Wealthy Christians--German Encyclopædia--Feats of Skill--Legend of
Petral--Chamois-hunting--Valley of Druga--Excavations--Country
Carts--Plain of Duvno--Mahmoud Effendi--Old
Tombs--Duvno--Fortress--Bosnian Frontier--Vidosa--Parish
Priest--National Music--Livno--Franciscan Convent--Priestly
Incivility--Illness--Quack Medicines--Hungarian Doctor--Military
Ambulance--Bosna Serai--Osman Pacha--Popularity--Roads and
Bridges--Mussulman Rising in Turkish Croatia--Energy of Osman
Pacha.
The family with whom we purposed spending the succeeding days were
reputed to be the wealthiest of the Christians in that part of the
country. It will perhaps convey a more correct impression of their
means, if we say that they were less poverty-stricken than others. A few
cows, some half-dozen acres of arable land, and a fair stock of poultry,
constituted their claim to being considered millionaires. The household
consisted, besides father and mother, of two rather pretty girls, two
sons, and their cousin, who cultivated the land and hunted chamois
regularly every Sunday. Besides these there were some little boys, whose
only occupation appeared to be to bring fire for the pipes of their
elders. Our arrival, and the prospect of a bye day after the chamois,
threw all the men of the party into a state of great excitement. Minute
was the inspection of our guns, rifles, and revolvers, the latter
receiving much encomium. An old Turk, who had been summoned to take part
in the morrow's excursion, eyed one of those for some time, and at
length delivered himself of the following sentiment: 'They say there is
a devil: how can this be so, when men are so much more devilish?' I am
afraid the salvation of Sir William Armstrong, Mr. Whitworth, &c. &c.,
would be uncertain were they to be judged on the same grounds. While
waiting for our dinner of fowls made into soup and baked potatoes, the
sons brought a book, which the priest, with more regard for preserving
his reputation for learning than veracity, had told them was a bad book.
It proved to be a German Encyclopædia. On hearing this one remarked,
'Oh, then it will do for cigarettes.' While regaling ourselves on wine
and grapes, which one of the hospitable creatures had walked twelve
miles to procure, we received visits from the male population of the
village, who, like all the people of the valley, are much addicted to
chamois-hunting. Their conversation, indeed, had reference exclusively
to sport, varied by a few feats of skill, hardly coming under the former
name. One villager asserted positively that he had seen a man at Livno
shoot an egg off another's head. This was instantly capped by another,
who affirmed that he had witnessed a similar feat at the same place. His
story ran thus: 'At the convent of Livno, all the Roman Catholic girls
of the district are married. On one occasion a young bride was receiving
the congratulations of her friends, when a feather which had been
fastened across her head became loosened, and waved around it. A
bystander remarked that he would be a good shot who could carry away the
feather without injuring the head. The girl upon hearing this looked
round and said, "If you have the courage to fire, I will stand." Upon
which the bystander drew a pistol and shot away the truant feather.'
The valley of Drechnitza is wild and rocky, but sufficiently wooded to
present a pleasing aspect. The timber is in many places of large girth,
and might easily be transported to the sea. It is invested also with
more than common interest by the primitive character of its people, and
the legends which associate it with the early history of the province.
At present only four villages remain in the valley; that where our hosts
lived being the most ancient. They indeed spoke with pride of having
occupied their present position since before the conquest, paying only a
nominal tribute of one piastre and a half until within the last thirty
years, since which time their privileges have been rescinded.
On the left bank of the Drechnitza, about half-way between its
confluence with the Narenta and the house of our hosts, is a small
valley named Petral; it derived its name from the following
circumstances:--For seven years after the rest of Bosnia and the
Herzegovina had been overrun by the Turks under Mehemet II., the people
of this valley maintained an unequal combat with the invaders. The
gallant little band were under the orders of one Peter, who lived in a
castle on the summit of a height overlooking the plain; this plain could
only be approached by two passes, one of which was believed to be
unknown to the Turks. In an evil hour an old woman betrayed the secret
of this pass, and Peter had the mortification one morning of looking
down from his castle upon the armed Turkish legion, who had effected an
entrance during the night. Like a true patriot, he sank down overcome by
the sight, and died in a fit of apoplexy; whence the valley has been
called Petral to this day.
A few ruins mark the spot where the church stood of yore, and four
tombstones are in tolerably good preservation. Beneath these repose the
ashes of a bishop and three monks; the date on one of them is
A.D. 1400.
