancement. - -Unlike some other Balkan countries, there seems no lack of money here. -Just now, for example, it is proposed to expend a little matter of -fourteen million francs upon roads in the Principality, and the cost of -the new market-halls and other buildings will probably be prodigious. - -But the Bulgar is essentially a thrifty person. During the past twenty -years he has transformed his capital from a wretched little Turkish town -into a really handsome city. In twenty years to come, at the present -rate of progress, it will be the Brussels of the East, for it is -modelled upon the same plan. - -Sofia is a city of quaint contrasts. Fine modern shops, where one can -obtain the latest Parisian perfumes, the latest French _modes_, or -expensive table delicacies, are hopelessly mixed up with the Turkish -stalls where sallow-faced men are squatting at work, or sitting -pensively at the seat of custom. The Sofia tradesman likes to expose his -wares, whatever they may be, in the street, for in that he still retains -the trace of the trade manners of the Turk. The pavements of the main -streets are heaped with wares—fish in barrels, meat, groceries, live -fowls, live pigs tied to lamp-posts, and among it all jostle the -passers-by. - -The broad Maria Luisa Ulitza, the Dondukoff Boulevard, or the Pirotska -Ulitza are, on a Friday, the market-day, crowded with peasants in the -most picturesque costume of all the Balkans. Until a year or two ago the -skirts and head-dresses were of white linen embroidered, but in these -modern times the women dye all their white clothes a pale blue. -Therefore they all seem to wear the same delicate shade. The married -women have their heads covered with a pale blue handkerchief, and wear a -heavy silver girdle; but the village maidens all have their hair parted -in the middle and hanging in a hundred small plaits with sequins down -their backs, while over the left ear they wear a bunch of fresh flowers, -which gives them a most coquettish appearance. The skirt is short, -always hand-embroidered, and sometimes studded with gold sequins, while -over all is worn a short jacket of sheepskin with the wool inside, -rendering them somewhat podgy. - -The men from the country, a fine tall race, wear embroidered costumes, -the jackets of dark stuff flowered in pale blue and ornamented with -hundreds of pearl buttons, tight white trousers embroidered at the -knees, and the inevitable round cap, without which no Bulgar is -complete. - -I spent one amusing morning with Mr. James Bourchier, the well-known -Balkan correspondent of the _Times_, who is six months each year -resident in Sofia. He was on the local committee of the Balkan -Exhibition at Earl’s Court while I was on the London committee, and our -mission was to discover in the market some good-looking peasant girls to -go to the wilds of West Kensington. He had already been to several -villages, but the girls, he said, were rather chary of going so far from -home, even though assured by their local Mayor of their well-being and -safe return. - -On the particular day of our visit to the market my journalistic friend -had arranged to meet the Mayor of one of the neighbouring villages—a -peasant—and with his aid try induce some of the best-looking girls to -grace the Bulgarian Section of the Exhibition. The village Mayor being -prevented from joining us, we determined to start upon a voyage of -discovery ourselves. - -It was a rather formidable undertaking. We, however, spent an amusing -morning; but though we talked with many comely girls with flowers in -their hair, we somehow were unable to impress any of them with the -advantages of a free trip to London. Unfortunately, they did not take -us at all seriously; there was a good deal of tittering at our -proposals, and the market with its vegetables, its sucking-pigs on -strings, and its turkeys tied head downwards on cross-sticks, was -drawn blank. We could only hope that next Friday, with the presence of -the confidence-inspiring Mayor, we might be more successful. - -[Illustration: - - HIS EXCELLENCY DR. DIMITRI STANCIOFF, - Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs. -] - -As a matter of fact, a few days later, accompanied by my friend, M. -Dimitri Stancioff, of the Commercial Department of the Ministry of -Foreign Affairs, and M. Mandersheff, another functionary from the same -Ministry, we took carriages out to the picturesque village of Vladaja, -some seventeen kilometres from Sofia on the broad highroad that leads to -Kustendil and Macedonia. The drive was a delightful one in the bright -winter sunshine, through a fertile undulating country, until, turning -off from the well-kept military road, we found ourselves in a small -village lying in a deep dark ravine. - -Here the costumes were very quaint and interesting, the men in long -blouses of white blanket-like woollen stuff trimmed with black, raw-hide -shoes, and their legs bound with leather thongs; while the women and -girls wore gay colours, short lace-edged petticoats, and quantities of -gold sequins and coins about their necks. Some of those strings of coins -were worth at least from fifteen to twenty pounds. - -Our journey of investigation was distinctly humorous. Sometimes the four -of us could not agree as to the personal beauty of a fair candidate for -the approbation of the British public, while those we spoke to were -mostly shy to answer our questions. Many of the village girls flatly -refused to leave their homes unless their lovers were also employed in -the Exhibition, but after much explanation, a good deal of chaff, and -considerable giggling, the names of several were taken in order that -inquiries should be made of the village Mayor before the presentation -and signature of their agreement, which provided for their fare to -London, the payment of their wages, their insurance for the benefit of -their family in case of accident, and their safe return to Bulgaria at -the termination of the Exhibition. - -We engaged one flute-player—a tall, dark-faced young giant in -sheepskins—after he had displayed his aptness with his instrument. The -local _han_, wherein we rested, drank _rakhi_, and ate cream-cheese, was -a big common room with earthen floor. In the centre was a large stove, -upon which was cooking some steaming dish with appetising odour. Around -us sat dozens of huge burly fellows, bulky in their sheepskins, -gossiping and drinking wine, a fierce-looking assembly, to be sure, and -yet withal extremely good-humoured. - -After a while, the village musician was discovered, a short little -fellow who played a quaint kind of two-stringed violin, and almost as -soon as he sounded the weird, plaintive music, young girls with flowers -entwined in their long plaited tresses, and others, slightly older, with -the white handkerchiefs on their heads—the badge of matrimony—came -trooping forth to perform for us the national dance—the _horo_. - -Forming in a line, the youths and maidens crossed arms, linked their -hands in each other’s belts, and then began a curious kind of dance, -keeping step with the music and ever advancing and retreating, keeping -it up for a full half-hour. Now and then the tune was changed, and with -the tune the dance. - -In the clear Eastern afterglow of evening, with the thin crescent moon -slowly rising, it was a quaint and curious scene. The weird music, the -strange costumes, the cries of the dancers, and the merry laughter of -the girls, will long live within my memory as a picture worthy the brush -of a great painter. - -And as we drove back to Sofia through the silent, starlit night, I -wondered what impression those simple-minded folk, so far removed from -Western civilisation, would receive of our fairy-lamps, pasteboard, -tinsel, imitation mountains, brass bands, and water-chute at Earl’s -Court! - -What would be the stories of their adventures in West Kensington and the -wonders of London when they returned to remote Vladaja? - -I had, like every other Englishman, always regarded Bulgaria as a _terra -incognita_, where local manufactures were absent and where most goods -were imported. Therefore a surprise awaited me one day when Monsieur M. -V. Lascoff, Director of the Bulgarian Commercial and Industrial Museum -at Sofia, took me round that institution, and showed me specimens of the -various goods produced in the country. In the museum was a most -wonderful collection of articles representing the manufactures of -Bulgaria, ranging from violins to soap, and from table-covers -manufactured from beautifully embroidered jacket sleeves to writing-ink -and tinned fruits. - -One of the prominent industries is the distillation of otto-of-roses in -the Shipka district, where in summer the whole country is covered with -blossom, an industry to which I will devote a chapter. Carpets, very -similar to the dark crimson-and-blue Persian varieties, and goat-hair -floor-coverings are made largely by the peasantry, who also weave by -hand wonderfully fine gauzes, tissues, and dress-stuffs. Felt hats, -blankets, pottery, and copies of antique filigree jewellery are also of -peasant manufacture, and are really wonderfully done. The stranger has -no idea, until shown this museum, of the rapid progress the country is -making commercially. - -While passing round the museum I chanced to admire two pairs of very -fine antique silver earrings of rare design worn by the Bulgarian -peasants two centuries ago, whereupon the case was at once opened, and -they were presented to me as a little souvenir of my visit. - -Sofia, being a brand-new city, is not, of course, quite perfect. It -requires, among other things, a good system of drainage and the -repavement of its streets. The latter work is to be commenced in a few -months’ time. A good first-class hotel, too, is also badly required. At -present the hotels, though clean, are poor and comfortless, and neither -they nor the restaurants do credit to the go-ahead character of the -progressive Bulgarians. All this, however, will soon be remedied, for I -heard of schemes for new hotels with fine restaurants and -winter-gardens. So in six months’ time the traveller may expect to be in -the full enjoyment of them, for in Sofia they do not talk, but act. - -If you are anywhere in the Balkans and mention Sofia, you will be told, -with a sigh of regret, “Ah! they have a club there. We haven’t.” I had -heard this in Belgrade, in Sarayevo, in Ragusa, in Cettinje—in fact, -everywhere throughout the Balkans; therefore, with some curiosity I -entered the sacred portals of the much-talked-of club with my friend -Colonel Hubert du Cane, the British military attaché, and was elected a -member during my stay in the Bulgarian capital. - -It certainly is a most excellent and comfortable club—one of the best I -know of on the whole of the Continent. The rooms are cosy and artistic, -and the members are most diplomats, Cabinet Ministers, and high -functionaries of the State. At lunch, representatives of most of the -European Powers assemble at the long table and chat merrily, while at -dinner, at the small table at the end, M. Petkoff,[1] the Premier; Dr. -Dimitri Stancioff, the Foreign Minister; and several other members of -the Cabinet, dine nightly at “the Ministers’ table.” - ------ - -Footnote 1: - - M. Petkoff has, since the present work has been in the press, been - assassinated while walking in the Boris Garden in Sofia. - ------ - -The food is excellent, though there are, of course, some grumblers, and -the whole institution is conducted on similar lines to a first-class -London club. Perhaps the custom of personally introducing the stranger -to every single member of the club strikes the foreigner as a little -unnecessary, yet without doubt there is real good-fellowship existing, -such as is entirely absent in some other clubs I know—the English Club -in Brussels and the Florence Club in Florence, in particular. - -Men, and especially the diplomats, find it a very great boon, for to go -to Sofia is to find a real good club and quite a host of good -cosmopolitan friends ever ready to show the stranger all kinds of -hospitality. - -Social life is far from dull. Sport and games of every kind are most -popular. There is an excellent tennis club, hockey is played three or -four times a week, and large riding parties, personally conducted by -Baron Rubin de Cervin, the Italian military attaché, go out for long -jaunts into the neighbouring mountains several times each week. Then at -night there are constant dinners and receptions at the Legations, and -everyone seems to lead a very pleasant life, without a moment’s dulness. - -[Illustration: - - HIS EXCELLENCY D. PETKOFF, - Prime Minister of Bulgaria. -] - -Lady Buchanan, wife of Sir George Buchanan, the British Minister, is the -principal hostess, and with her daughter is foremost in Sofia society. -Until ill-health prevented her recently, she was an ardent player of -hockey and tennis, and constantly in the saddle. Her entertainments are -always brilliant, and in her pretty salon one meets everyone who is -anyone in Sofia. - -Again, the Military Club is another centre of social life. The building -is a handsome one, with an extremely fine ballroom, where dances, given -every week through the season, are attended by the elite of Sofia. I -went to one, and found it a particularly gay and brilliant function. - -Government institutions in Sofia amazed me. They would do credit to any -European capital. The Agricultural Bank, the inner working of which I -was permitted by Monsieur N. Ghenadieff, Minister of Commerce, to -inspect, is a fine new building of huge dimensions, with a beautifully -ornamented board-room, and its operations no doubt tend much towards -securing the public prosperity of Bulgaria. M. Seraphimoff, the -Governor, who conducted me round, told me that the bank had its origin -in the time of the Turkish rule. As far back as 1863, the Governor of -the _vilayet_ of the Danube created small banks in order to aid the -peasants, the villagers repaying their loans in crops and the banks -selling the produce. - -During the Russo-Turkish War, however, many of these banks lost their -capital, for the Turkish functionaries escaped with all the funds they -could place their hands upon. The Provisional Russian Government -re-established the banks, and they have continued to progress until the -present institution was founded. It now has eighty-five branch offices -in the principal towns and agents in most of the villages. Its direction -is under a governor and four directors nominated by Prince Ferdinand. -The operations of the institution are as follows: to accept deposits; to -grant loans on mortgages or securities; to grant loans upon cattle and -agricultural produce; to advance money to the peasants for the purchase -of cattle, seeds, or agricultural implements; to make personal loans; to -open current accounts with peasants; to buy agricultural implements, -seeds, and machinery for the peasants; to accept loans for departments -or communes; and for the transfer of securities. The interest charged or -given is 5 per cent. for deposits for five years, 4 per cent. for three -years, and 3 per cent. for one year. In 1901 the amount of the bank’s -operations was 535,575,182 francs, while in 1905 it amounted to -1,180,778,378 francs, thus showing how greatly it is appreciated by the -peasant, and of what enormous benefit it is to the country. - -While there, I saw many uncouth peasants in their sheepskins from -far-distant villages come and obtain loans, repay their interest, or -make petition for their inability to pay. It is very apparent that all -of them greatly appreciate the fact that the Government is their -creditor and not the Jews. - -Another institution which I inspected was the State printing press, a -fine building containing the latest machinery; and afterwards I was -shown the building of the magnificent new church of St. Alexander -Newsky, which, being constructed in blocks of white stone just behind -the old church of St. Sophia, is costing over three million francs, and -is to be in memory of the Russian liberator of Bulgaria. - -Truly, everywhere one turns in Sofia one sees some new buildings, for -signs of rapid progress and up-to-dateness are on every hand. - -Bulgaria, with Servia, is surely destined to expand in the near future, -and the “big Bulgaria” must some day ere long be an accomplished fact. - -[Illustration: The Royal Palace: Sofia.] - -[Illustration: The Main Boulevard: Sofia.] - - - - - CHAPTER II - BULGARIA AS A FIELD FOR BRITISH - ENTERPRISE - -Audiences of members of the Bulgarian Cabinet—Dr. Dimitri Stancioff, - Minister for Foreign Affairs, the coming man of Bulgaria—His - policy—Facts about the mineral wealth and mining laws—Advice to - traders and capitalists by the British Vice-Consul in Sofia—Our - methods as compared with those of other nations. - - -One of the objects of my observations being to point out where British -capital can, with advantage and security, be employed in the Balkans, I -made, while in Sofia, very careful and exhaustive inquiry. - -Information was given me by the late Premier, M. D. Petkoff; the new -Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Dimitri Stancioff; and by M. -Ghenadieff, the Minister of Commerce, who was also interesting himself -very actively in the Balkan Exhibition at Earl’s Court. To these three -members of the Bulgarian Cabinet, and to His Royal Highness Prince -Ferdinand himself, I have to acknowledge my thanks for placing all -information at my disposal. The Minister for Foreign Affairs deputed his -cousin, Monsieur D. M. Stancioff, of the Commercial Department of the -Ministry, to accompany me everywhere and explain everything. I was given -a perfectly free hand to go when and where I liked, and, as His -Excellency put it, “to see Bulgaria just as I pleased.” - -The Bulgarians are nothing if not thoroughly businesslike. I was -particularly requested by the Ministers not to paint the country in -_couleur de rose_. One member of the Cabinet said, as I stood in the -corner of the ballroom of the Military Club one night, “We would like -the English to know exactly what they can find in Bulgaria, and how we -shall treat them. Don’t flatter us, and cause English capitalists to -expect too much. We have good paying investments for them—if they will -only come here.” - -I took a good deal of trouble in going very minutely into this very -important question, and found the Government ready and eager to give -every facility to British capitalists to exploit the great mineral -wealth in their country. The mining laws are just, and extremely -favourable to secure absolute rights to those who invest. The Government -have established in Sofia a Mining Department under the Ministry of -Commerce, where specimens of ore may be seen, and where every -information can be obtained. By the courtesy of M. T. Michailowsky, the -able Director of this Department, I was afforded an opportunity of -inspecting the various collections, and was given much information of -intense interest. - -It seems that up to the present time the Government have given -thirty-one concessions, mostly to French, Russian, Belgian, and Italian -capitalists. Of these, sixteen are for coal, four for copper, two for -manganese, two for iron, two for lead, two for zinc, and one for -oil-bearing minerals. There are no English companies in Bulgaria at -present, but I was informed by the Minister of Commerce that the -greatest attention would be paid to any serious application from -England. There are known to exist in the district of Bourgas, on the -Black Sea, very rich copper deposits, also in the Vraza district, and in -Belogradjik, near the Danube. - -Two kinds of “permits for research” are granted by the Government. The -first—a general one to search in any part of Bulgaria—is given free, but -with a personal guarantee that any damage done will be made good. The -second is a permit for a special place, which must not be of greater -extent than 8,000,000 square metres, and for this is charged eighty -francs. This lasts for two years. After this time, if a concession is -desired, the Department make inquiries in order to see if the proposed -mine bears sufficient to justify its working. This having been -decided—which takes about a month, or at most two—the Prince issues a -decree, and the concession is granted for ever. No deposit is required, -but the Government takes, for each hectare, three francs per annum for -coals, and four francs per annum for minerals. They also tax the output -at the rate of one per cent. Machinery and material enter the country -free of duty, and as far as I was able to judge, the Bulgarians make -excellent workmen, being very sober, industrious, and obedient. At -present, however, there is large emigration, for there is not sufficient -work for the four and a half millions of people in the country. - -[Illustration: HIS EXCELLENCY N. GHENADIEFF, Bulgarian Minister of -Commerce.] - -One colliery is worked by the Government at Pernik, and this supplies -the railways, the city of Sofia, and the many industrial enterprises -with about 200,000 tons of excellent coal yearly. All the other mines -are just starting to work, and show prospects of splendid profits. - -The copper mine at Vraza, which is exploited by Monsieur Maurocordato of -Constantinople—who has invested about 600,000 francs—has, in two years, -repaid itself, thus showing that there are mines in Bulgaria, and very -rich ones indeed. - -All the concessions already granted show great futures, but -unfortunately, with the exception of the Vraza enterprise, the -concessionaires lack capital. - -The Bulgarian Mining Law is a very liberal one, being an exception to -the laws of most other countries, for it has been drawn up specially to -induce the investment of foreign capital, as well as to secure the -interests of shareholders. The people of Bulgaria are not rich enough to -exploit their mines themselves, and for that reason the mining industry -of the country must of necessity be in the hands of the foreigner. - -When making my inquiries, M. R. S. Kossef, Director of the Commercial -Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was most particular that -I should say nothing that was not absolutely true regarding the mines. -“We do not wish to attract capitalists to Bulgaria by means of -advertisement,” he said. “We wish them to know that they will here find -a good return for their investments, and that if they exploit our mines, -we, on our part, will treat them justly—even generously.” - -Besides minerals, Bulgaria is extremely rich in mineral springs—the one -at Banki, seventeen kilometres from Sofia, being about to be exploited -this year, when a very handsome bath establishment and hotel are to be -constructed. The source is situated in the valley beneath the Lubin -mountain, and an automobile service is to be established with Sofia. -This spring gives 1200 litres a minute, and has been pronounced by a -number of first-class authorities in Germany and France to be a water -almost unexcelled in Europe. Other springs abound all over the country, -and so important are they, indeed, that the Government have issued a -large coloured map of them. - -In Sofia itself, close to the old mosque, are well-known sulphur baths. -There is a project for building a bath establishment, but to do so it -would mean the pulling down of the mosque in question. The Turks would -not object so much if a new mosque could be built, but it seems that the -difficulties of construction are very great, so for the present the -matter remains in abeyance. - -In the whole of Bulgaria over two hundred thermal and mineral springs -are known, and they are situated in eighty different districts. The -department of Sofia alone contains twenty-three, the warmest being at -Dolna-Banja. The more important of the others are at Kniajevo, Gorva, -Banja, and Pantcherevo. Then there are the renowned warm springs at -Verschetz, in the department of Vratza, while in the department of -Plovdiv (Philippopoli) there are more than forty springs, the principal -of them being at Hissar. This, perhaps the most reputed in all the -Orient, is situated in the valley of Tchepino, in the centre of the -Rhodopes Mountains. At Lidji, near Bourgas, and at Sliven, there are -establishments on the latest modern principle. Another which is being -actively exploited is the waters of Meritchteri, in Stara-Zagora, which -are declared by analysts to be quite equal to those of Carlsbad, and -which are believed to have a great future before them. Dr. Ernst Hintz, -of Wiesbaden, has written a book upon these particular waters, and has -given exhaustive analyses. - -[Illustration: Early Morning in Sofia.] - -[Illustration: On the road to the Shipka.] - -There are also minor waters in the town of Kustendil and in dozens of -other villages and towns all over Bulgaria. - -Again, to encourage intending pioneers of new branches of industry, it -is interesting to note that the industries in actual existence are -making great progress. The numerous spinning mills and cloth factories -in Eastern Roumelia have been enlarged, while the Varna Cotton Mill, -whose headquarters are in Manchester, employs nearly seven hundred -hands, and in 1905 paid a dividend of 10 per cent. - -As regards British trade in Bulgaria, the attention of the English -manufacturer has been repeatedly drawn, in trade reports from the -Consulate in Sofia, to the energetic measures adopted by foreign -competitors to secure the Bulgarian market for themselves. As Germany’s -rivalry is by far the most formidable, it may be well to briefly -illustrate the methods by which that country is steadily absorbing the -trade of the Near East, as explained to me by Mr. Toulmin, British -Vice-Consul in Sofia. Not only do the principal German importers have -capable agents established in the more important towns throughout -Bulgaria to push the sale of their goods, but they also send at regular -intervals experienced travellers who thoroughly investigate the -commercial condition of the country in its various trade centres, take -note of the wants and requirements of the population, and enter into -direct relations with the retail trader. They are, moreover, instructed -to do business at any cost, and are authorised to give credit for a year -or even longer. By their readiness to accept the smallest order, by -scrupulously adhering to conditions and specifications, and by strictly -supplying goods according to sample approved, German importers are now -reaping the fruits of a painstaking and methodical commercial policy, -which menaces even Austria-Hungary’s hitherto unassailed supremacy. The -importance, therefore, of sending out to Bulgaria representatives with -some knowledge of French or German cannot be too strongly impressed on -British manufacturers. It may be well to mention that a gentleman, -representing a well-known Birmingham firm dealing in hardware, called at -the Consulate at Sofia a few months ago, and expressed himself as highly -satisfied with the result of his fortnight’s business tour in Bulgaria. - -By the employment of commercial travellers, the translation of their -catalogues, if not into Bulgarian, at any rate into French or German, -the use of the metric system of weights and measures, the conversion of -sterling into francs and centimes, and by giving longer credit—by these -means only can British merchants hope to compete successfully with their -foreign rivals. - -[Illustration: The Bulgarian Sobranje.] - - - - - CHAPTER III - WILL BULGARIA DECLARE WAR? - -A sitting of the Sobranje—Declarations by the Prime Minister and Dr. - Stancioff—The new Minister of Foreign Affairs—A sound progressive - government—Strong army and firm policy—Will the deplorable state of - Macedonia still be tolerated?