eview at Ragusa. The air was full of political
electricity, flags and decorations, and the coasting steamer was
full of police spies. All papers and passports were scrutinized
carefully at each landing-stage. The Kaiser had not visited Dalmatia
for very many years, and the populace was delighted. Dalmatia
complained bitterly that money was poured into Bosnia and nothing
done for her. Now things no doubt would look up.

Then we touched at Lesina and learnt that the Kaiser was unwell and
that his heir presumptive, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, would
replace him.

"I know what is the matter with him," said the captain to me: "he
has political fever. Something has happened."

The tale ran round that the Kaiser had intended after the manoeuvres
to announce the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. But that Abdul
Hamid, apt at expedients, had learnt this fact, and had sent Franz
Josef a polite message regretting that he was unable in person to
receive His Majesty on this, his first visit to a Turkish province,
but assuring him that his reception should be in every way suitable.
Se non vero, ben trovato. Possibly true, for it came out later that
Goluchowski actually broached the subject to Russia in the summer of
1906 and Russia raised objections, and may very probably have
informed Abdul.

The news caused great disappointment. The old Kaiser was genuinely
respected and even loved. Towns that were poor had spent much to do
him honour. Perhaps this was one of the "tides in the affairs of men"
and nations, that can be taken once and once only. The change of
feeling was marked at all our stopping-places. It was very late when
we reached Ragusa, and a gauntlet of police had to be run. The town
was crammed. Next day the great grey warships lay off the coast and
the army was arriving, disembarking and marching up to Trebinje. No
stranger might go there without a special pass. I did not ask for
one, as in such cases one sees only what one is meant to see, which
is misleading. So I got up at 4 a.m. and went to look at the army.
It was put to an unusual test in Europe, as it had to rely largely
on mule transport. Having done much pack-saddle travel myself, I
noted with interest that the Bosniak regiments were the only ones
who knew how to "pack-saddle." With most of the others the saddles
rolled under at once, or halfway up the road, which is worse. The
army marched off early. I then made the acquaintance of a pretty
girl, who was en