Early the following morning we started for the bills, where the chamois
were reported to be numerous. After about three hours' climbing over a
mass of large stones and rocks, the ascent became much more precipitous,
trees and sand taking the place of the rocks. In course of time we
reached a plateau, with an almost perpendicular fall on the one side,
and a horizontal ridge of rock protruding from the mountain side
beneath. Four of the party, which numbered eight guns in all, having
taken up positions on this ridge, the remainder, with a posse of boys,
made a flank movement with the view of taking the chamois in reverse.
The shouting and firing which soon commenced showed us that they were
already driving them towards us from the opposite hills. The wood was
here so thick that occasional glimpses only could be obtained of the
chamois, as they came out into the open, throwing up their heads and
sniffing the air as though to detect the danger which instinct told them
was approaching. Two or three of the graceful little animals blundered
off, hard hit, the old Turk being the only one of the party who
succeeded in killing one outright. The bound which followed the
death-wound caused it to fall down a precipice, at the bottom of which
it was found with its neck dislocated, and both horns broken short off.
If the ascent was difficult, the descent was three-fold more so. The
rocks being the great obstacle to our progress, the mountaineers managed
well enough, jumping from one to another with the agility of cats; but
to those unaccustomed to the kind of work, repeated falls were
inevitable. How I should have got down I really cannot say, had I not
intrusted myself to providence and the strong arm of one of those sons
of nature.
The strong exercise which I had taken rendering me anything but disposed
for a repetition of the sport on the ensuing day, M.G. left me on his
return journey to Mostar, while I proceeded on my solitary way. This,
however, was not so cheerless as I had anticipated, as the two sons of
the house expressed a wish to accompany me as far as Livno on the
Bosnian frontier, where their uncle, a village priest, held a cure. For
several hours we remained on the left bank of the Drechnitza, which we
forded close to its source. On the heights upon our right, fame tells of
the existence of a city, now no more; and it is certain that a golden
idol weighing 23 lbs. was found in the locality. Buoyed up by hopes of
similar success, fresh gold-diggers had been recently at work, but with
what result I am unable to say.
Bearing away now to the W. we entered the valley of the Druga, a little
rocky stream. Two roads were reported practicable, the longer taking a
winding course past Rachitna, the other, which I selected, being more
direct, but far more rocky and difficult; the ascent at one point was
more severe than anything I ever recollect having seen.
Leaving Druga we descended into the plain of Swynyatcha, a small open
space, which is again connected with Duvno by a pass. The hills on the
left of this pass are called Liep, those on the right Cesarussa. Here,
too, report speaks of the existence of a city in former days, and the
discovery of a large hag of gold coins, like Venetian sequins, has
induced some speculative spirit to commence excavations on a large
scale. But these, I regret to say, have not as yet been attended with
any success. A very fair road has been recently made through this pass,
and the traffic which has resulted from it ought to convince the people
of the utility of its construction. We met many ponies carrying
merchandise from Livno to Mostar, while long strings of carts drawn by
eight bullocks were employed in carrying wood to the villages in the
plain of Duvno. These carts are roughly built enough, but answer the
purpose for which they are intended, viz. slow traffic in the plains.
The axle-trees and linch-pins are made of wood, and indeed no iron at
all is used in their construction. The plain of Duvno is one of the
largest in the province: its extreme length is about fifteen miles, and
villages are placed at the foot of the hills, round its entire
circumference. The most important of these is the seat of a Mudir, to
whom I proceeded at once on my arrival. Although afflicted with a
hump-back, he was a person of most refined manners. His brother-in-law,
Mahmoud Effendi, who is a member of the Medjlis, was with him, and added
his endeavours to those of the Mudir to render my stay at Duvno
agreeable. Having complimented the great man upon the appearance of his
Mudirlik, he laughingly replied, 'Oh, yes, they must work because it is
so cold'--a statement which I felt anything but disposed to question.
The wind was blowing down the plain at the time in bitterly cold blasts,
and I understand that such is always the case. The vegetation appeared
good, in spite of a seeming scarcity of water.
The people of the district are nearly all Catholics, which may be
attributed to its proximity to Dalmatia and the convents of Bosnia. They
are orderly and well-behaved, according to the Mudir's account; but I
also gathered from some Catholics to whom I spoke that this good
behaviour results from fear more than love, as the few Turks have it all
their own way. In the centre of the plain are some old tombs, some of a
sarcophagus shape, others merely rough flat stones, whilst here and
there interspersed may be seen some modern crosses--a strange admixture
of the present and the past. After a somewhat uncomfortable night in the
one khan which the town possesses, I presented myself with early dawn at
the house of the Mudir. Although not yet 8 o'clock, I found him with the
whole Medjlis in conclave around him. Thence the entire party
accompanied me to inspect the fort, or such part of it as had escaped
the ravages of time. It was rather amusing to see the abortive attempts
at climbing of some of these fur-coated, smoke-dried old Mussulmans, who
certainly did not all equal the Mudir in activity. The fort is a
quadrilateral with bastions, and gates in each of the curtains; in two
of the bastions are eight old guns, dismounted: these are all of Turkish
manufacture, some having iron hoops round the muzzles.