—Ominous words. - - -It was a bitterly cold November evening when, accompanied by Sir George -Buchanan, I entered the Sobranje, or Bulgarian Parliament, to hear the -Ministerial statement upon the future policy of Bulgaria and her -attitude towards Turkey. - -A great high-roofed square chamber, enamelled entirely in white and -picked out with gold. At one end a high, red-carpeted daïs with the -throne, behind which hung a full-length portrait of Prince Ferdinand. -Upon an escutcheon above, the Bulgarian lion on a crimson shield. Below -the empty throne, a long red-covered table, where sat the President, a -short, grey-haired little man, who from time to time rang a musical -gong; and in the arena, on a scarlet carpet, rows of horse-shoe benches -half filled by deputies. On the right, at a table placed at an angle, -sat the Ministers. First was Monsieur Petkoff, the Prime Minister, the -most prominent man in Bulgaria, and who has, alas! since shared the fate -of his friend the late Stambouloff; next Dr. Stancioff, the newly -appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs; the Minister of War in a dark -blue uniform with a white cross at his throat; and the Ministers of -Justice, Commerce, and Finance. - -Above, around three sides of the huge white-and-gold hall, the galleries -were crowded by the public, while over all big arc lamps shed their -white brilliancy. With us in the diplomats’ gallery sat the Prince’s -confidential secretary, M. Dobrovitch, the German Minister, the -representatives of Turkey and Roumania, Colonel H. du Cane, the British -military attaché, and numbers of other diplomats. - -The House was silent. Every ear was strained to catch the Premier’s -words, for it was he who was now speaking. A rather short, grey-bearded -figure, just past the prime, whose left hand as he gesticulated only -showed a stump. He lost it at the Shipka, and as patriot and politician -he was leader of his party—a party of progress, that has been four years -in power with an overwhelming majority. - -For the past four hours he had been speaking fluently, easily, without -interruption, forecasting the future policy of Bulgaria—the policy which -is designed to lead the country to prosperity. Bulgaria had long waited -for this, and every word was now being listened to with rapt attention. - -On those benches below sat representatives of the people, men of every -class—lawyers, shopkeepers, peasants in their white linen or brown -homespun suits, and even Turks. Surely this Sobranje is essentially a -representative gathering. - -Now and then came a spontaneous outburst of applause, very marked when -the Prime Minister dwelt upon the cordial relations with Roumania and -their identical aims with regard to Macedonia. Everyone applauded—all -save one little section of benches on the extreme left—a mere handful of -men—the Opposition. So small are they that they really do not seem to -count. Nobody took any notice of them. With their backs to the holy ikon -of burnished gold and highly finished religious pictures, they sat -facing the Ministers, who were, of course, ever confronted by the emblem -of their faith. - -[Illustration: GEN. MICHAEL SAVOFF, Bulgarian Minister of War.] - -This speech, being in Bulgarian, was kindly translated to me by M. -Dobrovitch, the Prince’s private secretary. He said— - -“To-day neither the Macedonian people nor Bulgaria nor Turkey are the -same states which they were fifteen years ago. In consideration of the -solution of the Macedonian question, we have to reckon with several -factors. The most important of them is that we ought to be ready at a -moment’s notice. We have to be strong! Europe acts and reforms in -Macedonia. No Bulgarian Government can foresee what to expect or how the -events will develop themselves. We must try to be one of the arbitrary -factors in the solution of the Macedonian question, and therefore we -must be armed. We have no intention of annexing Macedonia, but we wish -to better the positions of our compatriots. It is in the interest of -Turkey to reform Macedonia and to shake off all exterior influence. When -even Roumania arms herself for a few countrymen, ought we not also to -arm? We are only a small nation, but in order to be safe we ought to -have a strong army. It is said that such an army would be a luxury. That -would be only the case, then, if we could not help ourselves without -assistance. It is our duty to keep an army ready, for it is only in so -doing that we shall be considered of any consequence when the solution -of the Macedonian question arrives. A weak country is of no importance. -Such a country only serves as a toy for others. - -“With regard to her culture, agriculture, and her politics, Bulgaria is -to-day in a different condition than heretofore. Though we do not -acknowledge any progress, other countries see that Bulgaria has made in -twenty years a very great progress and that she still is developing in -large strides. We possess in the Balkan Peninsula a very important -point, where many interests join. The most important, however, is to -hope and to rely on our own strength.” - -Dealing with the foreign policy of Bulgaria, the Prime Minister said— - -“They tell us that Bulgaria has no friends. On the contrary, we possess -the friendship of all States. Our relations with other nations are not -at all the same as we found them in the beginning. No unimportant -_contretemps_ can disturb our relations with Russia. I am in the -position to proclaim that Bulgaria possesses the sympathy of all other -nations. The fact that our commercial contract with Austria-Hungary is -not yet signed does not say that our relations with each other are not -friendly. Even the two parties of that country are not on good terms, -and they cannot decide the contract. M. Todoroff has said that our -relations to Turkey are rather strained. That is not true: it is the -most difficult thing to enter into any contracts with Turkey. In spite -of those difficulties, we have signed some smaller contracts. It is also -said that Servia has been playing with us, in not showing us the tariff -unions of the Skupshtina. Now, Servia is under pressure from -Austria-Hungary, and at the time that this proposition was brought -before the Skupshtina it could not be carried by a majority of two -votes. That was not sufficient for us. Servia began to export her goods -_viâ_ Varna, and up to to-day no fewer than 4000 waggons of corn have -been exported _viâ_ Varna. Is that no success for our railways? - -“Our relations with our neighbours are formed on a purely economical -basis. We mean to further our industry! But this economical basis has -nothing to do with the great and pressing Macedonian question. We only -wish to keep up friendly relations with Roumania. We try to keep our -relations with our neighbours in order, and we count upon success. In -which way shall we reach this success? That surely is our own affair! I -have finished. You see that our policy is a policy of peace. However, -remember that peace can only be protected with arms in the hand, -therefore we wish to enlarge our army. In case we have to incur expenses -for our army, we shall ask them from you without embarrassment. You may -call that bravado on our part, but we shall still do our duty; for peace -to-day means an armed peace. Led by a policy of peace, we shall try to -keep up good relations with all the nations, and we shall do everything -possible to render assistance to our brethren in Macedonia. We shall not -court war, for that might cost us our liberty. You think we are ready to -draw our swords, you believe we want to deliver Macedonia through a war? -I tell you that we only want to continue our former policy and walk on -with courage.” - -The Prime Minister, with a final wave of his maimed hand, resumed his -seat amid a loud outburst of applause from both deputies and the general -public in the long galleries of the great white-and-gold Chamber. Only -we, in the diplomats’ gallery, were silent—with the Opposition, of -course. - -[Illustration: - - His Excellency L. PAYACOFF, - Bulgarian Minister of Finance. -] - -[Illustration: - - SIR GEORGE BUCHANAN, - British Minister at Sofia. - - _Photo_] [_Elliott & Fry._ -] - -The sitting was a historic one in the annals of Bulgaria, and ere the -applause had died away, the President, on the red-carpeted platform, -rang his gong violently, and called upon the newly appointed Minister of -Foreign Affairs to make his declaration upon Bulgaria’s future policy. - -Dr. Stancioff, who until recently was Bulgarian diplomatic agent in St. -Petersburg, rose from his seat at the Ministers’ table—a dark, -good-looking, middle-aged man—a trifle nervous perhaps at addressing the -Chamber for the first time in his new position. - -A dead silence followed. Bulgaria awaited the statement with breathless -eagerness. They had heard the Premier’s declaration regarding Macedonia. -What would the Foreign Minister say? - -The blue-uniformed attendants took up their positions against the dead -white panelling of the Chamber, lending the necessary colour to complete -the picturesqueness of the scene, while the great arc lamps hissed above -as they shed their bright white light over the rows of deputies upon the -horseshoe benches. On the wall, straight before the Ministers’ table, -the burnished gold of the holy ikon shone to remind them of their duty -to the Almighty and to the nation. For a few moments all was silent. - -Then Dr. Stancioff, the new man of Bulgaria, cleared his throat, and in -Bulgar made the following clear, deliberate, and concise statement, of -which the following is a translation. It is, as will be seen, a direct -pronunciation of foreign policy—a firm policy, which may very probably -mean war with Turkey at a no distant date. Indeed, war is in the air in -Bulgaria, and over the Macedonian question may come at any moment; -therefore the Minister’s actual words may, with advantage to the future, -be repeated here. - -He said— - -“Gentlemen, the Minister President has just given an ample exposition of -the policy the Government has followed up to the present moment, and the -course which it has marked out for itself for the future: on this point, -therefore, there is but little left for me to say, as a member of this -Government, and as one who is willing to bear the responsibility of his -acts before this honourable Assembly. - -“Under these circumstances, if I speak, it is chiefly that my silence -may not give rise to misinterpretation, and in order to underline the -words my colleague has said. - -“Without doubt, you remember, gentlemen, that I have held the post of -Foreign Minister only a few days, and I am under no obligation to enter -into any explanation of the policy followed before my nomination, and on -the debates, interpellations, and the opinions that it has called forth. -Therefore I shall limit myself to saying a few words on the policy that -we are going to follow for the future. - -“There are two questions I wish to discuss. Firstly, our relations with -the Great Powers; and secondly, what is to be our policy in regard to -what I must call the question of questions—Macedonia. - -“First of all, I am glad to be able to state that our relations with the -Great Powers are of the best. - -“This fact is always being confirmed by the notifications which we -receive from abroad. - -“By the line of peaceful development which she has traced for herself, -and which she has never ceased to pursue, by the honourable manner in -which she fulfils all her international engagements, and by the clear -comprehension which she has of her position in the Balkans, Bulgaria is -gaining more and more the sympathy and esteem of the Great Powers. - -“It would be superfluous to mention in detail our relations with each -separate State. Nevertheless, I wish to point out the happy fact that as -to what concerns our relation with Russia—the Liberating Power—they are -what they ought to be when one considers the ties which bind us to her, -when one considers the ties which unite the two Slav people, and when -one considers all that Bulgaria owes to Russia. Our relations with -Russia are of the best, and it will always be the Government’s endeavour -to render them even more cordial. - -“Economic as well as political considerations bind us to -Austria-Hungary. These interests compel us to maintain relations as -cordial as possible with this Great Power. - -“Our friendship with Germany, England, France, and Italy is dear to us. -We greatly appreciate the sympathy of which these countries have given -us so many proofs, and it will be our care, guided by the interests of -our country, to consolidate and ameliorate these relations. - -“As regards our relations with the neighbouring States, I assert that -those with Roumania are, as they ought to be, the best and the most -cordial. We appreciate at its true value our sincere friendship with -Roumania, and it will be our task to preserve it. - -“Our relations with Servia are good. We desire to cultivate a -neighbourly policy with this State. It is a policy suited to two sister -nations, and we shall cultivate it in accordance with the point of view -that Bulgaria has cultivated for so long. I may add that, to gain this -end, we shall do all that is in our power. - -“As to our relations with Montenegro, it suffices to say that ancient -sympathies, the reciprocity of which has never been denied, bind us to -this State. Our sympathies perpetuate the nature of these relations with -our valiant sister nation, and assure us that they can only be good and -cordial. - -“From a diplomatic point of view, our relations with Greece are good and -normal; the regrettable incidents which took place last summer in -certain portions of our country belong to the Department of the -Interior. They are, so to speak, a family matter; they cannot, and must -not, be allowed to darken relations between the two countries, who in -their common interests will guard against a modification so undesirable. - -“There only remains for me to speak of our relations with Turkey. - -“I will be brief, though I could speak at great length upon this -subject. - -“Our relations can only be good, or sincerely good. At the present -moment they are only ‘good.’ Before they can become ‘sincerely’ good it -is necessary that the two countries should be convinced not only of the -utility of friendly relations, but also that their interests, political -and economic, demand other relations than those that exist at the -moment. As regards ourselves, who take this matter at its true -valuation, it will be our task to do our utmost to prove to Turkey that -we justly estimate these interests, and are prepared to pursue a sincere -policy, provided that, on her side, she gives us pledges of her -reciprocity. - -“You will be able to estimate what that policy is by the attitude that -we have taken up regarding the Macedonian question. This is a European -question, but that does not hinder it from being, at the same time, both -a Bulgarian and a Turkish question. First of all, I declare that the -Bulgarian Government is far from having conceived the idea of provoking -or imposing a solution of the Macedonian question by violent means. But -our Government recognises the significance of this vital question for -our country, it justly estimates the violence with which this question -reflects itself upon the inner life of the Principality, and this -renders it necessary to closely observe its development and its -solution. - -“The Macedonian question is in the hands of the Great Powers, who have -taken upon themselves the task of introducing into Macedonia reforms -assuring to the population of this country a development at once more -orderly and more free. It is true that in this respect up to the present -an altogether satisfactory result has not yet been achieved, and that -the Bulgarian population of Macedonia and the _vilayet_ of Adrianople -still have to face complications. But the Government hopes that the good -work they have begun will make progress. The Government will take every -measure to keep itself currently informed of the situation in Macedonia, -and will do everything in its power to at all times assist the -interested Governments, and insist with all its energy upon the -amelioration of the condition of the people of this country. The -Government think that the representation they are going to make to the -Great Powers in regard to a prompter and more energetic carrying out of -the essential reforms in Macedonia is not incompatible with having good -and cordial relations with Turkey. On the contrary, they consider that -action of this nature suggests a more normal conception of the -reciprocal interests of the two countries, and that it will induce the -Government of His Majesty the Sultan to adopt a totally different -attitude in regard to the Bulgarian population of Macedonia—an attitude -which will conduce to its peace, and which will be, at the same time, an -important factor in the destinies of the Empire itself. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: Military Manœuvres in Bulgaria.] - -“We make no mental reservations with regard to Turkey. We do not dream -of conquest or annexation. But the Bulgarian nation cannot look coolly -on while our blood-brothers (those of our own blood) are being subjected -to such ordeals as those they are suffering in Turkey. In the name of -reciprocity, in the name of justice and of humanity, the Bulgarian -nation demands that the right of existence, and that the right of free -development in their nationality, and its religion, be granted to the -Bulgarians of Macedonia. She demands that their right of enjoying the -fruits of their labour be recognised. - -“The Government has the strongest convictions on the subject of the -national duty, and will not waver in carrying them out. It is the -fulfilling of this duty which must constitute the foundation of friendly -relations with Turkey, and in this matter the Government will stand -firm. - -“The arming of our military forces must, of necessity, be a -contradiction. We live in the era of armed peace, and we must not lose -sight of the fact that the peace of Europe is due, if not entirely, at -any rate in great part, to the formidable armament that each country -keeps up. Bulgaria, though small, cannot evade this essential, if she -wishes to live in peace.” - -Dr. Stancioff resumed his seat amid thunders of applause. - -Parliament shortly afterwards adjourned, and we went home to snatch a -hasty dinner and put on our war-paint for the smart ball at the Military -Club. - -Will Bulgaria declare war against Turkey? That was that night, and still -is, the question on everyone’s lips in Sofia. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - THE BULGARIAN EXARCHATE AND THE PORTE - -A difficult and little-understood problem—Bulgaria the “dark horse” of - the Peninsula—An explanation of the question between Bulgaria and - Turkey—The Bulgarian Church and the Imperial Firman—The present - position of the Exarchate—Europe should listen to the Bulgarian - demand—Chats with Macedonian orphans—Their terrible stories. - - -The question of the Bulgarian Exarchate and the Porte is of paramount -importance in Bulgaria at the present moment—a very difficult problem -which the Government have to face. - -So little is it understood in England, even by those professing to be -_au courant_ with the Balkan question, that I may perhaps be pardoned if -I endeavour to render the situation intelligible. “What does Bulgaria -want?” is the question so very often asked. What she really wants, and -what are her aims, will, I hope, be shown in the following pages. - -Bulgaria, it must always be remembered, is with Servia, the coming -mistress of the Balkans. She is the “dark horse” of the Peninsula. Her -power is admitted, but the extent of her force cannot be gauged. One -thing is certain, that the present Government being an essentially -strong one, and Dr. Stancioff, the Foreign Minister, a man of action, -Bulgaria will no longer sit still and allow her people in Macedonia to -be decimated as they now are daily. - -In view of this, therefore, it will perhaps be of interest to explain -impartially at some little length the question which it is feared must, -ere long, bring Turkey and Bulgaria face to face. - -Ever since the liberation of Bulgaria up to the present moment the -Bulgarian Exarchate has led a perturbed existence. - -As long ago as the Russo-Turkish War it had to undergo serious trials, -the Exarch being obliged to recall the Bulgarian bishops from the -Macedonian diocese. When, after the Treaty of Berlin, he attempted to -restore them to their former sees and to complete the organisation of -the Bulgarian Church—in accordance with the Imperial Firman of May 16, -1870—by establishing a Synod and a Mixed Council, the Exarch received in -1883 from the Turkish Minister of Justice the following significant -answer:— - -“When we determine to grant you a status in the _vilayets_, then only we -shall consider the matter of your administration.” - -So that, after an existence of only three years, the Bulgarian Exarchate -found its right of having a status in the _vilayets_ put in question. -This, however, did not discourage the Exarch. On the contrary, he -redoubled his efforts. Relying upon the Imperial Firman, and assisted by -the Bulgarian Government, he succeeded in winning for the Exarchate an -official status in Macedonia, insisting at the same time on the -formation of a Synod and a Mixed Council, attached to the Exarchate. - -At the present day the authority of the Exarchate in Macedonia extends -over seven dioceses, namely, Uskub, Ochrida, Debr, Monastir, Veless, -Nevrokop, and Stroumitza. In addition to these, there are still ten -bishoprics which, contrary to the Firman, remain vacant, because the -Sultan refuses to grant the indispensable _berats_. During the period -referred to, the Exarchate was also deprived of its right of -representation at Sketcha and Malgara (_vilayet_ of Adrianople), whose -religious communities were suspended in 1897 by the Grand Vizier Rifaat -Pasha. The Bulgarian chapel at Sketcha remains to this day under seals -placed by the Imperial authorities, and consequently inaccessible to the -spiritual needs of the Bulgarian population in that place. - -The question of the Mixed Council and the Synod still remains open. The -solution of this question is of supreme moment to the Exarchate and to -the Bulgarian Government. This is due to the position and importance of -the religious communities in the Turkish Empire. - -For the better understanding of the bearing of the issues involved, it -will be perhaps necessary to refer to the history of the Turkish Empire -and its attitude towards Bulgaria. - -As is well known, instead of trying to assimilate the Christian nations -which they had conquered, the Turks always considered themselves masters -of those whom they had vanquished. Their system of government in this -respect is, of course, in perfect agreement with the spirit of their -religion. The Koran subdivides all countries into two distinct groups: -first those belonging to Islam, and secondly those under the domination -of the giaours (infidels), with whom Islam was in a state of permanent -war. The true believers, the followers of the Prophet, were declared -rulers of the infidels. These purely theocratic principles of State -organisation form, until this day, the basis of the Ottoman Empire. - -As exponents of these principles, the Osmanlis did not attempt, after -the conquest of Byzantium, to impose on their new subjects the Turkish -State institutions or civil laws. Although despised and humiliated, the -_rayas_ continued to enjoy privileges which, in many respects, remind -one of those subsequently granted by the capitulations to the foreign -Christians. The place of the rulers of the conquered nations was now -occupied by the representatives of their Church. As an instance, -Mohammed II., conqueror of Constantinople, conferred upon the Patriarch -of Constantinople the title of Miletbashi (Chief of the Nation), and -entrusted to him the administration of the secular and spiritual -interests of his flock. These same prerogatives were also granted to the -Bulgarian Patriarchs of Tirnovo and Ochrida, as representatives of the -Bulgarian nation. The spiritual leaders of the conquered races -delegated, in their turn, part of their attributes to their -inferiors—bishops and priests. - -[Illustration: Peasants at Vladaja: Bulgaria.] - -[Illustration: Bulgarian Military Types.] - -In this way, the clergy formed a body of functionaries invested with -large administrative and judicial powers. Every religious community was -entrusted with the repartition of the State taxes among the members of -the community, and was responsible for their payment into the State -Exchequer. In a word, the spiritual head of a Christian race was at the -same time its civil representative before the Turkish authorities. As -regards the Bulgarian nation, this mission was confided, down to the -year 1770, to its Patriarchs—at first, to the Patriarchs of Tirnovo and -Ochrida, and, later on, to that of the latter place—until the abolition -of the Patriarchate of Ochrida, which was brought about by the intrigues -of the Greeks. - -The fact remains that during several centuries the Christians in the -Turkish Empire—and among them the Bulgarians—have, owing to this -peculiarity of the Turkish State policy, enjoyed a relative -independence, and in this way have been able to preserve their -nationality, language, and customs. These exceptional historical -circumstances explain at the same time why, among these Christians, the -sentiment of patriotism has been transformed into an attachment to their -religious communities and their national Church. - -This sentiment of patriotism and spiritual consciousness, which, owing -to the oppression exercised by the Greek clergy, after the year 1770 had -weakened to the extent of national self-forgetfulness and identification -with the Greeks, awakened once more among the Bulgarians during the -second half of last century. It acquired great force in the course of -the struggle for the restoration of the ancient national Church. This -new struggle began at the time of the Tanzimat, a period when the Porte -had to fight against the growing omnipotence of the Patriarchate, which -was threatening the very foundations of the State. It had, as its legal -support, the Hatti-Houmayoun of 1856, which reverted to the historical -rights of all religious communities. The second part of Section II. of -this Act runs as follows:— - -“Chaque communauté Chrétienne ou d’autre rite non-musulman sera tenue, -dans un délai fixé et avec le concours d’une commission formée _ad hoc_ -dans son sein, de procéder, avec ma haute approbation et sous la -surveillance de ma Sublime Porte, à l’examen de ses immunités et -privilèges et d’y discuter et soumettre à ma Sublime Porte les réformes -exigées par le progrès des lumières et du temps.” - -Progress, as well as the State interests of the Empire at that time, -required the administrative separation of the Bulgarian Church from the -Patriarchate, and its endowment with a special chief and clergy. It is -interesting to note that, in this struggle of the Sublime Porte with the -Patriarchate for the denationalisation of the Christian -communities—which had for its consequence the weakening of the -Patriarchate and the restriction of its privileges—the Bulgarian nation -acted as allies of the Empire, with “the high approval of the Sultan” -and “under the control of the Sublime Porte.” Thanks mainly to this -alliance and to this struggle against the Patriarchate in favour of the -Bulgarian nation, the Patriarchate was considerably weakened through the -Organic Statute of 1862, while the Bulgarian Church was restored in -virtue of the Firman of 1870. - -With the Bulgarian Church restored, it was necessary, in accordance with -the Imperial Firman, that it should be organised after the pattern of -the Eastern Orthodox Church, of which it formed a branch, without in any -case departing from its canons. The Exarchate, as its highest -administrative body, was organised on such close lines with the -Patriarchate, that its Organic Statute is, in greater part, nothing but -a reproduction of that of the Patriarchate in 1862, which, in its turn, -is based on the principles laid down by the Hatti-Houmayoun. - -[Illustration: Peasants near Tirnovo, Bulgaria.] - -In view of all this, it must be admitted that to-day the struggle—or -rather the insistence of the Exarchate for the speedier organisation of -a Synod and a Mixed Council, forming part of itself—is only a just and -legal claim of the rights and privileges sanctioned by the Firman of -1870. It should be clearly understood that the Bulgarian Exarchate does -not ask for any new privileges; all that it demands is the restoration -of the Synod and the Mixed Council as they existed before the -Russo-Turkish War. Surely this is but a very natural demand! The -question concerns two administrative bodies, with attributes strictly -defined by the canons of the Church, as well as by the statute of the -Exarchate and the Imperial Firman, and which cannot be delegated to -anyone else, but must be exercised by the Synod and the Mixed Council. -To the Synod are reserved all questions of the _forum ecclesiasticum_, -while the mission of the Mixed Council is to look after the schools, the -civil administration, and the organisation of the Bulgarian nationality. -The Mixed Council forms at the same time the highest judicial body in -civil cases between Bulgarians—the mixed courts being reserved for civil -cases between Mohammedans and Christians, as well as for commercial and -criminal cases without any distinction of religion. This brief mention -of the attributes of the Synod and of the Mixed Council is surely -sufficient to show the very urgent need of their speedy restoration and -organisation. - -The needs of the Church and of the community have greatly increased; -they are no longer what they used to be thirty years ago, and cannot be -left disregarded. The requirements of the population and of the times -give rise to fresh questions, while on the other hand the Imperial -Ottoman Government comes every day with fresh demands to the Exarchate, -which shares in the administration of the country, as an auxiliary -organ. - -In these present-day times of trial the Bulgarian population in -Macedonia, broken up, persecuted, and outlawed as it is, turns for help -and protection to its legal head and protector, the Exarch. The Exarch -is, however, helpless, because personally he has no authority to decide -such questions as fall within the competence of the Mixed Council. His -only rôle in such matters is to act as an intermediary between the -Council and the Sublime Porte. - -The present position of the Exarchate is an abnormal one. According to -the Firman, which has the force of law within the Empire, it has -well-defined