rs. From the easternmost of these towers the town runs out
some few hundred yards towards the Montenegrin frontier; but all egress
upon that side is out of the question, as there is ever a bullet in
readiness for anyone who may be so rash as to cross a certain green
patch of grass, which appears to be accepted as the legitimate boundary
of the two provinces, although not precisely specified as such. At this
point the Turkish sentries are withdrawn, but farther to the south a
small white building serves as a guard-house, whence sentries are
supplied to form a cordon round that portion of the frontier. On
arriving at Niksich, we--that is, Osman Pacha's principal staff officer
and myself--paid a visit to the Mudir, whom we found sitting in
dignified conclave with his whole Medjlis. The Mudir, a magnificent
Albanian, standing about six feet four inches, and of proportionate
girth, welcomed us most cordially, and appeared a person of far greater
intelligence than most of his class. He bitterly lamented the increase
of suffering, resulting from the change in the line of frontier.
'Attacks by the Montenegrins and their friends,' said he, 'are now of
daily occurrence, and there seems to be no chance of any improvement in
our condition.' He expressed great confidence, however, in the
advantages to be derived from Omer Pacha's arrival, and took a clear and
sound view of things generally. He argued, correctly enough, that the
rebels would stand a good chance of being literally starved into
submission during the ensuing winter and spring, since the occupation of
the country by the Turkish troops had prevented them from getting in
their harvest, while the benighted frenzy which they had themselves
displayed in the wanton destruction of the crops had deterred the
neighbouring landowners from cultivating their fields. But the open
intelligent face of our friend, the Mudir, lit up, more especially when
telling us of some of the dours which he had made against the rebels;
and in good sooth he looked better fitted for such employment, judging
from his great length and breadth, than for sitting hour after hour on
his haunches, emitting clouds of tobacco-smoke, and reflecting upon the
individuality of God, and the plurality of wives, reserved in the next
world for all those who say their prayers regularly, and kill a
sufficient number of Feringhees in this. These stereotyped notions,
however, regarding the tenets of Mahometanism are fast los