In the SW. corner is a round tower, evidently copied from the Roman, if
not of genuine Roman origin. For what purpose the fort was built, or by
whom, I was unable to learn. It is said, however, to have been
constructed about two centuries ago[U], and there is a Turkish
inscription on it to that effect; but, as I have said before, no
reliance can be placed upon these. There are many buildings within the
walls, and one mosque is reputed to have existed a hundred years before
the rest of the fort.
Shortly after leaving the village we arrived at the frontier line of
Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is, however, unmarked. Already the country
presented a greener and more habitable appearance, which increased as we
continued our journey. Towards evening we stopped at a little village
named Vidosa, where the uncle of my hunting companions held the post of
parish priest. Having sent one of his nephews in advance to warn him of
my arrival, he was waiting to receive me, and invited me to stay at his
house with great cordiality. Notwithstanding that the greater portion of
it had been destroyed by fire a few months previously, I was very
comfortably housed, and fully appreciated a clean bed after the rough
'shakes down' to which I was accustomed. That the kitchen was
luxuriously stocked, I am not prepared to say; but the priest was
profuse in his apologies for the absence of meat, proffering as an
excuse that Roman Catholics do not eat it on Friday, a reason which
would scarcely hold good, as I arrived on a Saturday. Of eggs and
vegetables, however, there was no lack. Vegetable diet and dog Latin are
strong provocatives of thirst, and the number of times that I was
compelled to say '_ad salutem_' in the course of the evening was
astonishing. The old priest appeared more accustomed to these copious
libations than his younger assistant, who before he left the table
showed unmistakable signs of being 'well on.' Both vicar and curate wore
moustachios, and the flat-topped red fez, which distinguishes their
profession. The curate had received a certain amount of education at one
of the Bosnian convents, whence he had been sent to Rome, where he had,
at any rate, attained a tolerable proficiency in Italian, and a few
words of French. Another occupant of the house, who must not be allowed
to go unmentioned, was the priest's mother, a charming old lady in her
ninety-seventh year. Age had in no way impaired her faculties, and she
was more active and bustling than many would be with half her weight of
years.
In the evening the nephews made their appearance, having dined with the
domestics. The remaining hours were devoted to singing, if such can be
termed the monotonous drawl which constitutes the music of the country.
In this one of the brothers was considered very proficient: the subjects
of the songs are generally legendary feats of Christians against the
conquering Turks, which, however little they may have conduced to bar
the progress of the invaders, sound remarkably well in verse. Sometimes,
as in the present case, the voice is accompanied by the guesla, a kind
of violin with one or three strings.
The priest, although a man of small education and strong prejudices,
appeared to be possessed of much good sense. He deplored the state of
things in Herzegovina, and said that much misery would ensue from it,
not only there, but in all the neighbouring provinces. As an instance of
the severity of the government demands, he mentioned that 1,400
baggage-horses had been recently taken from the district of Livno alone,
as well as more than 400 horse-loads of corn, for all of which promises
of payment only had been made. For the accuracy of his statements I am
not prepared to vouch, but I give them as they were given to me. He did
not, however, complain so much of the quantity, as of the injudicious
mode of proceeding, in making such large demands at one time.
A few hours took me to the town of Livno, on the outskirts of which is
the Catholic convent. Mass was being performed at the time; but I found
the Guardiano, 'Padre Lorenzo,' and one of the Fratri disengaged. After
keeping me waiting for some time in a very cold vaulted room, these two
came to me, though their reception of me contrasted very unfavourably
with that of the simple village priest. The convent is for monks of the
Franciscan order, of whom there were five besides the Superior. It is a
large, rambling, and incomplete building of white stone, and in no way
interesting, having only been completed about six years. After mass came
dinner, which was provided more with regard to quantity than quality,
and at which the holy men acquitted themselves _à merveille_. Excepting
a young priest of delicate appearance and good education, the brethren
appeared a surly and ill-conditioned set. So ill-disguised was the
discontent conveyed in the ungracious 'sicuro' vouchsafed in reply to my
petition for a bed, that I ordered my traps to be conveyed forthwith to
the best khan in the town, and, having failed to find favour with the
Christians, sought the aid of the Mussulman Kaimakan, from whom at any
rate my English blood and Omer Pacha's Buruhltee insured me advice and
assistance.