rights and obligations as regards the Porte and the -Bulgarian nation in the _vilayets_, which, however, it cannot exercise -or fulfil because of its imperfect and irregular organisation. This -state of things provokes among the populations of the Empire complaints -both against the Exarchate and the Imperial authorities. Failing to find -help and protection at the hands of the legal authorities, the outraged -population is naturally tempted to look for such in illegal quarters, -and in its despair places its hopes in foreign intervention. This state -of affairs explains and fully justifies such tendencies among the -Macedonian population. The true interests of the Ottoman Empire demand -the preservation of its Christian inhabitants from similar hopes and -tendencies. The population ought to expect all improvements from -Constantinople. In this respect the formation of a Synod and of a Mixed -Council attached to the Exarchate is not only a just demand, admitted on -every hand outside Turkey, but is highly desirable and indispensable for -the pacification of public opinion both in the _vilayets_ and in -Bulgaria. By their very constitution, this Synod and the Mixed Council -would act as legal interpreters of the needs of the Bulgarian population -in Macedonia and the _vilayet_ of Adrianople, and would form a strong -link between the Bulgarians and the Sublime Porte. - -It would surely be preferable both for the Powers and for Turkey if they -had to deal with a legally organised and responsible body, such as the -Bulgarian Exarchate. Indeed, this latter, if completed and fortified by -the creation of the Synod and the Mixed Council, would no doubt succeed -in attracting the attention of the Bulgarian population of the -_vilayets_ once more to Constantinople. The cause of the Macedonian -reforms would benefit considerably from such an organisation, while the -difficult task of the Powers would be greatly facilitated. - -The just and legal measure I have outlined above would pacify public -opinion in the Principality of Bulgaria. That something must be done is -very plain. Matters in Macedonia cannot be allowed to remain as they -are—a blot upon the civilisation of Europe. Bulgaria is, as far as I -have been able to judge from personal inquiry, determined to take a -strong and definite line. She cannot remain indifferent to the injustice -of the Porte towards the Bulgarian Exarchate; neither can she overlook -the burning question. Even if she were inclined to adopt such a course, -she would not be in a position to do so. No Bulgarian Government could -follow such a policy without being accused of violating the -Constitution, according to which the Eastern Orthodox religion is the -State religion of the country. - -In ecclesiastical matters the Principality is, according to Article 39 -of the Bulgarian Constitution, placed under the control of the highest -spiritual authority of the Bulgarian Church, wherever that authority may -be found. This authority is the Bulgarian Exarchate. It must be -remembered, too, that this Constitution was ratified at the time, by the -Powers signatory of the Treaty of Berlin. The right of the Principality -to take an interest in the normal and regular working of the authority -in question now became even more indisputable. Besides, political -considerations of the very highest importance to the peace of Europe -place upon the Bulgarian Government the duty of reminding the Great -Powers, Turkey included, of the liabilities which they assumed towards -the Christian population of the vilayets by virtue of Articles 25 and 62 -of the Treaty of Berlin. - -Only natural is it, and in the cause of humanity, that Bulgaria should -seek to protect the Bulgarians in Macedonia. Never has the country been -in a worse state than at the present time, and never has European -interference been more needed than at this moment. - -Europe should listen attentively to this Bulgarian complaint against -Turkey, for it is surely a just one, crying loudly for remedy. The blood -of the poor massacred thousands in Macedonia calls to-day to the Powers -for mercy and justice, and yet to-morrow, and still to-morrow, a hundred -more defenceless men and women and innocent children are put to the -sword, mutilated and murdered, and we in England hear nothing about it. -Macedonia is, alas! a country where God is high and Justice far away. - -This question of the Bulgarian Exarchate and the Porte is, I know, an -abstruse one, neglected by most writers on the subject. However, it is -one of the highest importance—one which is inseparable from the future -policy of Bulgaria. - -Things cannot remain long in Macedonia as I myself saw them. Europe -holds up her hands in virtuous horror at the so-called Congo scandals -and seeks out every detail of maladministration, yet she turns a deaf -ear to the piteous cry of the Macedonians, whose homes are daily burned -and pillaged, and whose villages are often completely wiped out—both -dwellings and inhabitants—in the course of a few hours by fiends filled -with the lust of blood. - -If you doubt that there are horrible atrocities daily committed in -Macedonia by Greeks and Turks alike, you need go no farther than Sofia. -Visit the Orphanage for Macedonian boys established three years ago by -Mr. Pierce O’Mahony, an Irish philanthropist, of Grange Con, County -Wicklow. This gentleman was living in Sofia, and hearing terrible -stories of massacres across the frontier, established an institution for -the education of orphans whose parents had been killed in the raids. -When I visited the place, I found it neat, orderly, and doing a most -charitable and excellent work under the care of two English nursing -sisters. In a large commodious house on the outskirts of the capital -were thirty lads ranging in age from seven to fifteen, all dressed in -their white woollen and black-braided national costume of Macedonia. - -When the boys were assembled in the large classroom, I heard some of -their stories, and truly they were appalling, many of the details too -terrible to be placed here on record. As an instance, one lad I saw, a -bright, intelligent little fellow, was admitted to the Orphanage a few -months ago. He lived in the district of Ochrida, and was one day tending -his sheep as usual, when some Turkish soldiers came past. - -“Have you seen a Bulgarian band pass along just now?” they inquired. - -The lad declared that he had seen nobody. The soldiers doubted him, for -the Bulgarian band in question was protecting the villages in that -neighbourhood. - -[Illustration: Tziganes on the Isker road.] - -They asked again, and the boy denied having seen anybody, which was the -truth. Whereupon one of the Sultan’s soldiers smashed the little -fellow’s skull in with the butt end of his rifle, while another took a -knife and cut his throat from ear to ear. They then dug a rough hole in -the ground and buried him. Some hours after, a shepherd passing noticed -that his dog was scratching the earth, and on going to the spot, heard -moans. The lad was quickly exhumed, and found to be still living. For -many weeks he was in the hospital in Salonica, but was eventually -admitted to Mr. O’Mahony’s Home. When I saw him, the wound in the head -had only just healed, and the ugly scar across the throat was still red. -I have his photograph, but it is too ghastly to here reproduce. - -Another little lad described to me how his father and mother had been -tortured by the Turks and afterwards burnt alive before his eyes, while -another related how he had been captured by the Turks, taken into -slavery, and afterwards escaped. - -Each orphan boy had his own terrible story to tell, stories that were -full of horror and inhuman butchery, stories that made one wonder -whether such things could really happen in this enlightened century. - -As to the institute and its general conduct, there is no doubt it is -performing a most humane and charitable work. There are thousands of the -homeless and fatherless in Macedonia, increasing thousands, and the -institute, which is purely a piece of private philanthropy, cannot -possibly admit one-tenth of the applicants for its charity. The founder -hopes, if private subscribers or donors come forward, to extend his -work, and Lady Buchanan of the British Legation, Sofia, who takes a -great interest in it, told me that she would be very pleased to -acknowledge any subscriptions sent to her. - -Certainly it is most deserving of support, for already it has sent -Macedonian lads into the Bulgarian Agricultural School at Kustendil; two -others are in the Cadet School in Sofia, and will become officers; -others have been taught trades and are earning their living; and one has -been sent to England. Though the founder is a member of the Church of -England, the lads are allowed to retain their own religion, the -Orthodox. - -Every right-minded man must, after investigating the complaint of -Bulgaria against the Porte regarding the Exarchate, take the part of -Bulgaria. Macedonia is to-day and every day being decimated by Greek -bands who raid under the protection and with the connivance of the -Turks, and assuredly Bulgaria has just cause for reprisals. At present, -however, her bands are inactive, and she is endeavouring to adjust the -difficulty by diplomatic channels. Bulgaria has no desire for war, -neither has Turkey. - -But the question must ere long be faced boldly and fearlessly, and a -solution arrived at. Bulgaria has right on her side, and in the name of -humanity it is the duty of the Powers to support her. - -[Illustration: Where I spent a comfortless night in Bulgaria.] - -[Illustration: Bulgarian Laundresses.] - - - - - CHAPTER V - AT A ROSE DISTILLERY - -Tobacco growing in Bulgaria—The otto-of-rose industry—About - adulteration—Difficulties of obtaining the pure extract—Corrupting - the peasant—What Monsieur Shipkoff told me—Some tests to discover - adulteration—Interesting facts about roses. - -NO description of the present condition of Bulgaria would be complete -without mention of the two principal industrial plants cultivated in the -country—tobacco and roses. - -Tobacco, I noticed, was particularly plentiful in the south and in the -departments of Silistra and Kustendil. The department of Haskovo, it -appears, produces 800,000 kilos of first quality tobacco, followed by -Philippopoli with 300,000 kilos, Kustendil with 270,000 kilos, and -Silistra with 210,000. Three-quarters of all this tobacco is consumed in -the country, for Bulgarians are inveterate cigarette-smokers, and the -remaining quarter exported. Tobacco in leaf is sold at an average price -of 80 centimes to 1 fr. 50 c. per kilogramme. The Government give the -peasants, in order to encourage tobacco cultivation, quantities of seed -gratis. - -As regards the cultivation of roses, the special species grown are the -red rose (_Rosa damascena_) and various species of white rose, of which -the _Rosa moscata_ is the most used, the best and most extensive -plantations being at Kazanlik, Karlovo, Klissoura, and Stara-Sagora. - -I was afforded an opportunity of visiting one of the otto-of-rose -distilleries, and the sweet, penetrating perfume of it clings still to -the nostrils. Bulgarian otto-of-rose is famous the world over, and its -production is carried on in 175 communes in the departments of -Philippopoli and Stara-Sagora. - -The chief manufacturers and exporters of otto-of-rose are Messrs. -Shipkoff & Co. of Kazanlik, who export about two-thirds of the whole -rose produce. This firm, as well as the others, make advances to the -peasantry upon their growing crops of roses, and the peasant pays these -advances in otto-of-rose already distilled. The firms make it a part of -the contract that the extract must be pure, and can refuse to accept it -if adulterated. As a check, all the exporters make it a point to -themselves distil in the various rose-growing districts for the purpose -of obtaining the proper standard of purity. - -I had an opportunity of visiting Mr. Theodore Shipkoff, Deputy for -Kazanlik, of the great firm of Shipkoff & Co. He showed me over the -factory, and gave me a number of extremely interesting details regarding -this unique industry. - -It appears that nowadays it is not an easy matter to obtain pure -otto-of-rose. Some forty years ago the entire rose industry was an ideal -one. No farmers, small or big, adulterated their otto. They knew nothing -about adulteration. In their primitive simplicity and honesty, it would -have been altogether against their nature to falsify in any way their -produce. The jobbers and dealers who used to come from Adrianople and -Constantinople to buy it, and who at that time controlled the whole -exportation, while buying it from the growers in its pure state, soon -began to adulterate it with the Turkish geranium oil (_Idris Yaghi_). -They found this way of adulterating the otto-of-rose so profitable that, -in order to use a larger percentage of geranium oil and at the same time -to render it less easily detected, they began to import from -Constantinople the crude geranium oil, and in the presence of the -growers to redistil and refine it in rose-flowers and rose-water, thus -taking away its pungent and heavy vegetable odour. Some of the growers -soon learned to do this themselves, and the peddling traders started -regular factories for the express purpose of refining geranium oil and -selling it afterwards to the peasants for purposes of adulteration. In -this way many villages were gradually corrupted, and the otto-of-rose -they produced was more or less adulterated with geranium oil; but most -of the adulteration has always been done by the exporting jobbers and -dealers. This, of course, brought much discredit to the rose industry, -and the Government, some fifteen years ago, was compelled to prohibit -the importation of geranium oil into the country. This measure was a -most wholesome one, and checked, to some extent, the free and open -importation of geranium, and saved many of the rose villages from -further corruption. However, a great deal of geranium oil is still -imported _sub rosâ_ into Bulgaria by unscrupulous jobbers and exporters, -and much of the otto-of-rose sold is largely adulterated with it. - -Mr. Shipkoff, in course of his conversation with me when he showed me -over his distillery at Kazanlik, said, “As our principle is to export -only the genuine otto-of-rose, and sell only what we can guarantee as -absolutely pure, our task has been, and is, a most difficult one. With -the primitive system of distillation still in use in our country, it is -actually impossible for us to distil all the otto-of-rose we export, and -we still have to depend on our growers for the greater part of our -stock. When the means of transportation and communication improve, it -will then be possible to centralise the whole distillation in a few -places, and establish large steam distilleries, such as those in Grasse, -Cannes, and Leipzig. At present most of the rose-flowers are distilled -in the villages where they are grown, and by the growers themselves, -this method being by far the cheapest. Still, to guard ourselves from -all possible adulteration on the part of our suppliers, and at the same -time to be able to get as much otto-of-rose as possible of our own -distillation, we ourselves have to distil in all the principal places in -the eight rose counties of the rose district, and each year we increase -our own distillations. - -“It is by virtue of this extensive distillation that we are able to -obtain pure otto. Besides this practical means, we have continually -experimented to discover various tests, whereby we can readily -distinguish the pure from the adulterated rose. It is quite impossible -simply from the sense of smell to always recognise an adulteration from -two to five per cent., and the following are the tests, which we possess -and use in conducting our business: the freezing-point test, the -specific gravity test, the density test, the spectrum test, the iodine -test, and the nitric acid test. - -“Otto-of-rose, when analysed, is found to consist of two ingredients: -the oleoptene, which is the liquid and odoriferous part of the -otto-of-rose, and the stereoptene, which is the solid and odourless -part, and causes the crystallisation of the otto-of-rose. The proportion -in which these two ingredients are combined in the pure otto-of-rose is -more or less fixed, varying only from 10 to 15 per cent. according to -the elevation of the localities in which the otto is produced. The -highest proportion—15 per cent.—is found in otto-of-rose distilled in -villages situated highest in the Balkans; while the villages down in the -plains produce otto-of-rose containing only 10 to 11 per cent. of -stereoptene. We have lately made experiments to distil these two -ingredients separately, but they can best be separated from each other -by a very simple physical process. The average proportion of these two -ingredients in our stocks during the last five years has been about 12½ -per cent. of stereoptene and 87½ per cent. of oleoptene. - -“The oil usually employed for the adulteration of otto-of-rose is the -geranium oil (_Palagonium Radula_) known to the trade as Turkish -geranium oil. This oil is made in India and is sold in Constantinople. -Formerly they used this oil as adulterant in its crude state, but now it -is generally refined in rose-water or rose-flower before it is used. No -matter how well refined, it is impossible to put 5 per cent. of it in -otto-of-rose without changing the freezing point of the otto, its -specific gravity, and the proportion in which the stereoptene and -oleoptene are combined. Geranium oil contains no stereoptene, and in -consequence does not crystallise. In the best refined geranium oil the -specific gravity is fully ·880—a difference in weight of about eighteen -points. All this helps to detect its presence in otto-of-rose. It can -also be detected by means of the iodine as well as the nitric acid -tests. The presence of geranium oil in otto-of-rose lowers its freezing -point, renders its specific gravity heavier, and changes the proportion -in which the oleoptene and stereoptene are combined. - -[Illustration: The Rose-fields near Kazanlik.] - -“In order to rectify these defects, the use of spermaceti, paraffin, and -alcohol have often been resorted to, but the presence of all these three -substances can be discovered without any difficulty. The crystals of -both spermaceti and paraffin are entirely different from the crystals of -the stereoptene of otto-of-rose, and otto-of-rose containing any -proportion of either will lose, when congealed, its sharp-pointed, -needle-like crystals. Besides, paraffin and spermaceti being fatty oils, -are much heavier, and in time will settle at the bottom. Furthermore, -they are not volatile as stereoptene. The presence of alcohol is -detected either by the use of double distilled water or of pure -glycerine.” - -By resorting to these various tests in the selection of supplies from -growers, as well as by extensive distillation in all the principal -localities, respectable firms are always able to procure the finest -otto-of-rose and to export it in its absolute purity. - -The whole rose district comprises in all 173 villages, devoted to rose -culture, with about 15,500 acres of rose plantations. These yield -annually from 20,000,000 to 25,000,000 pounds of rose-flowers, for the -distillation of which some 13,000 native stills are used. The total -yield of otto annually varies according to the year—from 90,000 to -150,000 ounces; the average crop being about 120,000 ounces of pure -otto-of-rose. It generally takes from 160 to 250 pounds rose-flowers to -make one ounce of otto—and there are about 300 roses to the pound. - -Nearly all the otto produced in Bulgaria is exported for consumption -abroad, and chiefly to New York, Paris, and London, its three largest -markets, and from there it is distributed all over the world. Formerly -the perfumers used to be supplied through the intermediary of -Constantinople, Leipzig, and London, but now all large consumers buy -their supply direct. The house of Shipkoff was the first to inaugurate -this system of direct relations. It saves many extra charges, and in -case of the goods delivered turning out badly, the guilty party is at -once detected. - -Shipkoffs do not believe in all sorts of grades, their motto being, -“_Only one quality—the best._” - -The culture of roses in Bulgaria is not only the oldest and most -attractive industry of the country, but also quite exclusively its own. -While roses are found all over the world and are grown everywhere in -garden-beds, in Bulgaria they are grown in extensive fields, as we grow -the potato or corn. This industry, however, is confined only to one -special district in Bulgaria, which is comprised in the eight counties -above mentioned, with Kazanlik as their central town, called, in -consequence, the capital of the rose district. The rose district extends -along that portion of the southern slopes of the Balkan mountains, -comprising in itself the branch range of the Little Balkans, which -shoots out of the main Balkans and forms one of its chief arms. The -average length of the rose district is about eighty miles, and its -average width is about thirty miles. Its average elevation is about 1300 -feet above the level of the sea. The average height of the Balkans along -the rose district is about 5600 feet, while that of the Little Balkans -is about 3700 feet. - -Attempts have often been made to grow roses all over Bulgaria, but they -have all proved a failure. It is true that roses have been grown, and -are grown to this day, in Persia, India, Egypt, and China for this -purpose, but they hardly produce any otto-of-rose. They produce almost -exclusively rose-water, and it is chiefly used for local consumption. In -the Maritime Alps of Southern France, and especially in Cannes and -Grasse, they grow quite extensively the “Provence rose,” and they -extract from it a peculiar otto-of-rose, but the quantity is very -limited, and they chiefly use their flowers to make pomades and -rose-water. In Leipzig they also grow roses, but with very little -success. Almost in all the other places where the roses are grown, they -lack the peculiar advantages of climate that Bulgaria possesses, and -have in consequence to use twice and even thrice the quantity of flowers -to make the same amount of otto. The hottest weather ever experienced in -summer in this part of Bulgaria is 88° Fahr. and the coldest of winter -is rarely under 15° Fahr. above zero. Then, during the harvest and -distillation season, which is in the latter part of May and the first -part of June, there we have regular showers of rain and in the mornings -heavy falls of dew—both absolutely necessary for the otto-of-rose -distillation. - -After the Russo-Turkish War in 1877-78, when Bulgaria was separated from -Turkey and constituted into an independent Principality, the Turkish -Government spent thousands of pounds in trying to replant the Kazanlik -rose in Asia Minor, and many scores of rose-gardens were planted around -Broussa, but to no purpose. The gardens grew, thrived, and yielded -plenty of flowers, but when distilled they got only rose-water and very -little otto, so the work, in consequence, could not pay. It is the -peculiarity of the soil, and chiefly that of the atmosphere of this -special district in Bulgaria, caused by the peculiar formation of the -mountain ranges surrounding it, which makes the roses thrive and yield -sufficient otto-of-rose to pay for the very laborious work that the -culture entails. - -The red rose grown is a semi-double light red rose like the French _rose -du roi_, having from thirty to thirty-six petals and possessing an -extremely rich and fragrant odour. The growing of the rose is very much -like the growth of the vine, and the planting of a rose-garden is -similar to that of a vineyard. After the ground has been prepared by -tilling and manuring, ditches are made in rows, about a foot and a half -in depth and width, and a yard and a half apart. At the bottom of these -ditches soft earth mixed with manure is spread, on which the roots -forming the bushes of the new rose-garden and taken from old bushes are -firmly stuck vertically, and then well covered up with the earth and -manure. This is generally done in the spring, when the rain showers -abound. The roses thus planted soon take root, and in less than two -months send up soft, glossy green shoots, which in a year become about a -foot high. In the second year they are over two feet high, and yield a -few rose-flowers. The first crop worth gathering is in the third year, -and in the fifth year they attain their full growth. They reach then a -height of about six feet, the bushes forming thick rows of clustered -rose-trees and continuing to yield rich crops of flowers for a period of -twenty years, and in some localities twenty-five years, after the lapse -of which time they become old, begin to die from the winter’s cold and -frost, and yield but few flowers. Then the old rose-bushes are dug out -and the garden is planted anew. - -A rose-garden requires constant care. During the year it is hoed three -times. In autumn the roots are covered up with earth to guard them from -the winter’s cold. In spring that earth is thrown off and the bushes are -pruned, and every other year the garden is manured. - -The roses yield only one crop every year. The rose-harvest begins in the -latter part of May, and as the weather is dry and hot or cool and rainy -during the blossoming season, it may last from eighteen to thirty days. -During the whole harvest the distillation of the crop is carried on. -Morning after morning, hours before sunrise, groups of young maidens and -boys, all dressed in their beautiful bright-coloured native costumes, -proceed with songs to the rose-gardens to gather the newly opened buds -while the heavy morning dew is still on the blossoms. Nothing can -present a more captivating scene than a rose-garden in bloom, with its -gaily attired peasant-girls gathering the roses, and its -nightingales—those romantic lovers of the _Regina florum_—trying in most -melodious songs to out-sing the maidens. - -As soon as the roses are gathered they are taken to the distillery, -spread in cool and shady rooms, and gradually distilled during the day. -The alembics used for this purpose are of the simplest kind. They -consist of a convex tinned copper boiler, narrowed at the top to a neck -on which is fixed a spherical head-piece with a tube on one side, to -which is attached the condensing tube, sloping down and passing through -the condenser or refrigerator, a large vessel into which cold water is -constantly running. The capacity of the boiler is about 250 pounds of -water. In distilling the roses from twenty to twenty-five pounds of -flowers are put in it, and from five to six times that much of water, -thus nearly filling three-fourths of the boiler. - -[Illustration: Gathering Roses at Kazanlik.] - -[Illustration: Testing Otto of Rose at Kazanlik.] - -This done, the head-piece and condensing tube are tightly attached, the -fire started, and the distilling of its contents begun. This is carried -on about forty-five minutes, until thirty to thirty-five pounds of -rose-water are extracted from each boiler. The boilers are then emptied, -cleansed with clear water, and the same process is repeated until all -the morning-gathered flowers are distilled. The rose-water extracted -from the first distillation is redistilled in the same way, only in this -second distillation from 100 to 120 pounds of rose-water are used, and -out of it they extract some thirty to thirty-five pounds of second -rose-water. This double-distilled rose-water is very strong in odour and -quite turbid in appearance; it is full of tiny yellow-white oily -globules floating in it, and as the bottle is filled they rise up and -gather on the top of the long-necked bottles in which the rose-water -runs. These globules are the otto-of-rose, and when all the oil has -settled on the tops of the bottles, it is skimmed and put in separate -bottles by little conical spoons, with a little hole in the bottom, -large enough to let the water run out but not the oil. - -Thus collected, the otto is sent to London, Paris, and New York, where -it is used in the manufacture of high-class perfumes and soaps, etc. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - THE FUTURE OF BULGARIA - -Bulgaria’s future greatness—Her firm policy in Macedonia—An audience of - Dr. Stancioff, Minister of Foreign Affairs—A chat with the Prime - Minister—Turkey the enemy of Bulgaria—Balkan “news” in the London - papers—How it is manufactured—Turkish dominion doomed. - - -The future of Bulgaria is assured. - -Bulgaria, with Servia, is destined to become the power in the Balkans. -Vigorous, strong, and fearless, under a Prince who has the courage of -his own convictions, the country is one of progress, of great military -strength and continual expansion. The Bulgar differs from the Roumanian -inasmuch as he is more patriotic and far less extravagant; he is frugal, -progressive, and active. His capital is not the weak imitation of Paris, -as is Bucharest, nor are his officers gorgeously dressed and corseted. -On the contrary, they are hardy, well trained, well equipped, and -business-like to a degree. - -Some interesting sidelights upon Bulgaria’s growing military strength -have been revealed at the recent manœuvres, while an afternoon walk -through Sofia will show how rapidly and firmly is the capital being -established—the capital which is destined some day to be the capital of -the Balkans. - -[Illustration: Bulgarian Peasants dancing the “horo.”] - -On every hand I saw evidence of Bulgaria’s future greatness. The -Ministry, without exception, is a strong one and incorruptible. There is -a firmness and stability about everything, all betokening a great -future. Ministerial crises are few, and the people do not neglect their -affairs for politics, as is the case in some Balkan countries. Under -Prince Ferdinand Bulgaria has progressed amazingly, and in the near -future will assume a position of supreme importance in the Peninsula. -Her policy towards Roumania is, however, a somewhat undecided one. While -the Roumanians fondly think that Bulgaria cannot take decisive action in -Macedonia without her consent, Bulgaria seems to calmly ignore -Roumania’s existence. I have reason for believing that some satisfactory -agreement will be arrived at in the course of the next month or two. -Bulgaria, however, is wide awake and well aware that Roumania is -desirous of a slice of her territory from the Danube down to the Black -Sea. Only to obtain this would Roumania be party to any alliance -regarding Macedonia. - -One morning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sofia I had audience -with the newly appointed Minister, His Excellency Dr. Dimitri Stancioff. -He is the coming man of Bulgaria, at one time private secretary to the -Prince, and afterwards, as already explained, diplomatic agent in St. -Petersburg, where he had an extremely brilliant career. - -Of middle height, slim of figure, with dark hair slightly silvered, a -keen, rather aquiline face, and sharp eyes, he is a man full of eager -activity, quick perception, and indomitable energy. - -He had only been in office a few days, and was overwhelmed with work, -yet he spared me half an hour for a chat, although certain chiefs of the -foreign missions were waiting for audience. In his quiet, sombre, -business-like cabinet, he sat behind his littered table, smiling affably -and ready to answer any questions I put to him. - -“You want to see Bulgaria? Very well, I will give orders that you have -good guides, and that you are supplied with all the official information -available. Only,” he laughed, “please do not flatter us. We prefer -honest criticism.” - -He took down a list of the heads of the information I wanted, gave me a -cigarette, and then we discussed the future of Bulgaria. - -“His Royal Highness the Prince has told me that he sent you an -autographed portrait last night. Have you received it?” - -I replied in the affirmative. - -“He will see you in Varna,” he went on. “His Highness particularly -wishes to see you.” - -Then I asked him to explain Bulgaria’s future policy in the Balkans. - -“You heard my speech in the Sobranje. Well, that constitutes in brief -the future policy of Bulgaria—peace. We are a young nation, and we do -not desire any complications with our neighbours. You have seen Sofia. -You have seen how in the past ten years it has risen. Yet there still -remains very much to do. The city is in a state of construction, and so -it is all through the country. All we desire is to be allowed peace, in -order to develop our resources.” - -“And your relations with Turkey?” I asked. - -“Ah! those constant incidents in Macedonia are of course regrettable. -The question is always with us. Yet since I assumed office I have -received reports from our diplomatic agent in Constantinople which -clearly show that Turkey has assumed a much more conciliatory attitude. -We are hoping for the best. Our relations with Turkey are still -friendly, and the friendship is becoming daily more firmly cemented. -What we wish, however, to see is greater interest taken by the Powers in -the Macedonian question. Neither Bulgaria nor Servia nor Roumania can -solve the great problem—only joint action by the Powers. We hope that, -ere long, an international council may be held to discuss and decide the -question once and for all. The present state of affairs is intolerable. -But you will see for yourself when you get into Macedonia.” - -And assuredly, two months later, I did see—things that are incredible in -Europe in this twentieth century. - -[Illustration: Summit of the Shipka Pass.] - -[Illustration: Defile of the Isker.] - -I also had a pleasant chat with Monsieur D. Petkoff, the Prime Minister. -We sat next each other at dinner one night at Sir George Buchanan’s, and -I learnt that he had been responsible for the destruction of old Sofia, -and the laying out of the new city. For six years of the reconstruction -he had been Mayor of the capital, and, as I afterwards learnt, to his -efforts the great progress had been due. Sofia may well be called -Petkoffopolis. At any rate, it is hoped that one of the streets will be -named after him. He struck me as an earnest, thoughtful man, the born -leader of a party. Rather short of stature, dark-haired, with a small -imperial just turning grey, his countenance was strong, open, and very -pleasant. He spoke deliberately, with an air of conviction, and his -conversation with me, which was of a private nature, was that of a man -who believed in the future of his country and was an advocate of peace -and progress. - -As Austria is Servia’s sworn enemy, so is Turkey the enemy of Bulgaria. -War would have been declared by Turkey against Bulgaria long ago, were -it not for the personal veto of the Sultan, who is not only contrary to -hostilities with his near neighbour, but views Bulgaria with increasing -favour. His Majesty has, if the real truth be told, accurately gauged -his neighbour’s military strength. The war party in Turkey have long -been eager for an attack upon Bulgaria, but the Sultan is a far-seeing -monarch, and no one knows better than he that Bulgaria is very strong in -a military sense, and is a power to be reckoned with if ever the -Macedonian question is solved by force of arms. - -At present it is the Greeks who, by their unwarrantable attacks upon the -Macedonian villages, are attempting to incite and provoke Bulgaria. Here -is an instance. Not long ago the Bulgarian police received secret -information, and searched the house of the Greek Bishop of -Philippopolis, where they found many incriminating documents showing -plainly that the Greek Church was actually collecting funds for armed -raids upon the Bulgarians in Macedonia. Letters were found addressed to -the various Greek priests giving the orders as to how they should act. -These somehow got into the papers, whereupon a serious riot occurred in -Philippopolis, and the Bulgarian soldiery were sent to quell it. -Bulgaria’s enemies, mostly subsidised Press correspondents, declared -that the riot against the Greeks was provoked by the Government itself, -and such statements were published broadcast in the Press of Europe. -These allegations, however, had absolutely no foundation, for the rising -was purely a local one, prompted by the knowledge that the Bishop was -fostering a conspiracy against their brothers in Macedonia. If ever the -Bulgarian public was provoked to reprisals, it was on that historic day, -and the Government’s action was perfectly justified in interfering, -otherwise the demonstration against the Greeks would have spread all -over the country, with very serious result. - -Our English arm-chair critics—those who do not travel and see the -country for themselves—do not understand the Balkans. They form their -opinions from the incorrect and misleading statements made by -journalists and by journals subsidised by the enemy. Some of the -statements are so absurd as to be amusing, for they are utterly devoid -of the slightest foundation of fact. Indeed, they are often mere tissues -of plausible falsehoods. - -While in the Balkans I read extraordinary accounts in the _Zeit_ of -things that, to my own personal knowledge, never happened. Each day, in -fact, the latest brand-new intelligence from the Vienna factory is -served up to Europe with sauce so piquant as to betray its origin. - -The greater part of the so-called “news” concerning the Balkans -appearing in the English Press is utterly unreliable. The -correspondents, with few exceptions, are Austrians, and also act as -correspondents of the anti-Servian or anti-Bulgarian papers printed in -Vienna. From Austria these unscrupulous scribblers gain more than from -England, and therefore we are allowed glimpses of the Balkans only -through Austrian spectacles. Spend a week in any Balkan city, and you -will in future heed none of the glib _canards_ you read in your -responsible London morning paper regarding Servia or Bulgaria. - -Austria and Turkey are for ever conspiring in the Balkans. Austria has -her eye on Servia, while Turkey intends, if possible, to put her foot -into Bulgaria, or at least to prevent the formation of a “big Bulgaria.” -As far as Turkey is concerned, as long as the Sultan lives there will be -no declaration of war against Bulgaria. His Majesty’s death would, I -fear, be the declaration of war between the two countries—and then the -sallow-faced gentleman in fez and slippers will have an unhappy time. -The day of the Sultan’s death will put the Balkans aflame, and then the -map of the Peninsula will assuredly be very quickly altered. - -But before then Bulgaria may declare war. - - - - - ROUMANIA - - - - -[Illustration: HIS MAJESTY KING CHARLES OF ROUMANIA.] - - - - - CHAPTER I - BUCHAREST OF TO-DAY - -My friend the spy—How I was watched through the Balkans—An exciting - half-hour—The Paris of the Near East—Gaiety, extravagance, and - pretty women—Forty years of progress—The paradise of the - idler—Husbands wanted! - - -My friend the spy picked me up at Rustchuk. - -He was a well-dressed, middle-aged man, in a black overcoat with a -velvet collar. His face was sharply cut and intelligent, but his dark -eyes were set rather too closely together to suit me. Suddenly I -recollected having seen the same man in the streets of Sofia a week -before. Indeed, I saw him frequently when in the Bulgarian capital, but -until I met him that night upon the Danube steamer, between Rustchuk and -Guirgevo, the thought never occurred to me that the fellow was -persistently following me. - -Then, like a flash, each of the occasions I had seen him came back to -me. Not only had he followed me in Sofia, but I now recollected having -seen him in Belgrade and in Zimony. The fellow was a spy—Austrian -without a doubt. It was not my first acquaintance with spies. I had met -many of them in the course of my wanderings up and down Europe. Some, -indeed, are among my personal acquaintances. - -Until you travel in the Balkans, and more especially if you are having -interviews with Ministers and officials, you can have no idea of the -audacity and activity of Austria’s secret agents. They swarm everywhere. -The Grand Hotel at Belgrade is full of them, and in Sofia they also -flourish as part of the great secret army which the Austrian Government -keeps in the East, from Zimony right down to Constantinople. - -It was a bitterly cold night, with slight drizzling rain. The spy was -standing on deck in the shadow at a little distance from me. The -recollection that I had with me a quantity of official documents given -and lent to me by the Servian and Bulgarian Governments was the reverse -of reassuring. I felt in my pocket for my revolver. Yes, the handy -little weapon was ready for use, in case of necessity. - -There were only four or five passengers, and I knew that across the -Danube the Roumanian train taking me on to Bucharest would be -practically empty. And so it proved, for after landing, getting my -passport _viséd_ and my baggage through the Roumanian Customs, I walked -to the train, to find it empty, lit only by dim flickering oil-lamps, -which gave scarcely sufficient light to see into the corners of the -compartments. - -I looked back, and yes, surely enough, the spy was following me! I was -alone, for I had sent my servant on to Bucharest by the morning train. I -got into a compartment, and presently, after some manœuvring, he got -in with me. I was annoyed, but I had my weapon in my outside pocket, and -intended to fire through my pocket if he attempted to attack me, or get -at my despatch-box on the seat at my side. - -Calmly he lit a cigarette, then inquired in French—which he spoke -excellently— - -“M’sieur is going on to Bucharest? Ah! what a wretched train service—eh? -I suppose you go on to Constantinople?” - -I looked him straight in the face and replied— - -“My destination is no affair of yours, m’sieur. And I have neither -desire nor intention that you should follow me any farther. You must -think I’m blind. I saw you in Servia a dozen times, and in Bulgaria -afterwards, and here you are in Roumania! Your game may be interesting -to yourself, but it is annoying to me, I can assure you—very annoying.” - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: Snap-shots in Bucharest.] - -The fellow looked aghast. He was not clever at all; for he stammered -something in Hungarian, and then, in French, declared that he had never -followed me. We had met and re-met by accident, he assured me. That was -all. - -“Well,” I said, pretty sternly, “just take care that we don’t meet again -by accident after to-night. You understand?” The train was moving, so he -was compelled to travel in the same compartment with me to the next -stopping-place on the fifty-mile run that separates the Danube from the -Roumanian capital. - -“I know,” I went on, “that you think I have some official documents with -me that would be extremely interesting to your employers. Yes, I admit I -have had some, but I’m scarcely such a fool as to travel about with -them. They would be interesting reading to you, but fortunately they are -already safe in London. So you are really only wasting your valuable -time, my dear monsieur.” - -“M’sieur quite misunderstands me—he takes common politeness for -inquisitiveness.” - -“Well, I don’t want any of your polite attentions,” I declared very -bluntly; “and if you don’t get out at the next station I shall just kick -you out. You understand that?” - -He saw I had my hand in my jacket-pocket all the time, and doubtless -guessed what I had there. - -“I shall stay here,” he answered defiantly. - -“Excellent,” was my response. “And when we get to the next station I -shall call the gendarmes and have you arrested as a foreign secret -agent.” - -“You’ve made a great mistake,” he declared resentfully. - -“Very well. Let’s see. You remain here, and I’ll call the police.” - -He did not reply. For half an hour he sat quite silent, while I, fearing -treachery, kept my hand upon the trigger of my weapon, for as a matter -of fact I had with me some papers of the very highest importance to -Austria—papers that would have compromised certain highly-placed persons -in the Balkans. The spy was evidently aware of this, and it was the -motive of his strenuous endeavour to seize an opportunity to get hold of -the confidential statements in question. In Roumania, as in Servia, they -treat foreign spies with scant courtesy, and the fellow’s manner belied -his defiant words. - -That half-hour was an exciting one, until at last, after what seemed an -interminable period, the train slowed down and came to a standstill, -when my inquisitive friend of evil intentions descended, and without a -word disappeared in the darkness. - -I thought I had rid myself of his surveillance, but I was mistaken. Next -day I met him in the streets of Bucharest, and so persistently did he -follow me that I was compelled to lodge a complaint with the police. As -soon as I had done that, I saw him no more. My own belief was that he -was arrested. He may be in prison now, for all I know. In any case, he -disappeared as completely as though the earth had swallowed him up. - -This little incident, both annoying and exciting at the time, was my -first adventure on entering Roumania, but it was soon forgotten amid the -gaieties of smart Bucharest. - -The Roumanian capital is a place apart. Roumania is not a Balkan State -in any sense of the word, and has progressed so rapidly during the forty -odd years of its freedom that in Bucharest to-day, save for Roumanian -names over the shopfronts, one may easily believe oneself to be in Paris -or in Brussels. - -Indeed, some of the buildings, notably the new Post Office, the Ministry -of Foreign Affairs, and the Academy, are unequalled not only in -Brussels, but even in Paris. Bucharest is a gay city of external -glitter, bright, merry, and highly amusing after some of the dull, -half-civilised country towns in the Balkans. Smart cafés and -confectioners, expensive hotels, shops that charge double prices of -those in Paris, and theatres where one pays a sovereign for a stall, are -all to be found in Bucharest. The boulevards are broad and full of life -and movement, and the Calea Victoriei, the Boulevard Carol, and Strad -Lipsicani are as busy as any thoroughfare of a Western capital. - -Nearly every public building has a dome, while the chief object of a -Roumanian seems to be to build for himself a wonderfully ornate house -and gild the railings in front. Many of the façades of the private -houses are marvels of florid bad taste. Again, though in the streets, in -drawing-rooms and at cafés and theatres, I met hundreds upon hundreds of -officers, crowds of lieutenants, swarms of captains and a good -sprinkling of generals, all in wonderful uniforms, yet I was four days -in Bucharest before I discovered a real soldier—and then quite by -accident. He wore a brown uniform, and I mistook him for a _wagon-lit_ -conductor. - -Bucharest is a city of vivid contrasts—a wildly gay, go-ahead city, -which justly bears the reputation of being one of the most expensive in -the world. For the poor it is the cheapest; for the rich, the dearest. -Prices, for instance, at the Hotel du Boulevard are higher than at the -Savoy or Carlton in London, yet everything is excellent, the sterlet -quite as good as at the Hermitage at Moscow, and the caviare such as one -only gets in the best restaurants in Russia. - -As one wanders in the streets the Western eye meets many quaint sights. -For instance, the _birjas_, or cabs, are open victorias drawn by a pair -of long-tailed Russian horses, and driven by men wearing great padded -overcoats of blue-black velvet—huge affairs that give them very portly -proportions. Around the waist is worn a piece of gaily coloured satin -ribbon,and on the head the round Balkan cap of astrachan. Most of the -drivers are Russian refugees, and form a distinct class apart. Cabs are -extremely cheap, and the rate at which one is driven would be reckless -were it not that the men have such perfect control over their horses. - -The British colony is not a large one. Its head is, of course, our -Minister, Sir Conyngham Greene, in whose able hands British interests in -Roumania have recently been placed. Keen and active, he has already -rearranged our Consular service in Roumania, and placed the Legation on -the same footing as those of the other Powers. While every other -European nation owns a Legation house in Bucharest, we have none; and -while I was in the Roumanian capital he was a fellow-guest at the Hotel -du Boulevard. It is understood, however, that the Foreign Office—or the -Treasury—have recently been shamed into the necessity of buying a house, -and very soon Sir Conyngham will have a fitting residence, as the other -representatives of the Powers. - -Nobody ever deigns to walk in Bucharest. Everybody takes cabs, therefore -the streets are filled with vehicular traffic till far into the night. -At evening, indeed, Bucharest is at her best. Smart restaurants, with -pretty, well-dressed women, cosy theatres, flash café-chantants, and -noisy garish cafés abound all over the town, while outside, notably at -the Villa Regala, in the centre of a park, smart dinners and suppers are -given. - -The _jeunesse dorée_ are an effeminate and extravagant crowd. Gambling -permeates the whole of society, and large sums are lost and won every -evening. I know personally one member of the Roumanian Cabinet who -thinks nothing of losing or winning a couple or three thousand pounds -each week at cards. He plays every afternoon at the Club, and is always -open to play any comer for any stake proposed, no matter what it may be. - -Bucharest is a typical capital of a wealthy, easy-going country. The -people are charitable, and spend freely—when they have it. The -shop-windows, where the most expensive table delicacies are displayed, -show the foreigner the Roumanians’ extravagance in eating, while the -dresses one sees on the giddy women-folk are as up to date as any that -one notices in the Champs Elysées, the Bois, or at the Opera. Yet amid -all this up-to-dateness the old horse-tram still survives and jogs -along, and the patient white oxen toil slowly through the streets, -dragging their heavy springless carts. - -Unlike Sofia, or in Belgrade, peasants are seldom met with in the -streets of Bucharest. One may go a whole week without coming across a -woman in national costume, unless, of course, the market is specially -visited. I, however, met, in Bucharest, Mr. Harold Hartley, one of the -directors of the Earl’s Court Exhibition, and we made many pleasant -excursions into the country together. To the traveller from Western -Europe the city is highly interesting and full of curious types, -especially of the young elegant, whose present fashion, it seems, is to -shave only the front of his chin and cheeks and grow a beard all round, -very similar in cut to that of a monkey. - -[Illustration: The Royal Palace: Bucharest.] - -[Illustration: Boulevard Elisabeta: Bucharest.] - -When one recollects that about forty years ago Roumania was a -semi-civilised nation, and Bucharest a little Oriental town, its present -size and splendour are astounding. To King Charles’ rule much of this -progress is due, and in order to celebrate the fortieth year of his -reign there has recently been held a very pretty Exhibition, a miniature -of the great Exhibition of Paris. It was, I found, most interesting, and -fortunately it has been decided to preserve several of the more -important buildings, including a really excellent replica of a Roman -amphitheatre. The gaming-room is also to be preserved, of course, for -the “little horses” have great attraction for the merry people of -Bucharest. - -Yes, this Paris of the East is indeed a strange place, especially to -those used to Western morals and manners. Everyone lives far above his -income, for there seems no limit to extravagance. Prices are often -extortionate. As an example, I was charged at one restaurant half a -crown for a whisky-and-soda! At a shop across the street the charge for -the same whisky was 6 fr. 50 c. a bottle. - -Several of the restaurants are excellent, notably the Enescu, behind the -royal palace, a big place, where the best Tzigane music in Roumania is -provided gratis. The gipsy band is under one Christache Ciolac, a famous -violinist, who one day will no doubt make his mark in London. The -orchestra of the Enescu ought to be imported to one of our smart -restaurants and it would create a great sensation, for our present -so-called Roumanian music cannot be compared with the real thing. Here, -at Enescu’s, there is no dressing up in fancy costumes—not even -dress-coats. But the music is there, the strange weird gipsy melodies -and dances that run in one’s head for days afterwards. - -The cookery at Enescu’s, too, is perhaps the best in the Roumanian -capital. Next to it is the restaurant of the Boulevard, where at -luncheon there is a table set apart for the diplomats, and is always -occupied by the various young attachés and secretaries. After that, -comes Capsa’s. The feminine element in the restaurants at dinner is much -the same as it is at home, except that one often sees a mother and two, -or even three, daughters dining alone—dining in public, so that they may -be seen by some stray swain who is desirous of marriage. One night at -Enescu’s, at the table next to us, sat an Italian duchess of ancient -lineage married to a Roumanian aristocrat, with her three pretty -dark-eyed daughters of varying ages, eating solemnly, the mother ever -watchful to see whether any man had his eye upon them. We afterwards saw -them near midnight at a café solemnly sipping _sirops_ and looking -mournful and woebegone. A diplomat who was with me told me that her -Grace had been in Bucharest staying at an hotel for the past six months, -trying to get her daughters off her hands, and was now beginning to be -disgusted at her non-success. - -The Roumanian has a great hatred of the Jew. Perhaps it is because his -extravagance brings him so often into their hands. But the country is -full of Hebrews. The capital is not over-burdened with them, but in some -towns in Northern Moldavia Jews are in the majority. Indeed, their total -number in the united provinces exceeds 300,000, or about one-twentieth -of the entire population, a larger ratio than in any other country in -the world. In most provincial towns they have the monopoly of selling -strong drinks, and are of course ever ready to lend money to the -peasant-proprietors. Were it not for the fact that the law forbids any -Jew from holding landed property—or any foreigner, for the matter of -that—half the soil would probably soon be in their hands. The Moldavian -Jews speak a different language, wear a different dress, and keep -themselves aloof from their neighbours, just as do the picturesque -cabmen of Bucharest. - -Roumania can boast one artist who is really great, whose name is N. J. -Grigoresco. I was shown some of his works, the property of Mr. Ernest -Goodwin, of the Roumanian Bank, and found that they were of the Barbizon -school, which is very natural, as he was a fellow-worker with Millet. -Without exception the work was excellent, and I believe there is some -idea of having an exhibition of it in London. - -In Bucharest there is none of the laziness or languor of the Orient. -Everyone is bent on business or upon pleasure, and life for the idler is -perhaps even more pleasant there than in any other capital of Europe. -Yes, Bucharest of to-day astounds one in many ways. - - - - - CHAPTER II - ROUMANIA’S AIMS AND INTENTIONS - -Monsieur Take Jonesco, Minister of Finance—The smartest man in - Roumania—An interview with General Lahovary, Minister of Foreign - Affairs—Secret aims of Roumania—A better frontier wanted—Germany’s - insincerity—Some plain truths—The question of a Balkan - Federation—Oil wells waiting to be exploited by British capital. - - -I had a number of interviews with the members of the Roumanian -Cabinet,[2] General Jacques Lahovary, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and -M. Take Jonesco, Minister of Finance, being both particularly helpful to -me in my inquiries regarding Roumania’s political aims and aspirations. - ------ - -Footnote 2: - - Since this volume has been completed the Roumanian Cabinet has - resigned on account of the recent peasant rising, which, by the way, - was greatly exaggerated by the Austrian press. - ------ - -With the President of the Council, with General Manu, Minister of War, -and with M. Jean Lahovary, Minister of Commerce, I also had long and -interesting conversations. - -M. Take Jonesco struck me as by far the strongest and shrewdest man in -the present Cabinet. Keen, quick, and far-seeing, he has of recent years -played a prominent part in bringing his country into its present -satisfactory state. Essentially a man of action, a smart politician, and -a patriot, he is nevertheless very English, for he has an English wife, -and his beautiful home is essentially English. Unlike most statesmen in -the East, he is frank and outspoken. He speaks his mind fearlessly, and -the Opposition hold him in terror. Through his good offices I was -afforded facilities for studying various questions and forming my own -conclusions. General Lahovary, too, is a strong and brilliant man -politically, of essentially military bearing, with a clever countenance, -a long grey moustache, and wears a monocle with a tortoise-shell rim. - -[Illustration: - - His Excellency GEORGE CANTACUZEN, - Roumanian Prime Minister. -] - -[Illustration: - - His Excellency TAKE JONESCO, - Roumanian Minister of Finance. - _Photo_] [_Elliott & Fry._ -] - -My audience with him was of an essentially confidential nature. He told -me many interesting things which, for the present, it would be -injudicious to publish, in view of the strained relations between -Bulgaria and Turkey. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a millionaire’s -palace—huge white-and-gold _salons_, with polished floors, fine -pictures, and beautiful gilt-and-red damask furniture. A showy -millionaire built it as his residence, and died soon afterwards. Then -the Government bought it for an old song, with the result that the -Ministry is housed in more gorgeous quarters than any other Ministry in -Europe. - -From my inquiries in various political quarters in Bucharest, both among -members of the Government and the Opposition, I found one unanimous -view, that war between Turkey and Bulgaria over Macedonia must come at -an early date. In Roumania the opinion is that even though a European -prince be appointed Governor-General of Macedonia, the war between the -two countries would only be postponed. It is believed that Bulgaria is -strong, and that the Stancioff policy will be to resist the Turk by arms -within a very few months. - -As Bulgaria hates the Turk, so does Roumania. But the latter will not -assist Bulgaria unless she gets some _quid pro quo_. This fact became -very forcibly impressed upon me. Bulgaria cannot attack Turkey without -Roumania’s consent, so the Roumanians declare. And moral support will -only be given on one condition. That is, if Bulgaria, as the result of -the war, annexes any Macedonian territory—as she naturally would do—then -she should cede to Roumania that portion of her territory lying between -the Danube and the Black Sea, taking a line from a little east of -Rustchuk to a little east of Varna. Such condition is certainly not to -be viewed in Bulgaria with any satisfaction, yet as its acceptance would -mean the extension of Bulgaria to the Adriatic, the settlement of the -Macedonian question, and the final destruction of effete Turkey as a -power in Europe, the Bulgarian Cabinet are considering it very -carefully. - -Roumania is not over-anxious to extend her territory, but her present -frontier between Rustchuk and the Black Sea is one which she knows it -would be impossible to defend in case of hostilities. She therefore -desires a better frontier, in order that she can hold her own in time of -war. Besides, she naturally will want some of the spoils when the Turks -and Greeks are driven from Macedonia. - -The Roumanian policy is one of peace, combined with firmness. General -Lahovary is not a vacillating statesman. His policy is one of progress, -as his action towards Greece over the ill-treatment of Roumanians in -Macedonia has shown. It is intended, no doubt, that the much-vexed -question shall not be settled without Roumania having a hand in it. As -is well known, Germany protects Roumania’s interests in Macedonia. -Through her, the Roumanian schools have been established in Salonica, -Monastir, and other places; but quite recently the good relations with -Germany have been somewhat lessened owing to some friction regarding the -exploitation of the Roumanian oil wells by a German syndicate. The -German intention was to make a trust, which Roumania promptly quashed by -passing a special Act directed against them. It is a curious fact that -since this friction Germany has stood by and witnessed the terrible -atrocities committed by the Greek bands upon the Roumanians in Macedonia -without raising her voice in protest. This, in itself, is sufficient to -make one doubt Germany’s sincerity, and certainly the eyes of the -Roumanians are already pretty wide open to the machinations of Berlin in -the Balkans. - -[Illustration: - - His Excellency GEO. G. MANO, - Roumanian Minister of War. -] - -[Illustration: - - SIR CONYNGHAM GREENE, - British Minister at Bucharest. - _Photo_] [_Bassano._ -] - -The conflict between Roumania and Greece—whatever may be thought of the -very recent discovery of Roumanians in Macedonia—is quite simple. There -are in Macedonia undoubtedly a small percentage of the population which -speaks Roumanian, and who are appealing to their brothers for protection -to allow them to remain Roumanians. In face of this appeal there are two -courses of action possible. One is to reply, “You are of no importance; -you are so few; you are too far away; you cannot expect us to embroil -ourselves in foreign politics for your sake. And besides, our ideals and -our aspirations are different.” The other reply is to adopt the course -which, for the past forty years, all Roumanian Governments have adopted, -namely, to protect and support their subjects abroad and look after -their general interests. Roumania has already done this in Macedonia. -She obtained an irade from the Sultan recognising the Roumanians in -Turkey as a nation apart, and giving them the right to live as -Roumanians. And what has been the result? Bands of Greek _antartes_ at -once crossed into Macedonia and began to assassinate and torture every -Roumanian subject they could lay hands upon. Is it therefore any wonder -that diplomatic negotiations should be broken off between Bucharest and -Athens? - -The action of Roumania in pressing for the rights of Roumanians in -Macedonia and in obtaining the irade has, of course, been the subject of -much criticism in the European press. M. Take Jonesco has been -personally criticised as having been the prime mover of the agitation of -the past two years. I mentioned it to him, and he denied that Roumania -had any ulterior motive in Macedonia save to protect her subjects there -and to allow them their own language, their own religion, their own -education, and give them freedom to live as Roumanians. It was absurd, -he declared, to suggest that Roumania intended to acquire territory in -Macedonia, or that the Roumanian Valachs were of only recent discovery. -Their geographical position refuted the first suggestion; and as to the -second, he proved to me that geographers and travellers had written -about them a century ago, one proof being that the English traveller -Leake had mentioned them in his book, published in 1814, saying that the -race in question were undoubtedly Roumanians. Leake also says: “The -Valachs occupy the centre of Macedonia and Thessaly, and nearly all the -Pindre, forming three principal groups.” The Finance Minister also -showed me the evidence collected by the Roumanian writer, Nicholas -Papahagi, and recently issued under the title _Les Roumains de Turquie_. -To me he proved most conclusively that the Roumanian contention was at -least well founded, and that the European critics were incorrect in -supposing that Roumania wants territory in Macedonia. She may have her -eye upon that little strip of Bulgaria in order to strengthen her -frontier, and, I think, quite naturally. She knows that “a big Bulgaria” -is bound to arise. She can never hope to be of equal strength with the -Bulgar. Therefore she wants to entrench herself now that there is a -forthcoming opportunity. - -Both General Lahovary and M. Take Jonesco were quite frank with me in -their explanation of Roumania’s future policy. Roumania knows that -nowadays right, if not supported by force, is not might. Grand words, if -not sustained by bayonets, bring serious men into ridicule. During the -past two years the Roumanian army has been improved, consolidated, and -brought into perfection. But their intentions are entirely pacific, even -though they have not hesitated to augment the war budget, and will still -augment it if necessary. Roumania intends to remain passive in the -present Balkan complications, but if she finds it necessary for the -protection of her compatriots in Macedonia she will, like Bulgaria, take -arms against the Turk and drive him back into his capital, and across -into Asia Minor—which is surely the best place for him. - -I spoke with several Roumanian statesmen upon the idea of a -Confederation of the Balkan States. Most of them were in accord that -such a thing was within the bounds of possibility, but that it was very -unlikely that Roumania would ever enter such a Confederation. Roumanians -are fond of declaring that their country is not a Balkan State, yet if -such Confederation were formed it seems difficult to see how Roumania -could hold aloof. - -[Illustration: GEN. JACQUES LAHOVARY, Roumanian Minister of Foreign -Affairs.] - -It is perhaps premature to talk seriously of such a Confederation. In -the various political quarters where I referred to the question, I found -that Roumanians considered it at present very difficult of arrangement, -and very dubious whether Roumania could ever enter it. Events of the -last thirty years have considerably altered the map of Europe, and in -each case smaller States have been amalgamated into kingdoms and -empires, such as Italy and Germany. The saying of King Corvin that “The -kingdom which has not one language is a mad kingdom” is, in our days, no -longer true, Austria being an example. The Serbs, the Bulgars, the -Greeks, and the Roumanians are widely separated by language and by race. -Yet, threatened on the one side by Germany and the other by Austria, -they may, in the near future, find it judicious to combine, as the only -way of preserving their territory and independence. The difficulties of -the problem are, however, many. The Greeks and Bulgars are at drawn -swords, the Roumanians and Greeks have broken off diplomatic -negotiations, and between the Serbs and Bulgars the feeling is not -really so friendly as it should be. At the bottom of all, too, we find -the everlasting question of Macedonia, which, in itself, must prevent a -Confederation. But if it is ever accomplished, then it will take a high -place in the general politics of Europe. Besides, it is improbable that -the Confederation could ever be formed without objections being raised -by the Powers, and it is very likely a great war might result. In -Roumania, therefore, the idea of a Balkan Confederation is not regarded -with great favour. The first question of all is Macedonia—ever -Macedonia, and “the terrible Greek.” - -As regards the internal politics of Roumania, they are not within the -scope of this present volume. Both the finance and commerce of the -country seem to be in an excellent state notwithstanding the recent -dissatisfaction of the peasantry. Thanks to the efforts of M. Jonesco, -the finances of the country are now in a thoroughly sound condition, and -every day sees greater prosperity. As I found in Servia and in Bulgaria -openings for British capital, so there is in Roumania also many openings -for British industrial enterprises, especially weaving. The climate is -not favourable for cotton-spinning, but for weaving there are many -enterprises that would pay good dividends. - -In the petroleum wells there have been, since their discovery fifteen -years ago, about 150,000,000 francs of foreign capital invested. Greater -part of this is German, but there is also a French, Italian, and Dutch -element in the various companies exploiting the wells. The Standard Oil -Company of America have about 15,000,000 francs invested, but there is -no British enterprise. The oil is refined in Roumania, but a good deal -of crude oil is sent to France, as well as great quantities of benzine. - -From Turn Severin, on the western border of the country, the petroleum -zone can be distinctly traced at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, -skirting them in their course through the country towards Bukovina and -Galicia on the north-east. Along the whole length of this zone are -primitive hand-dug wells, the workings prior to 1873, when the American -oilfields were discovered. Since 1895, however, a new stimulus was given -to the industry by the modification of the mining laws, and from that -date the oil industry has been gradually increasing, and only awaits the -introduction of British capital to develop the enormous oil-fields. - -It is claimed that the Roumanian petroleum contains 14, 15 and 25 per -cent. more pure oil than American, Galician, or Caucasian oils -respectively. The total production in 1905 was 602,000 tons, or double -the production of four years ago, while the export has nearly doubled in -the past two years. The Deutcher and Dresden Banks and the Disconto -Gesellschaft have about three million and a half pounds invested in it, -while a new company, called the “Trajan,” with a capital of £200,000, -has recently been formed, of which Marmorosch, Blank, & Co. of -Bucharest, the principal promoters, have taken two-fifths. It will -absorb the “Helios” and several other minor companies. - -Very large areas of the Roumanian oil-fields are the property of the -State, and have hitherto been unworked, but the Minister of Commerce, -when I questioned him upon the subject, informed me that a law recently -passed by the Chamber provides for the leasing of these lands to private -companies, though important provisos are introduced in order to prevent -monopolies. The Minister explained to me the chief points of the new -laws, and as they may interest British capitalists, I give them. It -appears that the Government may now lease for a period of fifty years -prospected or unprospected land of maximum areas of 100 and 1000 -hectares respectively. The concession is granted to the party offering -the highest rent. No more than three lots can be leased to one -concessionaire. The capital, which must be at least 2,000,000 francs for -every 100 hectare lot of prospected land or 1000 hectares of -unprospected land, must be deposited. Amalgamation or assignment is -illegal, and any secret fusion involves loss of the concession. The -State reserves to itself the exclusive right of working all means of -transport for petroleum, and will take a compensation of at least 10 per -cent. on the gross profit of the working. Over and above that rent, the -State participates in the net profits of the working as follows: (1) -one-third should the net profit fluctuate between 10 and 30 per cent.; -(2) from 30 and more per cent., the share of the State is 50 per cent. -of the net profits. The State levies upon concessionaires a lease-charge -of 20 francs per hectare, and in addition the general taxes are to be -paid. All concessions are subject to Roumanian laws and regulations, and -the State assumes no responsibility for the profitableness of land -leased. - -These conditions are certainly onerous, yet there is no doubt a big -field for British capital in Roumanian oil. The Minister of Commerce -impressed upon me this fact, and declared that he would give every -facility to intending concessionaires, providing they were properly -introduced, and were persons who meant serious business. - -In the words of our Consul-General at Galatz, “It is not very easy to -account for the apathy of British capitalists in seeking openings in -Roumania. Perhaps its position in the remote corner of Europe, and -perhaps the difficulties of language have something to do with it.” -Anyhow, there is a big future before the oil industry in Roumania, and -it is amazing that no one has yet had the courage to try the business -under the new conditions. As the Minister pointed out, “The American -Standard Oil Company are already firmly established in Roumania. Why -should not an English company also work the fields?” - -The future, and not a far-distant one, will no doubt see many of the -wells exploited by British capital. - -In Roumania there are also salt mines sufficient to supply the whole -world. The coal deposits are not numerous, but iron and copper are known -to exist, though they are not yet exploited. - -I had an opportunity of examining the commercial statistics for the -present year, not yet published, and they showed on the exports an -augmentation on each of the past six years of considerably over 100 -million francs. This, in itself, speaks volumes for the prosperity of -this the most civilised and progressive nation of the Orient, which has, -no doubt, a greater and far more brilliant future before it. - -[Illustration: HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF ROUMANIA.] - - - - - CHAPTER III - A CHAT WITH THE QUEEN OF ROUMANIA - -The royal drawing-room—Her Majesty’s greeting—Her kind words of - welcome—Roumania not in the Balkan States—We talk politics—The name - of “Carmen Sylva”—The Queen’s deep interest in the blind—She shows - me some photographs—Public interest in the new institution—I visit - it next day. - - -I was standing one Sunday evening in the great drawing-room of the royal -palace at Bucharest, chatting with Madame Zoe Bengesco, lady-in-waiting -to the Queen of Roumania. - -Madame Maurojeni, _grande-maîtresse_ of Her Majesty’s Court, had -appointed my audience for half-past six, and as the bowing liveried -servants had conducted me through the great entrance and up the large -red-carpeted horse-shoe staircase, I was struck with the old-fashioned -comfort, combined with taste, everywhere displayed. - -While chatting with Madame Bengesco, who was inquiring after some mutual -friends in Belgrade, I glanced around the great salon or salons—for -there are two of equal proportions, the one running at right angles with -the other. Splendid old brocade-covered furniture, tables with -interesting knick-knacks, a grand piano, the fine organ upon which Her -Majesty so often plays, beautiful hangings, magnificent paintings upon -the walls and old Persian rugs upon the polished floor, all combined, -under the soft electric light, to produce a harmony of quiet taste and -luxury. - -The salons were huge, high-ceilinged, and splendid, yet there was an air -of homeliness about them, and indeed about the whole palace, that I have -not found in other royal palaces of Europe wherein I have been received. -The great quiet room bore traces of the artistic hand of Her Majesty -herself. - -I had asked for audience not without some misgiving, for His Majesty the -King was lying very ill, and the Queen—the “Carmen Sylva” of European -literary fame—was at his bedside always, administering to her sick -husband’s wants, nursing him, and reading aloud to him for hours each -day. For weeks she had given audience to no one, therefore it was a -pleasant surprise when Madame Maurojeni told me that the Queen was going -to make an exception in my case. - -I was chatting with Madame Bengesco, and suddenly turned to find Her -Majesty—a tall, fine figure _en décolletée_, a sweet smile of welcome -upon her face—standing before me. She wore a very handsome gown of pale -dove-grey _crêpe-de-chine_, but no jewellery save a single gold bracelet -and one or two very fine rings. - -“So you have come to see our country, Mr. N——?” Her Majesty exclaimed in -English, smiling pleasantly, after I had made my obeisance, and she had -shaken hands with me. “Come, let us sit over in that corner. It is more -cosy.” And she conducted me to a luxurious little corner of the salon, -while the lady-in-waiting retired. - -I began by thanking Her Majesty for giving me audience at such a time of -anxiety. - -“I have just left the King to come to you,” she answered. “He is very -much better, I am thankful to say, and yesterday took a little -nourishment. Ah yes, it has been a most anxious time for me. You will -forgive me if I am a little tired, won’t you? When I heard you were in -Bucharest I determined to meet you. I have heard of you, long ago, you -know! Now, tell me, what brings you to Roumania?” - -I explained that my confidential mission was to inquire into the future -of the Balkans, whereupon she interrupted me with that sweet laugh that -is one of her characteristics, saying— - -“Ah, you must never include us in the Balkan States, recollect! We -Roumanians speak another language; the Danube separates us from the -Balkans, and we have nothing in common with the races on the other side -of the river. The reason why we are not taking part in this year’s -Exhibition at your Earl’s Court is because they have called it ‘The -Balkan Exhibition.’” - -I laughingly promised to be very careful on the point in future. As she -sat before me, the handsome, thoughtful countenance, the white hair -brushed straight back, and the soft and very becoming head-dress, Her -Majesty was surely the most picturesque, the most interesting, and -perhaps the most accomplished and intelligent of the Queens of Europe. - -I told her of my journey through Northern Albania, in which she was -deeply interested, and asked me lots of questions. Then I explained how -I was on my way to Constantinople and through Macedonia, whereupon she -made a quick gesture with her hands, and exclaimed— - -“Then you are studying Macedonia! Ah, what a very difficult task you -have! We have Roumanians in Macedonia, as you know—and, poor people, -they are being treated very badly. What the outcome of it all is to be, -who can tell? There are so many conflicting peoples, so many conflicting -interests, so much jealousy among the Powers.” - -“Ah! I see that your Majesty takes an interest in politics!” I -exclaimed. - -“No. You are mistaken,” she answered. “I, of course, know the general -outlines of most of the subjects, but I am a woman, and am not expected -to be a politician. My sphere lies in endeavouring to do good to the -people, to ameliorate their sufferings, and to look after my various -charitable institutions.” - -Surely the name of Carmen Sylva—that sweet-faced, womanly woman who, -though a queen, is so charming and unassuming—is synonymous with all -that is good and charitable. For Roumania, she has done what no other -woman has done. Nearly all the charity of the country has been -initiated, and partly supported, by her efforts. She lives her life for -the poor and needy, and has worked hard for years on their behalf. - -In society in Bucharest I had heard some talk of her great interest in -the blind, and that one of her protégés, himself a blind man, had -invented a machine by which the Braille type for blind-books could be -printed by type, instead of, as hitherto, being embossed by hand. This -subject I referred to, when at once her eyes shone with enthusiasm and -she said— - -“Then if you would like to know all about it, Mr. N——, I’ll tell you. It -all came about in this way. Some years ago I had, as copyist, a servant, -quite a poor man. His young wife and his children had died, and, poor -fellow, he was in the greatest depths of despair when I took him into my -service. So I gave him very hard work to do, in order that his mind -should be occupied and he should forget. Well, time went on, and I was -always much interested in the welfare of the blind, when one day this -servant came to me and told me that a certain blind man named -Theodorescu, whom we had rescued, was making experiments whereby the -Braille books could be multiplied by printing, and thus place reading -and instruction in the hands of every blind person in the world. This, I -saw, would mean light in the darkness of the afflicted, so we provided -the poor fellow with means to perfect his invention, with the result -that he produced a rough and somewhat incomplete process. This was then -taken over by Mr. Monske, an old servant of mine, who worked here in a -room in the palace for over a year trying to perfect the machine. We -made no mention of it to a soul, but kept it a dead secret, until at -last success came, and now it is patented over the whole world—the first -complete machine for printing books for the blind!” - -“Have you many blind in Roumania?” I asked. - -“They say we have twenty thousand. But I believe we have many more, -because already in Bucharest the police have discovered for me many more -than were shown upon their statistics. But let me tell you what the -outcome of this invention is, and what it will be,” the Queen went on. -“I have recently started a small blind institution, where the books will -eventually be printed. I might tell you that some time ago, before the -invention was perfected, we sent for an American machine, a cumbersome -affair, which cost three thousand francs. Our machine will cost only -three hundred francs. A Vienna firm wished to manufacture them, but I -preferred that they should be made here, in Roumania. Well, our small -institution—which is under the direction of Mr. Monske and his wife—is -already in working order. See”—and she rose and took me across the -salon, where there were a number of photographs arranged in a big frame -surmounted by the royal crown and cipher, copies of which are reproduced -in these pages. - -[Illustration: The Queen of Roumania’s Blind Institute in Bucharest.] - -“Here, you see, are some pictures which the photographer very kindly -sent me. Aren’t they interesting? Here is the first child we found. He’s -an intelligent little chap, with musical instincts evidently, for I was -told a few days ago that he had been found trying to play four -instruments at once! Here you see them basket-making—here they are -having a concert—and here is a group—and so on. Aren’t they -interesting?” she asked enthusiastically. “And to think that they were -nearly all found as beggars. Some are men who have been in good -positions. That man was an officer, for instance!” - -Then Her Majesty went back to her seat, and I reseated myself with her. - -“The present institution is only the beginning,” she said. “I have a -scheme for establishing a city for the blind—a model town, to which the -blind of every nation may come and work, and support themselves. Now I -will tell you something about it. When it was known that I intended to -do this, people came forward on every hand to give me assistance. One -gentleman gave me 100,000 francs, while a lady has given me the site for -the city near Sinaia, a beautiful place where, close by, we have a -castle. The site is an ideal one, and very shortly we shall lay it out -with model houses built in modern style, in which two families can live. -We do not wish to separate a blind man from his family, but the kitchens -will be in common, so that the wife may be relieved of much of her -household duties and afforded time to work and earn money.” - -“We have several model villages in England, your Majesty,” I remarked. -“The one called Port Sunlight might interest you. I could perhaps get -photographs from Mr. Lever, who built it.” - -“Oh, do. It would be so kind of you. Will you ask him?” she said. “I -might get some excellent ideas from Mr. Lever’s scheme. Of course we -must have a working men’s club, a concert hall, a church, and recreation -room.” - -“And what does your Majesty call your present institution?” - -“In Roumanian it is ‘The Hearth of Light,’ but in English it would be -better translated as ‘The Home of Light.’ Would you like to visit it?” - -“I should be delighted,” I replied. - -“Then Monske shall call for you and show you everything. Remember that -the people are not paupers. From the first day they come to us they -receive one franc a day, which is increased according to the skill they -show in chair-making, basket-making, rope-making, and other such -industries. As regards the blind city scheme, Mrs. Fern, wife of a -former American Minister here, is starting for the United States in a -few days, and is taking one of the new machines with her, and is going -to hold conferences and explain the scheme in the principal cities of -America. You see now, for the first time, education is fully open to the -blind. The books will be printed as easily as other books, and will be -within the reach of all. It is a splendid thing—and I am happy to say -that I am receiving donations from every side. I have worked for years, -and now the people are, I am gratified to think, appreciating my efforts -in the cause of humanity. Yesterday Monske came to me and showed me 500 -francs he had that day received. I held up notes for 7000 francs, which -I had also received. One firm has sent me a magnificent organ, and I -have even poor families subscribing a franc a month towards the blind. -Does not that show that in the hearts of the people there is a corner -for the poor afflicted? But remember that the blind colony is to be open -to all nationalities. It is a big undertaking, I admit; for I have in -Roumania twenty thousand people and their families. Yet the scheme will -work, I am confident. And while they are now in penury, they will soon -be educated, and be able to place themselves, by their work, in a -position of independence.” - -For over an hour we chatted together, until, after promising to send me -a signed photograph of herself and of the King, she rose, saying— - -“I am so delighted to have had a chat with you, Mr. N——. I will send Mr. -Monske to you in the morning. But the King is alone, and will want me to -read again to him, so I must go.” And Her Majesty, smiling graciously, -gave me her hand, saying, “_Au revoir._” - -I bowed over it, thanked her for the audience, and retired, charmed by -her marvellous personality, her sweet silver voice, her kindly manner, -and her queenly bearing, all of which combined to create an impression -which will always remain with me—an hour spent with a woman who is -unique in the whole world. - -Next day Her Majesty sent me the autographed photograph which appears on -another page, together with a very charming note of thanks for a slight -service I had been able to render her. - -One morning a few days later, by the Queen’s order, I was shown over her -Blind Institute, which is called the “Vatra Luminoasa Regina Elizaveta,” -and is in the Boulevardul Carol, in Bucharest. - -A large comfortable house, standing back from the road in its own -grounds, it is the first institution to be founded under the new scheme, -and the nucleus of what will most certainly become a great and important -charitable work. Mr. Monske, the Director, a pleasant-faced, youngish -man, with a bright, open expression, received me, in the business-like -office, where a blind typist was busy with correspondence, using a -Remington machine with celluloid caps on each third key. - -“Ah!” exclaimed the poor afflicted typist in French, “you do not know -what this place means to us! Take myself, for example. I was a clerk in -an office here, in Bucharest, and eight years ago I went totally blind. -My life after my misfortune was one of misery. I was in the depths of -despair, for the blind are not wanted on the earth. And then came the -good Queen, and saved me. My story is the same as all of us here—lifted -out of despair and placed in a position of comfort and independence, for -all of us are paid for our work.” - -The poor clerk seemed thankful from the very bottom of his heart. He was -full of praise of Her Majesty’s great goodness, and the kindness of the -private persons helping her. Of Mr. Monske he sang praises, and then -when he was told who and what I was, he asked me in the name of his -fellow-inmates of the Institute to tell the English what a grand and -noble work “Carmen Sylva” was doing. - -Mr. Monske then took me to the music-room, a large bright apartment with -a fine organ,—the gift of a blind Austrian gentleman,—two pianos, and -other musical instruments. On the walls were the portraits of the King -and Queen, while the floor was of polished oak. Here, one afternoon each -week, Her Majesty comes, accompanied by her ladies-in-waiting and some -friends, and gives the blind inmates and their families a musical -entertainment. Thus the Queen keeps the Institute under her own personal -supervision. - -In another room—a play-room—I saw a homely-looking woman playing with a -little blind child of four years, while the oldest inmate I saw was -about sixty. The dormitories for the thirty-two inmates that were there -at the time of my visit were scrupulously clean and very airy. Each man -had his bed, his washstand, his lock-up wardrobe, while the floors -everywhere were covered with linoleum. - -I was taken to a long new building, just erected in the grounds, which -is being fitted as a rope-works. There is room for thirty men to work -with ease. Close beside it is about to be erected a private chapel, -given by a gentleman in Bucharest, while on the other side of the house -I was shown the chair-making workshops, the overseer of which was a -blind man himself. Here, while some were expert menders of cane chairs, -others were being taught the trade. The Director explained that he had -just signed a big contract with a firm of chair-makers, and showed me -the hundreds upon hundreds of frames ready to go into the hands of the -blind. - -[Illustration: Blind Inmates at Work.] - -The last department I was shown was that in which the new Theodorescu -machine was being used to emboss blind-books. It is an interesting and -ingenious method by which the type, consisting of small blunt pins, is -set in a brass frame very similar to ordinary type, and is set indeed by -the blind themselves. Then, when a frame is full, it is put into a -special press, and any number of impressions can be taken from the -embossing-pins. - -Mr. Monske first reduces the printed book to embossed Braille -characters, and these are set up by the blind compositors, and -impressions taken very rapidly. I was shown bulky volumes of well-known -works that have already been printed in this manner and now, for the -first time, given to the blind. Recently Mr. Monske made a tour to the -various blind institutions in France, Austria, and Germany, and without -any prospectus, sold 140 of the machines. It certainly is a simple but -most ingenious invention, which in the future will bring great profits -to the Queen’s blind colony. - -As regards private subscriptions, I was shown the list. They range from -50 centimes to £4000. On the day previous to my visit it was shown by -the list that Her Majesty had received over 5000 francs in donations. -Funds are coming in, it is true, but for the development of the scheme a -large sum is required. It is for that reason that Her Majesty is making -an earnest appeal all over the world to those interested in the welfare -of the blind. Her great institution—of which this is only the nucleus—is -an international one, and men and their families of all creeds and -nationalities are eligible. Her Majesty has asked me to say that -subscriptions, however small, can be sent either to Madame Zoe Bengesco, -Dame d’Honneur to the Queen of Roumania, Bucharest, or to Mr. R. Monske, -Director “Vatra Luminoasa Regina Elizaveta,” Boulevardul Carol 31, -Bucharest, and would be duly acknowledged. - - - - - TURKEY - - - - -[Illustration: - - HIS EXCELLENCY TEWFIK PASHA, - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Imperial Ottoman Empire. -] - - - - - CHAPTER I - THE LAND OF THE WANING MOON - -The Orient Express again—On the Black Sea to Constantinople—A - disenchantment—My dragoman—How to bribe the Customs officers—Mud and - dogs—A city of spies—Feebleness of British policy at the - Porte—Turkish adoration of Germany—The basis of my confidential - inquiries. - - -From Bucharest to Constantinople is not at all an unpleasant journey. - -The Orient Express runs twice a week to Constantza, the Roumanian port -on the Black Sea, where there is a fine and comfortable -passenger-steamer service direct to Constantinople. - -At Bucharest Station I was seen off by several kind friends, with many -parting injunctions to “take care of myself” in Macedonia, and it was -not without regret that I left the gay little Roumanian capital, where I -had received so much hospitality, from Her Majesty the Queen down to -some of the humblest of her subjects. - -The “Orient,” on the Constantza line, is not so well fitted, nor is the -food so good, as upon the direct line from Paris to Constantinople by -way of Belgrade and Sofia. - -The whole train was shabby, dusty, and over-heated, and the dinner, -instead of the usual _table d’hôte_, was _à la carte_. The only item on -the bill of fare, however, proved to be beef-steak. The small piece -cooked for me was fit only for a dog, and served on a dirty tablecloth; -therefore I was compelled to make my dinner off stale bread and soapy -cheese. And this on a _train de luxe_—and one of the principal European -Expresses! - -The Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits et Grand Express Européenes -are not very considerate towards travellers to the East. There is -neither competition in sleeping accommodation nor buffets, therefore the -rolling-stock is often old-fashioned and dirty, and the food leaves very -much to be desired. Surely upon a journey of three or four days, the -maximum degree of comfort should be secured! Why should the traveller -who spends one night between Calais and Nice be better provided for than -he who goes East from Ostend to Constantinople—a four days’ journey? - -In the “Orient,” the old-fashioned coal-fire heating in every carriage -is still in vogue, and consequently the person who is unfortunate enough -to have a berth near the stove is half roasted, while he who is at the -farther end is half frozen. The traveller who goes East would certainly -welcome the up-to-date _wagons-lits_ of the Mediterranean or Carlsbad -Expresses. - -I travelled in the “Orient” from Paris to Vienna, from Belgrade to -Sofia, from Bucharest to Constantza, and from Nisch in Servia to Paris, -and on each of the trains were the same defects in sleeping comfort, and -often in food. - -It is to be hoped that the Company will shortly remedy this, for on some -of their routes, notably Calais-Paris, or Paris-Marseilles, the food is -all that can be desired. - -The Express, after passing the wonderful bridge over the Danube, arrives -at the quay at Constantza, or Kustendji, as is its local name, at eleven -o’clock at night, where the mails from London and Vienna are quickly -transferred on board, and we are soon under steam, with the flashing -light of Cape Tusla fast disappearing at the stern. - -The steamer _King Charles_ makes the voyage from Constantza to -Alexandria, calling at Constantinople, and is a very comfortable and -up-to-date boat, with excellent state-rooms and a fine saloon, and -ladies’ drawing-room. Officers and men are Roumanians, but as the head -steward speaks French there is no difficulty. An excellent supper at -midnight, with Roumanian white wine, caviare, and a glass of -_slivovitza_ to follow, and then a stroll on the deck in the white -moonlight. - -Past the Kamara and Shabaloh lights, we at last see the broad rays from -the Kali Akra, and then we head straight out upon the lonely sea for the -Bosphorus. One by one, the tired travellers, some of them from Ostend, -Berlin, or Petersburg, make for their berths, and finding myself alone, -I turn into the comfortable deck cabin kindly secured for me by telegram -by my friend the Minister of Finance in Bucharest. - -Rising early, I was already out on deck and taking photographs as we -passed the two Turkish forts, Kilia and Poiraz, at the narrow entrance -to the Bosphorus. And after stopping to take up our pilot, we crept -slowly up the narrow channel amid delightful scenery, some of which I -photographed and have reproduced in these pages, past the pretty summer -resort of Therapia and Anatoli Hissar, until we approached the capital -of Turkey, with her hundred domes and minarets, looking almost like a -fairy city against the blue cloudless sky as we approached. - -But what a disenchantment on landing! That terrible rabble at Galata in -the midst of dirt and squalor, of shouting touts, scrambling porters, -and scavenger dogs, is a thing to be ever remembered. Fortunately, I had -a Greek dragoman, one Demosthenes Cambothecras, to meet me. I can -recommend him as an excellent and honest fellow, and to the intending -traveller I may say that a letter addressed to the Pera Palace Hotel -will always find him. - -He stood on the quay amid the thousand off-scum of Constantinople, and -shouted my name. I shouted back, and ten minutes later we met. When I -gave him over my baggage ticket, he said— - -“The customs here, m’sieur, are difficult. But, with your permission, I -will give the officer five francs.” - -I assented readily, and my luggage was passed without inquiry, while -that of a bespectacled Hungarian next me was examined piece by piece, -greatly to the disgust and consternation of his obese wife. - -I saw no money pass in the shabby, shed-like Custom House, but he told -me that the chief of the Customs employed an agent out in the street to -receive his bribes! So much for the morality of the Custom dues in -Turkey. In that very same week the British Ambassador had made protest -to the Sublime Porte regarding the same thing, but was promptly “snuffed -out” by the all-influential Power, Germany. - -Germany and German interests are always paramount in Turkey. If you are -an Englishman, you may take a back seat and endure all your passport -worries, but the German is, by the Turk, supposed to be his friend. -German diplomacy is clever, wary, and unscrupulous, and in the Sultan’s -capital you are treated with deference if you are a subject of the -Kaiser William. - -And how strange and ridiculous it all is! Germany intends ere long to -wipe Turkey off the face of Europe—only Turkey cannot see it. She is -fascinated and spellbound by German cringing and German goodwill, all -pretence, and all directed towards the one end of traitorous -abandonment. - -Great Britain, notwithstanding her fine Embassy, is entirely eclipsed by -the big white palace overlooking the Bosphorus which houses the German -Ambassador. Tewfik Pasha, the Sultan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, -lives beneath its shadow, and the Turks look upon Germany as their -natural protector and friend. A British protest to the Porte passes -unheeded, while a German protest receives attention and adjustment the -very next day. A German diplomatist at the Sublime Porte told me this -with a roar of laughter, adding— - -“We are the only diplomatists here. We are listened to. You are merely -tolerated.” - -And verily he spoke a great truth. - -Our big grey Embassy in Pera, with its gorgeous Montenegrin _kavass_, -may be extremely ornamental and impressive, but nowadays of little use. -The British taxpayer is paying for the glorification of Great Britain -without one single farthing’s worth of benefit. The Turkish -Government—clever as they are—laugh in the face of our persevering and -well-meaning Ambassador. They give him, or his representative, cups of -rather badly-made coffee in Tewfik’s shabby anteroom at the Sublime -Porte, and put their fingers to their noses behind his back. It is not -the fault of our Ambassador, or of his staff. All of them are practised -diplomatists, who endeavour to their utmost to do their duty to King and -Country, and to protect British interests in the East. The fault lies in -the timid policy and shrinking politeness adopted by our present -Government. The late lamented Lord Salisbury, or Lord Beaconsfield, -would never for a moment have submitted to the open rebuffs which Great -Britain daily meets with nowadays at Constantinople. - -The Turk knows that Germany is behind him, and is therefore defiant. So -British diplomacy is beaten every time. - -Constantinople swarms with spies. If you have ever been there, and -landed from a steamer, you will recollect that a crowd of unwashed -porters swarm on board directly the ship is made fast. Every man of that -ragged rabble is a spy. He is only allowed on board on condition that he -gives information to the Custom officers ashore as to any concealment of -revolvers, books, or prohibited articles. Respectable dragomans are -constantly asked to assist in this, and offered monetary reward, as well -as a permit to board the ship, but they refuse—and leave the espionage -to the rabble. - -And so it is all through the Turkish capital. Spies are everywhere—they -haunt one in all the hotels, even in the much-advertised Pera Palace—and -every movement of the stranger is noted. If you happen to be a German -and have shown your passport in the Custom House, then you go hither and -thither and do whatever you like. But if you are of any other -nationality you will be suspected and haunted by all sorts and -conditions of secret agents, until you kick the mud of Constantinople -off your boots. - -I have been more than once in the Sultan’s capital, and on each -occasion, on entering it, have been seized with a fit of depression, -which has only been removed when I have got my passport _viséd_ by the -British Consul-General, and also by the Turkish police, preliminary to -leaving the place. - -The squalor in Galata, in Stamboul, and even in aristocratic Pera, -sickens one. The streets, unswept for ages, are an inch deep in slimy -mud, upon which one slides and slips at every step, and the grey, -wolf-like dogs, held sacred by every Turk, prowl about in hordes, each -in their own quarter, living in the streets and sleeping in doorways. - -Constantinople, with the most picturesque and beautiful position in all -the world, is the most filthy and uncomfortable of all cities. With the -exception of the Grande Rue, at Pera, there is scarcely a single decent -European business street. Every thoroughfare is crowded to excess by a -motley throng of Mohammedans, both European and Asiatic, and every form -of costume and physiognomy, from the Tartar to the Syrian, may be seen. - -The pilgrimages were leaving for Mecca while I was there, and the whole -city was filled with the Faithful from every part of the great Moslem -world. The bridge at Galata was daily a perfect panorama of costume as -the pilgrims assembled to embark. - -Though I spent a little time in the great Bazaar—which is always -attractive to the traveller from the West—and revisited Saint Sophia and -other of the big mosques, my days in Constantinople were mostly occupied -in having interesting chats with the heads of the Turkish Government. - -I carried letters of introduction to His Excellency Tewfik Pasha, the -Sultan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; to the Grand Vizier of the Sultan; -to d’Aristarchi Bey, the Grand Logothete; to His Excellency Noury Pasha, -Under-State Secretary for Foreign Affairs; to the British Chargé -d’Affaires, Mr. Geo. H. Barclay—the Ambassador being absent on leave; to -His Excellency Monsieur George Simitch, the Servian Minister; to M. -Dimetri Vlastari, the well-known banker; to Mehemed Ali Pasha; to Riza -Pasha, Minister of War; and to many other of the leading people in the -Turkish capital. - -Thus I was enabled to go thoroughly into the present state of affairs. I -was granted an audience of His Majesty the Sultan, as well as by the -Grand Vizier, by Tewfik Pasha, the Khardjie-Naziri, and had many -interviews with the persons named above. - -My inquiries were mainly directed to ascertaining—first, what attitude -Turkey was assuming towards Macedonia; secondly, whether the Turks were -alive to the firm intention of Bulgaria for the protection of her -subjects, and in what manner they viewed the prospect of hostilities; -thirdly, the truth about the Macedonian reforms; fourthly, the extent of -German intrigue in Constantinople; fifthly, the Turkish policy towards -Austria; and sixthly, the policy towards Great Britain. - -I went to the Porte in order to penetrate the veil of mystery -surrounding diplomacy there, and to get at the true state of affairs. -The task was very difficult, for in the East one is hardly ever told the -real facts about anything. Nevertheless, unique opportunities were -afforded me to obtain knowledge by the absolute facts and the future -aims of both Turkey and Germany—opportunities of which, as will be shown -in the following pages, I was not slow in taking advantage. - -In view of the present situation in Turkey, the proclamation of the -“Ottoman Committee of Union and Progress,” which was found posted upon -all the walls of the Pera quarter of Constantinople on January 1 of this -present year, is of great interest in showing the present state of -public feeling in the Turkish capital. - -This proclamation, which was issued by a very strong and formidable -party in Turkey, began by stating that Abdul Hamid, after thirty years -of impunity, was now on the verge of death. The fact that now and then -he gives audience of a few minutes’ duration to an Ambassador, or that -at the weekly Selamlik he drives to the mosque, a few yards from his -palace, proves nothing. The Sultan Mahmud fell dead from his horse, -returning from the Selamlik; while the Sultan Medjid was on his feet up -to the very last. In reality Abdul Hamid, knowing the profound effect -which his failure to attend the Selamlik would have upon the people, is -expending all the energies that remain to him in fulfilling this -religious observance and in granting an occasional interview to a -foreign Ambassador. - -The proclamation proceeded:— - - “During the thirty years of his reign Abdul Hamid has brought ruin on - the land; one half of our patrimony he has delivered to the enemy; he - has destroyed our fleet, disorganised our army; he has reduced the - people to misery; he has annihilated our governmental system, and has - left nothing to the civil organisation or the civilisation of the - past. He has concentrated the whole government into his own hands, and - has dismissed all his tried and experienced Ministers, transferring - the reins of office to self-seekers and traitors willing to become his - tools.” - -Grave troubles are predicted after his death, and the Committee urges -the population of the Empire, Christian and Mussulman, to be on their -guard and to consider seriously the following facts:— - - “(1) Abdul Hamid and his accomplices are conspiring to hand over the - sovereignty and the Caliphate to his fourth son, the youth, - Burhaneddin, in defiance of the tradition and the civil and religious - law of the Empire. The success of this stratagem would be a mortal - blow to the aspirations of the nation. - - “(2) To prevent the enemies of the country from provoking disorders in - order to bring about foreign intervention, guarantees must be given to - the Christian populations and, if necessary, written assurances to the - Embassies. - - “(3) The happiness and the future of the country being dependent upon - the suppression of the despotic régime and the enforcing of the - Constitution, which was recognised in 1876 as an inalienable right of - the nation, and after being two years in operation was perfidiously - abrogated by Abdul Hamid, our fellow-countrymen, Christian and - Mussulman, must of one accord exact the application of that - Constitution, which will restore to the country its vitality and - safeguard the liberties of the people. United in heart and mind, the - Ulemas, the notables of the capital and the provinces, must, through - the intermediary of the Grand Vizier and the Valis, demand of the new - Sultan that he proclaim and bring into force without delay the clauses - of the Constitution. - - “(4) The duty of preserving the essential rights of the nation - belongs, above all, to the members of the guild of the Ulemas and to - the high civil and military officials; the ceremony of the Biat, when - the chosen of the people demonstrate the popular sovereignty by - recognising and accepting the new Sultan, is the most propitious - occasion for the exercise of that duty. It is an obligation that lies - upon every Turkish subject to exact a pledge from the delegate he - sends up to do his duty on that occasion.” - -The Manifesto ended with an appeal to the Christian and non-Christian -populations to prepare for the coming crisis. - - - - - CHAPTER II - IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH - -His Excellency Noury Pasha—A quiet chat at his home—Turkish view of - European criticism—The Turk misunderstood—The massacres in - Macedonia—My visit to the Sublime Porte—His Excellency Tewfik Pasha - tells me the truth—A great diplomatist—The fashion to denounce - Turkey—The attitude of the Porte towards Bulgaria—Significant words. - - -The first visit I paid was to His Excellency Mehmed Noury Pasha, -Secretary-General of the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is -one of the most advanced and progressive of Turks, and who, next to -Tewfik Pasha, the Sultan’s Foreign Minister, is one of the most powerful -men in Turkey. - -As such, it may be interesting to note that he was born in -Constantinople, and having made his early studies in that city, was sent -by the Sultan to Paris, where he underwent a long course of training, -returning to occupy the post of Inspector in the Ministry of Public -Works. Afterwards, he became Director-General, and subsequently his -perfect knowledge of French brought him again before the notice of the -Sultan, who appointed him to the office of Secretary-General in the -Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position which he has held for the past -eighteen years. - -Through his hands all diplomatic correspondence passes, and to him is -mainly due the clever and tactful diplomacy of the Porte. His is, -indeed, a delicate and laborious task. - -[Illustration: HIS EXCELLENCY NOURY PASHA.] - -He is a slim, fair-bearded, middle-aged man of very charming manner, and -a delightful companion; shrewd, full of tact and clear discernment. -Times without number he has given proof of assiduous work for his -country’s advancement, and no one knows better than he the defects of -Turkish rule. - -By no means bigoted, he is, on the contrary, broad-minded and eager for -reform. He was sent by the Sultan to represent him at Rome at the silver -wedding of the King and Queen of Italy in 1893, and later, was one of -the Peace delegates at the Conference after the Greco-Turkish War. He -acted as second delegate of the Ottoman Empire at the Conference at Rome -against the Anarchists, and also at the Peace Conference at The Hague. - -At this latter Conference he won golden opinions from all the delegates -of the other Powers for his politeness, his charm of manner, and the -clever tact with which he performed his somewhat difficult mission. - -Few, if any, of the dignitaries of Constantinople possess such a wide -knowledge of Europe, European ways, and European politics. Enjoying the -full confidence of the Sultan and of the Sublime Porte, he is recognised -by the foreign missions as the working head of the Department of Foreign -Affairs. He is the right hand of his chief, Tewfik Pasha, whom he aids -with all his intelligence in the incessant difficulties which beset -Turkish diplomacy. As a mark of their esteem he has been decorated by -nearly every sovereign in Europe, while the Sultan has given him the -plaque in brilliants of the Orders of Osmanie and the Medjidie. - -Noury Pasha being well known to me as one of the cleverest men in -Turkey, it afforded me great pleasure to obtain a chat with him one -evening in the quiet of his own home. - -He received me in a cosy room on the ground floor, a room that was more -European than Turkish, and where I noticed many signed photographs of -the chief diplomatists of Europe who are his friends. - -When we were seated, a man-servant brought us the inevitable tiny cup of -excellent coffee, and delicious cigarettes, and then we fell to -chatting. - -I gave him a message from a notable foreign ambassador who was our -mutual friend, and told him the reason I was in Constantinople. - -“Ah! So you wish to see His Majesty, and also His Excellency Tewfik -Pasha! Well, I will see what can be done,” was his reply. - -“But I want your Excellency to tell me, if you will, what is the present -situation in Turkey, and what are her future aspirations?” I said -boldly. - -The question was rather a poser. He hesitated. I pressed him to tell me -the truth as far as he was able, without being injudicious; and at last, -after some reluctance, he consented. - -“You Europeans,” he laughed, “are under a great misconception as regards -Turkey. My sovereign, His Imperial Majesty, is often portrayed as a -bloodthirsty brute, who has no regard for human life, and whose reign is -one of terror and terrible injustice. Now the exact opposite is the -truth. You will meet His Majesty, and judge for yourself. I have good -opportunities of seeing how deeply he has the welfare of his people at -heart. Is it not he, for instance, who out of his own pocket supports -some six hundred schools in Turkey? It is he, personally, who has more -than once prevented a declaration of war. I know we Turks have many -defects. But what nation has not? Even you English are not—well, exactly -perfect,” he laughed. “Foreigners come here to Constantinople and hold -up their hands that we do not sweep our streets, as is done in other -capitals. The fact is, Turkey is not a rich country, and we have no -money to expend on scavengers. I and every Turk would only welcome -cleanliness. But how can we do it when we have no funds? Again, the very -people who criticise us, the foreigners, can come and live here for -twenty years and not pay one piastre of municipal tax. Can they do that -in any other country?” - -I admitted that they could not. - -“Then why should they criticise us? All we want to be allowed to do is -to carry on our government in our own way. Our population is of -different race and different creed from Europeans, and therefore -necessitates a totally different method of government. England does not -understand Turkey, or Turkish methods. I readily grant that our -government would not suit England, but neither would British ideas be -tolerated here. For many years all the diplomatic correspondence of the -Sublime Porte has passed through my hands, hence I know what I am -speaking about when on the topic of Turkish diplomacy. Abroad, we are -told that our word is not our bond, that we give promises that we do not -fulfil, and that we are a century or so behind the times. Well, I admit -that we are not a twentieth-century nation. I admit that our Sublime -Porte is not so imposing as your Foreign Office in Whitehall, or the -Ministère des Affaires Étrangères in Paris, or in Vienna. But I do -maintain that the government of my sovereign, the Sultan, is a -beneficent one for Turkey, and that our foreign policy has for its base -the peace and welfare of the Balkans.” - -“But Macedonia?” I remarked. - -He shrugged his shoulders. - -“The question of Macedonia is, I admit, an extremely difficult one,” he -answered. “We have to govern a population so varied, both in nationality -and in creed, that there must of necessity be constant aggressions and -outbreaks. It is said that we aid and abet the Greek bands in massacring -the Christians. I totally deny this. We do not. Surely it is to our own -interest to maintain peace and order in Macedonia, and not to allow -outsiders to create disorder and dissension!” - -“And the protests of Bulgaria?” - -His Excellency smiled. - -“We hear from time to time threats of war,” was his answer. “But when we -hear them, we remember that we are sixteen million Turks; and when we -sleep, we sleep quite undisturbed by any war rumours from Sofia.” - -“Then you do not anticipate armed reprisals from Bulgaria?” - -He laughed, but said nothing except— - -“Turkey is well informed, I assure you, of all that transpires in -Sofia.” - -Noury Pasha’s son, a smart lad of sixteen, entered and chatted with us -in French. He is going to Paris for his education, and is destined for -the Turkish Diplomatic Service. He is a bright, intelligent youth, who, -like his father, is imbued with Western ideas, and yet is naturally full -of patriotism for his own country. - -Another cup of excellent coffee, another cigarette over a chat upon -private matters, and I took leave of my host—after I had begged the -photograph which appears in these pages—feeling that I had met one of -the most charming and most intelligent men in the great Ottoman Empire. - -Next day