The Austrian Consul also received me with much civility, and most
obligingly placed his house at my disposal, although compelled to start
for Spolatro on business. For some reason best known to himself, he
begged of me to return to Mostar, insisting on the impracticability of
travelling in Bosnia in the present state of political feeling. This,
coupled with the specimen of priestly civility which I had experienced
in the convent of Goritza, inclined me to alter the route which I had
proposed to myself by Foinitza to Bosna Serai. In lieu of this route, I
resolved upon visiting Travnik, the former capital of Bosnia, before
proceeding to Bosna Serai (or Serayevo, as it is called in the
vernacular), the present capital of the province. In fulfillment of this
plan, I started on the morning of the 21st, though suffering from fever
and headache, which I attributed to a cold caught in the damp vaults of
the Franciscan convent. With each successive day my illness became more
serious, and it was with difficulty that I could sit my horse during the
last day's journey before reaching Travnik. At one of the khans en
route, I put myself into the hands of the Khanjee, who with his female
helpmate prescribed the following remedies:--He directed me to place my
feet in a basin of almost boiling tea, made out of some medicinal herbs
peculiar to the country, the aroma from which was most objectionable. He
then covered me with a waterproof sheet which I carried with me, and,
when sufficiently cooked, lifted me into bed. Though slightly relieved
by this treatment, the cure was anything but final; and on my arrival at
Travnik I was far more dead than alive. There an Hungarian doctor, to
whom I had letters of introduction, came to visit me, and prescribed a
few simple remedies. One day I hazarded the remark that stimulants were
what I most required; upon which the learned doctor observed, with
proper gravity, that brandy would probably be the most efficacious
remedy, as he had often heard that English soldiers lived entirely on
exciting drinks. Ill as I was, I could scarcely refrain from laughing at
the drollery of the idea.
After a few days' stay at Travnik my medical adviser began, I fancy, to
despair of my case; and on the same principle as doctors elsewhere
recommend Madeira to hopeless cases of consumption, he advised me to
continue my journey to Bosna Serai. The difficulty was to reach that
place. Here, however, the Kaimakan came to my help, and volunteered to
let out on hire an hospital-cart belonging to the artillery. I accepted
his offer, and after a few days' stay at Travnik set forward on my
journey to Bosna Serai. The carriage was a species of Indian dâk ghari,
with side doors, but without a box-seat; it was drawn by artillery
horses, ridden by two drivers, while a sergeant and gunner did escort
duty. Fortunately the vehicle had springs, which must have suffered
considerably from the jolting which it underwent, although we only
proceeded at a foot's pace.
After three days' journey we reached Bosna Serai, where I was most
kindly received by Mr. Z., the acting British Consul, and by M.M., the
French Consul, with whom I stayed during the three weeks that I was
confined to my room by illness.
Bosna Serai, or Serayevo, is probably the most European of all the large
towns of Turkey in Europe. It is not in the extent of the commerce which
prevails, nor in the civilisation of its inhabitants, that this
pre-eminence shows itself; but in the cleanly and regular appearance of
its houses and streets, the condition of which last would do credit to
many a Frankish town. This happy state of things is mainly attributable
to the energy and liberality of the present governor of Bosnia, Osman
Pacha, who, notwithstanding his advanced years, has evinced the greatest
desire to promote the welfare of the people under his charge. In the
nine months of his rule which had preceded my visit, he had constructed
no less than ninety miles of road, repaired the five bridges which span
the river within the limits of the town, and introduced other reforms
which do him honour, and have procured for him the gratitude and
goodwill of all classes of his people. The system which he has
introduced for the construction of roads is at once effective and
simple. By himself making a small portion of road near the capital, he
succeeded in demonstrating to the country people the advantages which
would result from the increased facility of traffic. By degrees this
feeling spread itself over the province, and the villagers apply
themselves, as soon as the crops are sown, to making new portions of
road, which they are further bound to keep in repair. This is obviously
the first and most indispensable step in the developement of the
resources of the country. It would be well for the Sultan were he
possessed of a few more employés as energetic, able, and honest as Osman
Pacha.
I regretted that the rapidity of his movements prevented my taking leave
of him and his intelligent secretary. But, a few nights before my
departure, an express arrived bringing intelligence of a rising in
Turkish Croatia, near Banialuka. The news arrived at 9 P.M.,
and the energetic Pacha was on the road to the scene of the disturbance
by 6 A.M. the following morning. The émeute proved trifling;
not being, as was at first reported, a Christian insurrection, but a
mere ebullition of feeling on the part of the Mussulmans of that
district, who are the most poverty-stricken of all the inhabitants of
the province.
[Footnote U: This can scarcely be correct, as everything implies far
greater antiquity.]