I called at the palace of Tewfik Pasha, and on being ushered -into a gorgeous reception-room—very French, but by the way lit by -candles in high glass chimneys—the usual cup of coffee upon a golden -tray and cigarette were brought me. The secretary of the Greek Embassy -was waiting to see His Excellency upon an urgent matter concerning a -massacre by a Greek band in Macedonia which had taken place near Seres -the day previously. This meant, I saw, a long interview, and not caring -to wait, I left a message for His Excellency to the effect that I would -call and see him at the Sublime Porte on the following morning. - -Next to His Imperial Majesty the Sultan, Tewfik Pasha is certainly the -most powerful man in the Ottoman Empire. A quiet-mannered, quiet-spoken, -grey-bearded gentleman with kindly eyes and a fatherly manner, he is -entirely the opposite that one would expect of “the terrible Turk.” Born -in Constantinople in 1845, the son of a General of Division, Ismail -Hakki Pasha, he was destined for the army, and prosecuted his studies -with great diligence. Unfortunately, owing to feeble health, he was -compelled to abandon the idea of a military career—not, however, before -he had passed his examination and obtained his diploma. He then chose a -new career, one in which he has certainly rendered his country signal -services. In 1866 he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as attaché, -six years later being nominated as second secretary at the Ottoman -Legation at Rome, whence he went to Vienna, to Berlin, and, later on, to -Athens. He was transferred to St. Petersburg as first secretary at the -moment when there arose those grave complications which resulted in the -war between Russia and Turkey. Then, during the war, he was appointed -diplomatic agent to the Turkish Commander-in-Chief. In 1879, after the -war, he was sent back to the Russian capital, but on this occasion in -the capacity of Minister Plenipotentiary. - -At the early age of forty-one Tewfik Pasha found himself Ambassador at -Berlin, a post which he occupied for ten years, namely, till 1895. His -personal charm, his uprightness, and his frankness of manner endeared -him to his colleagues in the German capital, as well as to the German -Court, and it was he, indeed, who laid the foundation of the present -cordial friendliness between the sovereigns at Berlin and -Constantinople. - -Finally, in 1895, the Sultan recalled him to Turkey and promoted him to -be Minister of Foreign Affairs, a powerful position which he still -holds. For the past eleven years he has directed the destinies of the -Ottoman Empire with broad-mindedness, tact, and patience, that have, -without doubt, been highly beneficial to his country’s interests. His -post is no sinecure, as recent history has shown us. Yet he is a -conscientious man of Western ideas and Western views; one of the -cleverest diplomatists in the whole of Europe, and yet at the same time -just and honourable in his dealings. However much we in England may -criticise the policy of the Sublime Porte, we can have only admiration -for Tewfik Pasha, both as a man and as the faithful servant of his -Imperial master. - -In Turkey fresh diplomatic difficulties arise every minute, yet with -Noury Pasha’s assistance he grapples with them and deals with them in a -manner which the diplomatists of few other nations could ever hope to -do. Honoured by the most complete confidence of his sovereign, who -possesses for him a particular esteem, Tewfik Pasha is universally known -and liked. The diplomatic corps in Constantinople are ever loud in their -praises of his extreme kindness and courtesy and his readiness to accede -to all requests that are in reason. - -His Excellency’s courtesy towards myself was very marked. Hardly had I -been ushered into his anteroom at the Sublime Porte—a very shabby, -unimposing building of long dreary corridors with broken windows and -broken wooden flooring—when the usual coffee was brought, and I signed -his big visitors’ book. In that book I noticed the signatures of all the -diplomatic world of Constantinople. Then there entered the Russian -Ambassador, who, with a cheery “_Bon jour, m’sieur_,” crossed, and also -signed the book. - -A moment later the secretary came, and presenting His Excellency’s -regrets to the Ambassador, pointed out that he already had an -appointment with me, and asked whether he would call later. The -representative of the Tzar said he would call the following morning, and -I was then ushered into Tewfik’s private room, a big, cheerful apartment -with splendid Persian carpets, long windows and a large writing-table at -one end, where sat the grey-bearded Minister in frock-coat and fez. He -rose and greeted me with a hearty hand-shake. With him was seated the -Grand Vizier and Noury Pasha, both of whom also greeted me. - -We four had a long and very interesting conversation in French, its -drift, however, being such as would be injudicious to print in these -pages. The chat was of a purely private character, although it closely -concerned the present political situation in the Near East. - -“The fact is,” remarked His Excellency presently, smiling as he sat back -in his arm-chair before his littered writing-table, “we Turks are not -understood abroad. Writers in England, and especially your journalists, -not knowing Turkey and never having visited the East, criticise us, and -say all sorts of hard things about Turkish rule and Turkish diplomacy. -They call us intolerant and fanatical. But surely there are evidences in -Constantinople that we are tolerant? We allow Christians to erect -churches wherever they want them; and again, have we not done everything -possible in Macedonia to preserve for its inhabitants their religious -liberty? Really, the English ought to know the truth concerning Turkey. -Unfortunately, the fashion of late seems to be to denounce our land and -all its ways!” And he laughed again. - -[Illustration: The entrance to the Bosphorus.] - -[Illustration: In Constantinople.] - -I referred in guarded words to the possibilities of war with Bulgaria, -whereupon he said— - -“We view the matter with perfect tranquillity. The Government of His -Imperial Majesty regrets most deeply those unfortunate incidents in -Macedonia that so constantly occur, but is unable to remedy it. It is -the Greek bands that are to blame—not the Turks.” - -“And your diplomatic relations with Bulgaria?” I asked. - -“They are perfectly normal,” was his reply. “Dr. Stancioff is an able -Minister, and he fully understands us.” - -“Then you do not anticipate hostilities at an early date?” I asked, -pressing home my question. - -His Excellency said nothing. He merely shrugged his shoulders. But that -gesture was, to me, sufficiently significant. - -“You are going to Macedonia,” he said. “It is not altogether safe, you -know, especially around Presba and Ochrida, or about Seres. But if you -_are_ determined to go, I wish you every good luck on your journey.” - -I thanked him, and after another half-hour’s pleasant chat with the -Grand Vizier and Noury Pasha I rose, and Tewfik Pasha grasped my hand -heartily in warm farewell, his parting words being— - -“Go, see for yourself, and I believe you will find that we Turks are not -quite so black as we are painted.” - -And I left the presence of a man whose broad-minded policy, if it were -adopted in every particular, would, I feel sure, advance the Turkish -cause, and place the Ottoman Empire in a very different position from -what it is to-day. - -I crossed the Sea of Marmora to Haidar Pasha, in Asia Minor, visited -Ismid, and saw the new German railway that has its head opposite -Stamboul and is to have its terminus on the Persian Gulf. I went to -Brusa, the ancient capital of the Ottoman Empire, walked in the -wonderful burying-grounds of Scutari, and made many interesting -excursions about Asia Minor, in order to observe the all-powerful -influence of Germany in that country. And I was amazed. - -On my return to Constantinople I had other interviews at the Yildiz with -His Majesty himself, and with members of the Government, all of which -combined to show that Turkey is not in any way afraid of Bulgaria. The -fact is, she is uncertain of the attitude of Servia and Roumania, and is -rather mystified as to what Austria will do in the event of war. Relying -upon Germany, and treating Great Britain with studied politeness, she -views the present critical position with perfect coolness and -indifference. - -Indeed, as Noury Pasha very justly said one day to me— - -“It takes a good deal to arouse us Turks, but when we are aroused, we -fight—and fight to the death.” - -Turkey to-day is still in its lethargic state, but once aroused, who -knows where the war will end, or what European complications will -result? - - MACEDONIA - -[Illustration: Lake of Ochrida: Macedonia.] - -[Illustration: Lake of Presba: Macedonia.] - - - - - CHAPTER I - PLAIN TRUTHS ABOUT MACEDONIA - -War imminent between Bulgaria and Turkey—My secret inquiries—Atrocities - by the Greek bands—Chats with the leaders of the insurrection—The - truth about the intrigues in Macedonia—I visit the scene of the - massacres—Stories told to me—Horrifying facts—Germany behind the - assassins—A disgraceful truth. - - -This present record of my observations in the Near East would be -incomplete without some description of my journey through Macedonia, and -what I saw there. - -The Macedonian question is the burning question of to-day, and one that -can only be solved in one way—by a fierce and bloody war. - -As I have already shown, there is every indication that hostilities -between Bulgaria and Turkey must occur in the present year. Indeed, the -thread is now strained to breaking point, and one need never be -surprised to learn at the breakfast-table one morning that Bulgaria has -boldly thrown down the gauntlet to the Sultan. Then, aided by -Roumania—who will be induced to give her support in return for that -additional strip of territory between the Danube and the Black Sea, as I -have already indicated in a previous chapter—a fierce and bitter -struggle will commence. With Bulgaria, the Northern Albanians will ally -themselves according to the words of the various chiefs of whom I made -inquiry; Montenegro, and of course Servia, will hold their own against -the Turk, and the result must be that the whole of the Balkans will be -aflame. - -This forecast is no imaginary one. It is based upon information imparted -to me in confidence by Cabinet Ministers themselves—information which is -in part in the possession of the Foreign Office at this moment. Secret -preparations are in active progress both in Roumania and Bulgaria, while -Servia has ordered her new artillery to be delivered at the end of this -present spring. There is a tacit agreement between the Balkan States -that affairs in Macedonia are intolerable, and that the decimated -population must now be protected. And in summary of the various -conversations I had with the monarchs and their Ministers in each of the -Balkan capitals, I can only say that the view is unanimous. - -In Servia, in Bulgaria, in Montenegro, in Albania, in Roumania, and in -Macedonia itself I made every inquiry from reliable sources. From secret -information, I was able to gather that there is but one solution of the -question—WAR. - -At present the Bulgarian bands formed to protect the Macedonians are -passive. The organisation is still there, and will be of greatest use -when hostilities are declared; but there is no activity, and there has, -indeed, been little since the recent abortive insurrection. - -Greek bands, aided and abetted by the Turks, are, however, everywhere, -and each day the most awful atrocities are committed by them. Reports of -these are received in Sofia and in Constantinople, but no representation -is made by either of the Powers to the Sublime Porte or to Athens. -“Macedonia!” exclaimed a well-known foreign Ambassador one day, while I -was sitting at lunch with him at his Embassy, “Macedonia! We’re sick of -Macedonia, and have ceased to trouble about it!” - -Ceased to trouble indeed! Here a great and intelligent Christian -population is being slaughtered in order to further the ambitious aims -of Germany, and no one stirs a finger! Europe raised its eyes heavenward -when it heard of the Congo atrocities, yet of poor Macedonia the Powers -are “sick,” and she is cast helpless to the assassin’s knife! - -Before going to Macedonia I sought and obtained the opinions of the -leading authorities in the East, as well as those of the rulers and -Ministers. Much told me by the various monarchs was, of course, in -entire confidence, therefore I can only speak generally in declaring -their opinion to be in favour of securing for Macedonia autonomy under a -European prince as Governor-General. - -In more than one high quarter Prince Danilo of Montenegro was mentioned -as possible for the post, and in another the name of Prince Mirko of -Montenegro was put forward. A German prince or an Austrian archduke -would be impossible, but an English prince would be welcomed, and the -name of Prince Arthur of Connaught was spoken of by more than one Balkan -Cabinet Minister. - -In Servia I had several highly interesting chats with Professor Civics -of Belgrade University, who is a well-known authority on Macedonia, and -who has recently published a book attempting to prove that the bulk of -the Macedonian population is not Bulgar, but Serb. Many of his arguments -I found, on exhaustive inquiry, to be well based, yet my own conclusion -is that, after all, the great majority of the Macedonian population is -really Bulgar. - -This fact is admitted all through the Balkans, therefore the situation -in Macedonia must of necessity affect Bulgaria more closely than any -other nation. - -The question of Macedonia is a most difficult and complicated one, but I -spared no effort in order to thoroughly master it in all its various -phases, and to get at the truth of the present and the probabilities of -the near future. - -In Sofia I had a long talk with Professor Agoura of Sofia University, -who is one of the best-known authorities upon the Macedonian question. -He has been in Macedonia many times, and, like myself, has had an -opportunity of speaking with the people and hearing their grievances. - -“In England the Macedonian question is entirely misunderstood,” he said. -“Some writers have taken Professor Civics’ views, and endeavoured to -prove that the Macedonians are really Slavs. But they are not. Their -whole history shows that they are Bulgars.” - -“And the present state of the country?” I asked. - -“Never in the modern history of Macedonia has it been in such a bad -state as at present. The Christian Bulgars are outraged, tortured, and -shot, and their villages burnt by the Greek bands, who are now under the -protection of the Turks, and not a voice is raised at Constantinople in -complaint. It is simply astounding that such a state of things should be -allowed to exist in this twentieth century. Over one thousand Christian -Bulgars were killed in the raids last year, and this year the number is -known to be more than double. Bulgaria is, however, at this moment -staying her hand. Weakened as the Macedonians are, and with Turkey -protecting the Greek bands, our Bulgarian bands for the protection of -the villages have but little chance. Of late, it has been the -unfortunate Bulgar who has lost always. The Bulgar bands, it was found, -compromised the villages, and at the same time were not strong enough to -protect them. Therefore those still in Macedonia live in the mountains -and come down when required. Ah!” he added, throwing up his hands, “the -state of affairs is terrible! Only recently during a village wedding at -Zagoutcheni the place was attacked by a Greek band and seventy men, -women, and children killed.” - -“And in your opinion what would be the best settlement of the question?” -I inquired; for he was one of the greatest authorities in Europe upon -the much-vexed problem. - -“The best settlement of Macedonia would be an autonomy, but a restrained -one—one that would not separate Macedonia from Turkey,” he replied. -“Macedonia should be placed under a European Governor-General—certainly -not German—preferably a Swiss. The police and the central administration -should be vested in the Governor-General, and all other questions left -to Turkey. Religion should, of course, be free. Bulgaria has no desire -to annex Macedonia, as the Powers seem to think. I do not think that the -question can be settled in any other way. A European conference should -be convoked, and the matter dealt with at once. When you go to -Macedonia, you will see for yourself the state of things. But remember, -the Turks will let you see nothing if they can help it. You are going to -Monastir. Good. Travel across to Ochrida, and you will see and hear -things that will appal you. - -[Illustration: - - Macedonian Christian abducted by the Turks from Klene, a village near - Debr, and rescued by a Bulgarian band. -] - -[Illustration: - - GENERAL TZONTCHEFF, - The Bulgarian leader in Macedonia. -] - -“Recently there have been, to my knowledge, eight Christian villages -entirely destroyed by Greek bands—the inhabitants exterminated, and the -houses burned to the ground. During the past two years there has never -passed one single day without murders and outrages committed by Greek -bands upon the Bulgar inhabitants of Macedonia. Unfortunately, the -Turkish army arrives always too late to protect the population; but this -is, of course, arranged: Indeed, it seems as though the Turks protect -these Greek bands and assist them in their nefarious work. From Ochrida -right down to Salonica these murders are of daily occurrence, always by -the Greek bands. These bands operate in the arrondissements of Seres, -Drama, Demir-Hissar, Kavala; in the Salonica _vilayet_ at Enije-Vardar, -Vodena, and Guevgueli; in Lerin, Florina, Castoria, Presba, and Murievo, -and around Monastir. The Servian bands operate at Cumanovo, Palanca, -Veles, Kitschevo, and Poretschi; while Turkish bands are just now -massacring at Tikveschi, Schlip, Veles, Kotschani, Strousaitza, Razlog, -Melnik, and Nevrokop. So it will be seen that where there are no Greek -bands, there are either Turks or Servians.” - -In Sofia I also met the renowned leader of the premature insurrection in -Macedonia, General Ivan Tzontcheff, a short, smart, dapper little man, -quick of movement and alert of manner. With him I likewise had a very -interesting chat. As one who has the Macedonian cause at heart, as head -of the Macedonian External Committee, and being in daily touch with -events in that terrified country, he and his friend, Monsieur -Gologanoff, were able to give me many details and explain much that is -unknown to the English public. - -I also met several times, and had long conversations with, Dr. -Tartarcheff, who was president of the Macedonian Revolutionary Committee -in Bulgaria, and who, after the insurrection, was taken prisoner by the -Turks. Both men gave me much authentic information and introductions -that were of great use to me in my journey through Macedonia. - -The truth is that the Macedonian question is the direct result of the -Treaty of Berlin, for by it the Treaty of St. Stefano—which incorporated -Macedonia in the Bulgarian Principality—was annulled. The Treaty of -Berlin thus left Macedonia under the Turkish dominion, with a provision -of a kind of autonomy under the control of the Great Powers. - -This autonomy was worked up in detail by an International Commission in -Constantinople in 1880. But it was not applied, and the situation in -Macedonia remained the same as it was before the Russo-Turkish War, and -became even worse, on account of the Turkish fanaticism aroused against -the Bulgarians as the cause of their military disasters. - -The Turkish persecutions and the new situation in Bulgaria attracted the -greater portion of the Macedonian intelligent population into that -Principality. A strong Macedonian emigration was therefore started to -Bulgaria, which in late years has arisen to the number of more than -150,000. - -Macedonia, thus drained of its intelligence, devoted its energies from -1880 to 1890 to a strong educational movement, which was favoured in a -great measure by the political circumstances arisen after the union of -Eastern Roumelia to the Bulgarian Principality in 1885. Towards the end -of this period, 1880 to 1890, there had sprung up in Macedonia a young, -vigorous intelligence, with a strong national conscience, longing for -greater freedom in the national and economical development of the -country, and aspiring for a wider field of activity. The Turks, afraid -of the Bulgarian progress, began to restrain the activity of the -Macedonians. The growing tyrannical régime of the Sultan Hamid made the -situation still more difficult, and life became impossible in the -country. - -The Macedonians then sought their salvation in revolution. - -This revolutionary movement had for its object the autonomy of -Macedonia, which is declared by all I met in the Balkans to be the only -solution of the question. - -Several important reasons are given for this. First, it is argued that -autonomy was secured by International Acts:—the Treaty of Berlin, and -the International Commission in Constantinople, 1880. Secondly, it did -not touch in any way the integrity of the Turkish Empire, a dogma in the -policy of the European Powers. Thirdly, it did not in any way impair the -suzerainty of the Sultan, who still remained the sovereign of the -province, and who had himself accepted and signed the International Act. -Fourthly, it gave full scope to the free development of all the -inhabitants in the country, independently of religion or race. Fifthly, -the autonomy not only did not affect the interests of any Balkan State, -but was bringing a soothing element into the relations between the -Balkan nations. - -To-day the animosities between the Balkan nations have their common -cause in Macedonia. She is the apple of discord. Every Balkan State is -contemplating the conquest of this rich province and the playing of -principal rôle in the destinies of the Peninsula. All have instituted -church and school propagandas in the country, where they wage a furious -war between themselves upon the shoulders of the native population. This -war is made more cruel by the policy of Turkey, Germany, and Greece. So -that in this way the Macedonian population is demoralised, and the -Balkan nations themselves are exhausting their energy. - -The autonomy, if secured, would exercise a benign influence towards an -understanding between the Balkan nations. By the establishment of such -an administration in Macedonia, under the guidance and the control of -Europe, the Macedonians would take their destiny in their own hands. The -different propagandas would not have such a propitious field for action, -and the animosities would gradually subside. That this is the best -solution of the Macedonian question is held by statesmen all through the -Peninsula, for by the progress of time and the development of events the -erection of Macedonia into a separate state must become dominant as the -final solution. - -The way for a Balkan Federation would then be cleared. Macedonia by -itself would become a kind of Switzerland, and the nucleus towards the -creation of a still more powerful Switzerland in the Balkan Federation, -which, neutralised, would create in the Balkan Peninsula a field for -progress and civilisation, but not a bridge for the conquering ambitions -from the North. - -With such broad ideas and with such hopes, the Macedonians wrote upon -their revolutionary banner the watchwords, “_Macedonia for the -Macedonians_.” - -The revolutionary movement in Macedonia—which dates from the year -1893—began to develop into a strong organisation from 1896-97. The whole -country, by patient work, was gradually covered with a network of secret -societies, at the head of which was a Central Revolutionary Committee, -which, in fact, had a greater power in the country than the official -Turkish authorities. - -This revolutionary organisation had an international character. In it -were received all the Macedonians thirsting for liberty. In its ranks -were not only Bulgarians, but also Vlachs, Montenegrins, Servians, and -even Turks, discontented with the Sultan’s régime. But on the whole, the -organisation bore a Bulgarian colour, chiefly on account of the great -Bulgarian majority in Macedonia, and also on account of the suspicion -that the organisation intended prosecuting Bulgarian ambitions. - -For the reason that Macedonia had a population mostly of Bulgarian -nationality, and through the agitation of Macedonian Emigration, the -revolutionary movement found a favourable ground in Bulgaria. Here it -was met with sympathy, which was followed by moral and material support. -An organisation was instituted in the Principality, which spread its -influence very rapidly through the whole country. This organisation was -called the External Organisation, while that in Macedonia bore the name -of the Internal Revolutionary Organisation. - -The activity of these two organisations brought the revolutionary -movement to a great development during the years of 1900 and 1901. The -revolutionary idea became dominant in Macedonia. Nearly the whole -population was united in a strongly organised body, and a great part of -the men able to fight were armed, and fighting bands were formed which -exercised the armed men. The country was divided into military -districts, and the Macedonians were inspired with such enthusiasm that -they welcomed, with a thrill of exultation, the impending struggle. The -enthusiasm was no less great in Bulgaria, where the coming insurrection -was awaited with great hopes of success. Indeed, no nation in the Balkan -Peninsula had shown such a power of organisation, such sacrificing -spirit, and such fighting qualities as the Macedonians. An intimate -knowledge of the Macedonian revolutionary movement, such as General -Tzontcheff possesses, shows, indeed, the wonderful energy of the -Macedonians. - -[Illustration: A Bulgarian Band in Macedonia.] - -But alas! political intrigues from quarters with unfriendly dispositions -towards Macedonian aspirations, sowed misunderstandings in the midst of -the Organisation, and her forces were suddenly paralysed by internal -strife just on the eve of the struggle. - -The consequence was that the Macedonian revolutionary movement did not -express itself in one general effort, but in partial insurrections, none -of which showed the whole revolutionary energy. The insurrection in the -valley of the river Stromina during the autumn of 1902 and the -insurrection in the _vilayet_ of Monastir in 1903 were easily crushed, -and the hopes and expectations of the population unfortunately deceived. - -After these abortive insurrections a new situation was created. The -European Powers admitted the inability of the Turkish Government to -establish order in Macedonia, and the principle of European interference -and control was adopted. As a result of this principle, the Murshteg -reforms worked up by Austria and Russia were proclaimed. These reforms, -however, were not integral, but merely embryo reforms, from the -expansion and development of which depended the pacification of the -country. - -On the other hand, the morale of the Macedonians was now shaken and the -power of the Revolutionary Organisation shattered in consequence of the -incomplete insurrections and the consequent Turkish victories. - -Naturally, the Turks, faithful to their traditional policy, would avail -themselves of this situation in order to hinder the development of the -reforms in their true sense. The Greeks—whose policy is the partition of -Macedonia—were, like the Turks, against such a development of the -reforms, because the establishment of an effectual European control -would lead to a good government, which would gradually evolve the -destiny of Macedonia towards an autonomy. - -Therefore, the policy of Turkey, Greece, and Germany had a common -interest, namely, to paralyse the reforms, and became a common enemy to -the Macedonians, who, by their Bulgarian majority, were striving for -autonomy. - -So, united in their action, Greece, and also Servia to a smaller extent, -hurled, the one from the South and the other from the North, armed bands -into Macedonia, who commenced their destructive work against the -Bulgarian element, by killing the leading men and enforcing the country -population to recognise Greek or Servian nationality. The Turks cover -their action, and the villagers, unprotected and without arms, are -unable to defend themselves. They are at the mercy of these bands, aided -by the Turkish authorities. - -Thus a cruel religious and racial war has sprung up in the heart of -Macedonia, under the protection and instigation of the Turkish policy, -and also under the benevolent eyes of Germany and Austria. - -This terrible situation has been still more complicated by the -Bulgarians themselves. The Revolutionary Organisation being shattered in -its moral and material power, armed bands were formed after the -insurrection, under unscrupulous leaders, who commenced acts of -depredation upon the unfortunate Macedonians. - -Just now the revolutionary organisation in Bulgaria is undergoing -another crisis. It is divided into two principal flanks: the moderate -and the extreme. The first-mentioned inclines towards a suspension of -active revolutionary operations on account of the exhaustion of the -Macedonian population and the unfavourable political situation in -Europe, while the extreme party are urging a continuance of -revolutionary action to exasperation. At the annual congress in January -last the moderates had a chance to oust the extreme party, but the death -of Damian Groueff, the chief of the moderates, who was killed in the -village of Roussinovo (_vilayet_ of Uskub) upset all their plans. On -account of Groueff’s death they did not take part in the congress, and -the result is that the extreme party are now all paramount, and further -reprisals may be expected. - -Therefore from all sides—from Turks, Greeks, Servians, and even -Bulgarians, as well as from an interested diplomacy—the Macedonians are -pressed, and their aspirations for the autonomy compromised. And what is -the result of all this? Only that the Macedonians are set by the -interested Powers before the eyes of the Christian world as a cruel and -barbarous population, unworthy of sympathy—worthy only of the tyrannical -Turkish rule! - -What is the remedy? - -There is but one, the one advocated by the kings and princes of the -Balkans and the Cabinet Ministers with whom I chatted, namely, to change -the present farcical so-called reforms into an administration, under -effectual European control by appointing a European Governor-General, -responsible to the Powers. Then this terrible situation will change into -the peaceful development of a country which is endowed by nature with -bounty, but reduced by men’s covetousness to a perfect hell. - -That Macedonia to-day is a hell I have seen with my own eyes. And -moreover I have been under fire from a Greek band myself. I -travelled—contrary to the advice of my friends, who feared the perils of -the way—right through the heart of Macedonia from south to north, -visiting the Seres and Melnik districts, which only a few days prior to -my arrival had been ravaged by Greek bands. In one poor village I passed -through, twenty-three women, children, and old men had been butchered in -cold blood on the previous day, and I saw with my own eyes some of their -mutilated bodies. Upon the women nameless atrocities had been committed. - -In Caraja-Kioi, a village not far from Seres, I was told that a -fortnight before, nineteen persons, mostly old men and women, had been -massacred, and I was informed by eye-witnesses that the Greek band was -assisted by the Turks, and that present at the massacre was a Greek -metropolitan and a Greek consular employé! - -I saw and spoke to two women who had been maltreated by the Greeks, and -who still bore wounds. The head of one was bound by a bloodstained rag, -and the arm of the other was in a sling. - -What they told me was truly horrifying. Both had been outraged and left -for dead, without a hand being raised in their defence. And their cases -were only two out of several dozen. A child, a little girl of seven, had -been decapitated by a brutal Turk, and a mother with her suckling babe -had been tortured by slow burning. - -Everywhere I went was the same terrible tale, the same cry for the -protection of the Powers. At Vranja, in the Melnik district, I saw the -gaunt ruins of seven houses which had been recently burnt, and was told -how nine women, after being subjected to all sorts of atrocities, were -afterwards shot, while at Bashna three men were burnt alive, in a house, -and six women shot. - -That journey through Macedonia still haunts me like a nightmare. On the -one hand, I met the oily Turkish official in frock-coat and fez -declaring that the country was quite quiet, and that all reports were -exaggerated; while, on the other, I saw with my own eyes the devilish -blood-lust of the Greeks, the poor people with their wounds still upon -them, the mutilated bodies of innocent Christian women whose blood calls -hourly for vengeance. - -To Florina, up to Kastoria, and through the terrorised districts around -the lakes of Presba and Ochrida I travelled, first under Turkish escort, -but not being allowed to see what I wanted, I was permitted by a -Bulgarian band to join them, and rode through the various districts. It -was a somewhat perilous and exciting time, for I travelled quickly, -wishing to get out of the country. Its terrors had got on my nerves, and -the gloomy warnings of my friends ever rose within my mind. Greek bands -seemed to be operating everywhere, and we never knew when we might not -come into close quarters. Our way lay often through deep ravines, -affording excellent cover for lurking Greeks. - -So life was the reverse of pleasant. - -Still I saw with my own eyes sights that appalled me, and I am certain -that if the reader had seen what I have witnessed he would cry shame -that such an awful state of things should be allowed to exist, and even -fostered by a Christian civilised Power. - -Does the Christian Kaiser, with all his outward declarations of belief -in the direction of the Almighty, ever give a thought to the poor -Macedonians butchered with his knowledge—butchered to further the secret -aims of the “Fatherland”? Does His Imperial Majesty, when he bends his -knee in prayer, remember the first tenets of the Christian faith? - -Those who know, as I know, the secrets of German intrigue in -Constantinople, cannot but feel contempt and disgust at the shameful -sacrifice of human life in Macedonia, where Greeks and Turks outrage, -torture, burn, and shoot the poor innocent populace, egged on by “pious” -Germany. - -Let the ambitious Emperor, who so often invokes God’s blessing upon the -German nation, pause for a moment and reflect whether there is no -hypocrisy in his political policy, and whether he himself, personally, -can expect to receive the Divine aid he so constantly petitions with -mock servility. - -By raising his hand he could to-morrow stop those brutal, savage Greeks -from their bloody work. Yet, by doing so, he knows he would nullify his -policy of Germany’s advance southward, and would throw to the winds the -years of secret diplomacy practised at the Sublime Porte. Will he do so? - -Or will he continue to lift his eyes to Heaven, and close his ears to -the death-cries of the poor slaughtered Christian women and children, -who are every day being butchered for political purposes? - -It was the Kaiser’s diplomacy that discovered the existence of the -Roumanian population in Macedonia; it was by his intrigues at Athens -that diplomatic negotiations between Greece and Roumania have been -broken off. - -Go to Macedonia yourself with an open mind and study the question on the -spot, and you will, before a week has passed, obtain quite sufficient -evidence to convince you that what I have here written is the truth—that -Germany stands behind both Greek and Turk, and encourages them with -moral and material support to commit those awful and nameless outrages -which are a disgrace to our civilisation. - - - - - CHAPTER II - THE TRUTH EXPOSED - -Summary of my confidential information—War this year—The attitude of - Greece, Bulgaria, Roumania, and Turkey—Procrastination, promises, - and perfect politeness—A matter more serious than Macedonia—Warning - to British statesmen and the public—The real truth exposed—Germany - and India. - - -As summary of all my confidential inquiries throughout the Near East, I -find that the present position as regards Macedonia is a very serious -one. - -Bulgaria, who has the largest population there, has undoubtedly decided -to adopt a firm course, which must inevitably lead to war during the -present year. Within a few months the Balkans will be in bloody -conflict. - -Greece is defiant, and her bands still ravage Macedonia. Monsieur -Theotokis, the Prime Minister, has openly adopted a policy of defiance -against Roumania, and of increased persecution of the Vlachs in -Macedonia. - -His attitude is a ridiculous one, and calculated to still further -complicate the situation. He declares that the enemies of Hellenism have -succeeded in persuading public opinion in Europe, and even European -Governments, that the abnormal situation in Macedonia is due to the -action of Greco-Macedonian bands, and has also made them forget the -atrocities which Bulgarians had committed for six years against the -Greeks, who had at last been compelled to rise and try to defend -themselves. Whenever the Greek Government asks for compensation of the -Powers, no matter what the question at issue, they are, he says, met -with the argument that they were responsible for the atrocities in -Macedonia, because they aided Greek bands. The Powers, he says, were -informed that the Hellenic Government could not prevent succour being -given to the Macedonian Greeks in their defensive campaign, but would -use its authority to moderate the activity of the bands. Unhappily, the -slackening of the activity of the Greek bands was followed by a -recrudescence of that of the hostile bands. The Powers were informed -that the situation was becoming intolerable, and unless they could take -measures to oblige others to respect their wishes, the Greek Government -would be obliged to defend a race which was resolved to live, and not to -bend under the ferocity of its enemies. He maintains that it is the duty -of Greece to accelerate her military preparations. Without an army she -cannot be considered a factor in the East, or hope for the sympathies of -others. - -But M. Theotokis has gone even farther. His declarations are distinctly -amusing. In the course of an interview in Athens in January of the -present year he actually had the audacity to attribute the present -situation in Macedonia to Bulgaria. He argued as follows:— - - “For a period of six years armed bands of Bulgarians roved all over - Macedonia, endeavouring to get the Greek Christian inhabitants to - declare allegiance to the head of the Bulgarian Church, and backed up - their efforts in this direction by committing murders and atrocities - of every description. Notwithstanding repeated appeals of the Greek - Government to the Powers to put a stop to these outrages, they were - continued, and instead of being checked, went on increasing in number - and violence. News of these atrocities reaching Greece daily, public - opinion here was getting more and more excited, and finally, the Greek - public having given up all hope of a stop being put to them, - committees were formed with the object of taking action to protect - their compatriots. - - “The Greek Government was powerless to prevent these protective bands - from crossing into Macedonia, as, unfortunately, we have not - sufficient forces to thoroughly guard the frontier. The inability is - not surprising, when you consider that Turkey with twenty times the - forces at her disposal is not able to prevent them from getting - across. That these bands should occasionally have seized an - opportunity to avenge Bulgarian crimes, which had continued so long - unrestrained, is only natural, as it is not possible to keep armed - bands under proper control in such circumstances. - - “Finding at last that they had to face Greek bands, which they were - not able to stand up against, the Bulgarians commenced to fill the - world with complaints against the Greeks, and sent out descriptions of - imaginary atrocities committed by Greek bands, when their only real - cause of complaint was that they themselves could no longer commit - crimes on the Greek Christians with impunity in the way they, for six - years, had been accustomed. - - “The result of the great outcry raised by the Bulgarians was that - strong pressure was brought to bear by the Powers on the Greek - Government to prevent Greek bands from crossing into Macedonia, and - the Greek Government increased the efforts they had always been making - in this direction. Probably as a result of the efforts of this - Government, fewer Greek bands have been operating in Macedonia during - the past two months, and the consequence is that thirty-nine Greeks - have been murdered in Macedonia during this period by Bulgarians, - while only seven of the latter have been killed by Greeks. - - “The Greek Government have no interest whatever in hindering the - efforts of the Powers to restore order in Macedonia. Quite the - contrary; no one desires to see order restored there more than we do. - But you must remember that the majority of the inhabitants of - Macedonia are Greeks, and it is not in the power of the Greek - Government to control public opinion in Greece in face of the - atrocities committed by Bulgarians on our countrymen in Macedonia. If - the Bulgarian propaganda in that country is put a stop to, the Greek - Christians will have nothing to fear, and in such circumstances no - Greek bands will be found there, as their sole object in crossing the - frontier was to protect their co-religionists, who for six years had - been terrorised by the Bulgarians. Once Bulgarian crimes in Macedonia - cease, there will be nothing more heard of ‘regrettable incidents’ in - that country.” - -Thus it will be seen that the Prime Minister makes no mention of Germany -or of German intrigue. He endeavours to put the blame upon Bulgaria, -when all Europe knows well that it is Greece who is responsible for the -present bloodshed, and even the Turkish Grand Vizier himself has -condemned the action of the Greeks, and declared that in more than one -instance the Greek bands have actually operated with the full knowledge -and assistance of Greek consuls. - -With such biassed views held by the Greek Premier, it can easily be seen -that a solution of the problem of Macedonia cannot be arrived at without -recourse to force of arms, and the more so, because of Bulgaria’s -determination to make her power felt in the country where her subjects -are being daily murdered. - -The Turkish policy is the traditional one of procrastination, promises, -and perfect politeness. The promised reforms are not carried out, the -foreign officers employed in reforming the gendarmerie are disgusted -with their treatment, and are fast leaving the Turkish service, while -the Mohammedan rule is daily growing more and more oppressive, and the -unfortunate Macedonians are being slaughtered under the very eyes and -with the full cognisance of the Turkish officials, both civil and -military. - -In Constantinople it is believed that a serious _entente_ regarding -Macedonia exists between Italy and Austria, and this belief is based -upon Signor Tittoni’s recent declaration. From information I gathered -from very reliable sources, however, I am in a position to state that -the Turkish fears are utterly groundless. An _entente_ exists, but only -in regard to Servia, Bulgaria, and Northern Albania. Austria desired -that Montenegro should be included, but Italy—for very obvious -reasons—made the complete independence of that valiant little country -one of the stipulations. Hitherto Italy and Austria have carried on -separate propagandas, but it is quite certain that the two are now -amalgamated, and will in future work towards one common end. - -Turkey has nothing to fear from either Austria or Italy, but from -Bulgaria and Germany—from the former, who will assert her rights; and -from the latter, who will eventually play the traitor and crush her. - -My conversations at the Sublime Porte, in those shabbily furnished -rooms, with seedy officials offering me cups of coffee, were often very -amusing. I had really credited the Turk with more shrewdness, for the -Oriental is usually supposed to be the finest diplomat in all the world. -Yet from the Grand Vizier downwards to the men-in-the-street, they are -all held fascinated under the benign smile of Germany. - -Assurances were given me during those audiences with the rulers of -Turkey that all was being done that could possibly be done in Macedonia; -that reports of massacres were exaggerated; that the Turks were actually -protecting the Bulgarians, and that the Macedonian question was not at -all a serious one. - -I will give one instance. It was admitted to me during one of my -audiences at the Sublime Porte, that “a few incidents” had occurred, but -I was assured that they were not serious, and that all was now quiet in -Macedonia. - -In reply, I pointed out that on November 7 last (Old Style) a Greek band -descended upon the village of Karadjovo, and having disembowelled seven -men, killed twenty-five Bulgarians. They then massacred most of the -women and children in the village, and calmly went off. - -I was then officially informed that it had been discovered that a -certain Greek consul had been implicated in this raid, and that arms had -been supplied through him. The Turks had therefore made a strong protest -to Athens, and sent four battalions in pursuit of the assassins. - -At Salonica, ten days later, I saw one of the peasants present at this -massacre in question, and the description he gave of it was horrifying. -His version of the affair was very different from the official Turkish -version, for he declared that the Turks themselves aided the assassins -and allowed them to get clear away. Twenty-five women were, he said, -outraged and afterwards killed. One woman had her hands cut off, and -another’s feet were burnt over a fire. Other facts he told me were too -terrible to repeat here. - -Though the Porte may have made formal protest to Athens, there is but -little doubt that the Turks were implicated in the massacre—as they are -in most of those “regrettable incidents,” as they are called, which -daily occur in the Land of Black Terror. - -Permission was readily granted to me to travel through the country, but -it certainly would not have been had it been known that beyond the lake -of Ochrida I intended to disregard my Turkish escort and throw in my lot -with the Bulgarians, declared by the authorities to be “insurgents” in -order to see for myself. - -I arrived at the village of Ghilposte, in the Seres district, two days -after a Greek band had descended upon the little place, and I saw with -my own eyes traces of their terrible atrocities. They had blown up ten -houses by dynamite, and capturing four men, two women, and a baby one -year old, had deliberately burned them all alive, as well as outraging -three other women. - -The leader of the Bulgarian organisation for the protection of the -defenceless people furnished me with a complete list of all the -atrocities committed by the Greek bands during the past year, but it is -so long and the details are so revolting that I do not feel justified in -including it in these pages. - -The Turk is indeed a strange product. He hopes always to persuade the -foreigner into adopting his own views. More than once I was told in -Constantinople that there had been _no massacres_ in Macedonia this -year, and that the country, especially in the _vilayet_ of Monastir, was -quite quiet! - -[Illustration: GENERAL TZONTCHEFF in Macedonia.] - -[Illustration: The Turkish Burial-ground at Scutari, Asia Minor.] - -I went there, and discovered the exact opposite to be the case. In -Constantinople also I was strongly persuaded, by interested persons, not -to go to Macedonia; but I went, and I saw things that it was not -intended that I should see. - -I had travelled all through the Balkans in order to learn the real -truth, and I did not intend to miss out Macedonia. Turkey, of course, -makes capital out of the fact that the Vlachs, or Roumanian population, -are between the devil and the deep sea. These unfortunate -Macedo-Roumanians live under the cross fire of Greek and Bulgar, each of -whom claims the right to save their souls. The Turks point—and perhaps -justly—to this fact as one of the chief causes of the present disturbed -state of Macedonia. The Turk pretends to be asleep, and to disregard the -intrigues of the other Powers, but the fact is that he is very wide -awake, and knows quite well that hostilities must break out at a very -early date. Only he is misled by Germany, alarmed by a bogey put forward -by Austria and Italy, and a little afraid, at times, of British -protests. - -There remains Roumania. Her attitude is a very serious consideration in -discussing the immediate future of the Balkans. - -In Bucharest I found that, although a Federation of the Balkan States -would be welcomed, yet one fact is still remembered. In 1888, when the -Bulgarians offered the crown of Bulgaria to King Charles of Roumania, as -the first step towards a Federation, both Russia and Austria opposed it -so strongly that the King was unable to accept. Roumania’s position -towards Macedonia is now one of armed inactivity. Though the -Macedo-Roumanians are slaughtered by the Greek bands, Roumania is -compelled to stay her hand and offer no defence, because alone and -unaided, her protest would be worse than useless. - -That she will, ere long, ally herself with Bulgaria against the Turks, -my confidential information goes to show. She desires a better frontier -from the Danube to the Black Sea, and in order to obtain that concession -from Bulgaria she will assist her to drive the Turk from Macedonia. - -There is, however, a far more serious consideration, and one which has -been overlooked by British statesmen and the British public. - -During my journey of inquiry I made careful investigation into certain -suspicious facts and certain clever intrigues. The inquiry was an -exceedingly difficult one, for the truth is well guarded, for very -obvious reasons. - -The result, however, reveals a state of affairs of which we in England -have been unfortunately ignorant, and which, here exposed, should claim -immediate attention by every right-minded and patriotic man. - -The truth briefly is this. The recent war between Russia and Japan, the -question of Morocco, the perturbation in Europe by the Russian defeats -and revolution, on the one hand, and the weakness of the Macedonians -made greater by the rivalries between the Balkan nations, on the other, -have of late diverted the attention of Europe from the Near East. - -But this is only a lull before the storm—a storm that must break in the -near future, and which surely will have a world-wide significance. The -countries denominated by the general name of the Near East are, by their -geographical position and fertility, of immense importance. They have -been the cradle of the ancient civilisation and of rich and powerful -empires. The shores of the Ægean Sea and of the Eastern Mediterranean -were once the most populated, and their commerce and wealth were -unrivalled. The vast fertile provinces of Asia Minor have been the -granaries of the Roman and Byzantine empires; while the valleys of -Euphrates and Tigris breathed abundance and luxury. History is eloquent -testimony of their past splendour. The reason of their gloomy present -does not lie either in the exhaustion of the soil or in the loss of -their geographical importance, but only in the administration which the -Turk has established for centuries over them. A change in the -administration will bring resurrection. Nay, the means and resources of -the present civilisation must call forth in them an immense economical -development. - -Germany, with her usual foresight, has ever been on the alert. - -Towards this Near East with gloomy present, but with a glorious future, -the German policy has thrown covetous eyes. When Bismarck made his -famous declaration—_that the Eastern Question was not worth the bones of -a Pomeranian grenadier_—the German policy was already maturing a vast -plan of penetration in the Near East. The real truth is that the basis -of this policy of penetration was the maintenance of the Turkish rule, -as a means for its realisation. - -The true extent of German intrigue is not realised in England, therefore -I may as well explain that the policy was— - -1. Support, and even encouragement, of the despotical régime in Turkey, -in order to obtain the absolute confidence of Sultan Hamid. - -2. Grasp of the reorganisation of the Turkish Army, and use it as her -instrument. - -3. Gain a dominant position in the Turkish finances. - -4. Lay hold on the communications of the empire, and thus become the -master of her economical development. - -A full expansion was given to this policy after the accession to the -throne of William II., who in his first visit to the Sultan in 1889 laid -the foundation of mutual friendship and admiration between the two -rulers. - -The results are astonishing. In less than a quarter of a century the -German net has been cast over the whole body of the Turkish Empire. -German diplomacy is paramount to-day in Constantinople. The Turkish Army -has been reorganised upon the Prussian system, and is under German -control. The finances of the Turkish Empire are gradually becoming a -dependency to the German banks by loans and concessions, which are -constantly increasing. By the great railway from the Bosphorus to the -Persian Gulf, opening up by its branches the most fertile provinces of -Asiatic Turkey, Germany becomes master of the economical development of -this part of the Sultan’s empire. - -Thus the economical and political influence of the Germans has been so -much extended and has gained such a domination, that the Turkish Empire -is, in a sense, already a German protectorate. No act of importance is -possible in Turkey without the knowledge and influence of Germany. Every -act of Abdul Hamid is under the control and direction of German -diplomacy. _Allemania bisum dostour_ (“Germany is our friend”) is a -saying which has penetrated even into the mass of the Turkish nation, -and the Kaiser has a full right to boast himself as the protector and -champion of the Mussulmans. - -In the Balkan Peninsula, on the European side, the pioneer of the German -policy is the Austro-Hungarian Empire. By tradition, by its dynasty, and -by its alliance, Austria plays the rôle of vanguard to the German -advance towards the Near East. The occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina -has made Austria a Balkan power, and her plans are ready for the march -of an Austrian army southward to the Gulf of Salonica, which will bring -her in touch with the Ægean Sea and make her the ruler over the whole -Peninsula. In the meantime, she is strengthening her political and -economical influence in Servia and Albania by the same methods as used -by the Germans. - -In the midst of this land activity in the Near East, the importance of -the Ægean Sea, which is the necessary link, was not lost to view. A -footing was sought, and the island of Thassos was chosen as the -foundation-stone of the future naval power in the Eastern basin of the -Mediterranean. This island was picked upon because, in the first place, -it would not attract attention, and, in the second place, because it -would serve admirably the German plans. Thassos has a good geographical -position in the Ægean Sea. It is not far from the Dardanelles, the door -to Constantinople, and is very near the Macedonian shore, being in the -very entrance of the port of Kavala. - -With a naval base on this island, Germany would gain a still greater -influence in Turkey, and especially on the European and Asiatic shores -of the Ægean Sea. According to trustworthy information which I have -obtained in confidence, a vast German activity is contemplated upon -these shores in the very near future. - -Thus the Germans, with the aid of the Turkish régime and of the Austrian -Empire, are cleverly paving their way towards the Near East, and -preparing the foundation of a “Fatherland” stretching from the Baltic to -the Indian Ocean. - -As Germany has already championed the cause of Turkey in Europe, what is -to prevent her from carrying her influence, at an early date, over Egypt -and the whole peninsula of India, where she will find sixty millions of -Mussulmans, who fully recognise that England has abandoned her policy of -bolstering up “the sick man” for many years past? These latter would -welcome Germany as the champion of Mohammedanism, not only in Europe, -but in all the Mussulman states of the Eastern world. - -And then? - -Surely this is a most important point, which should very seriously -engage the immediate and earnest attention of all British statesmen who -have the true interests of our Empire at heart! - - THE END. - - _Printed by_ - MORRISON & GIBB LIMITED - _Edinburgh_ - - Transcriber’s Note - -The author employs the name ‘Palagonium Radula’ for the geranium, rather -than the proper ‘Pelargonium Radula’. This appears to be unique to him, -but was retained as printed. - -Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and -are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original. -The following issues should be noted, along with the resolutions. - - 156.12 mid[d]le-aged, keen, clever Inserted. - - 169.20 Chief town, [H/N]egotin Replaced. - - 170.24 the chief town is Pe[l/t]rovatz Replaced. - - 170.39 in Kra[ni/in]a, East Servia. Transposed. - - 171.40 PODUN[VA/AV]LYE Transposed. - - 220.26 the geranium oil (_[Palagonium] Radula_) _sic_: - Pelargonium - - 226.38 Have you received [i]t? Restored. - - 280.1 The entrance to the Bosphoro[u]s. Removed. - - 294.31 the exhaustion of the Macedoni[o/a]n Replaced. - population - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN OBSERVER IN THE NEAR EAST *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. 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