The Rector’s Palace had a fine portico; these were among the things we saw, but I have no doubt that there were many others we did not see of equal interest, as my attention was rivetted on one of the steep side streets, bright with all kinds of coloured clothing strung across it. I had hardly started work, when down came the rain in torrents. I sent old Angelos off for a carriage while I took refuge in a doorway, and I generously gave the old courier my umbrella as he had none. After waiting a long time and getting in despair of his ever returning, I suddenly heard his voice round a corner, so I ran. Why he took so long was, that he had quite forgotten where he had left me!
Some of the others reached the quay at the same time as I did; the rain coming down in sheets made it very difficult to get on board, and the dingey was simply a large pool of water.
In the afternoon we went in the launch up the river of the Val d’ Ombra, as we were told it was a very nice excursion; the country was very ugly, but the water at the fall seemed to bubble up from the ground, coming through, not down the mountain, when it had disappeared entirely for nineteen miles.
On April 20th we left Gravosa for Cattaro. There is not much to see in the town there, but the market was most fascinating, peasants in costume from all parts, Brda, or Montenegro, &c., &c. The Montenegrins are a very good looking fine race. The women part the hair in the middle, and wear enormously thick plaits of hair round the head, a black shawl in cold weather for the married women and a little cap for the girls, embroidered on the crown with I.H. (Nichola I.), a long white sleeveless coat, a blue or red zouave of velvet, beautifully embroidered in gold, ordinary skirt and apron, and shoes of calf skin with string tops and straps, a sock with a border of red and blue is worn over the stocking. The men wear the little round cap, the sleeveless white coat, and red waistcoat embroidered in black and silver buttons, wide, bright blue pantaloons, and a sash and leathern pocket in which the revolver rests—these latter they always wear, except on market days at Cattaro, where all firearms have to be left behind. They (men and women) are splendid specimens of humanity, every man a soldier and a gentleman, with a fine carriage and a most dignified manner; they salute or bow, often both.
In the afternoon, Angelos and I started off in a carriage to drive to Cettinje, the capital of Montenegro, where I stayed the night.
The road zig-zags up the mountain side all the way from Cattaro to a Col, then zig-zags down on the other side to Cettinje, which lies nestling at the foot of steep hills and at the end of a cultivated valley. The road was in a state of repair, and was a mass of stones all the way, which made the drive of seven hours very tiring. The scenery is very grand and rugged, the mountains pinky grey in colour, with very little green at the commencement of the ascent even, and these are chiefly shrubs; then this green ends, and is entirely left behind, and the mountains stand out in all their ruggedness, with an occasional patch of snow still left by the road side at the end of April.
There is very little soil except in the valleys, and these are old lake basins. Every bit of soil is used in cultivation. For miles and miles there is nothing to be seen but rugged, jagged rock.
On our way we passed a few thatched cottages, and stopped to bait the horses at the only village on the road, called Njegus, which is a short distance over the frontier. In this village the house is shown where Prince Nichola was born. While waiting here, I had a frugal meal of eggs, bread and wine, and I made a sketch of a very fine looking young man, much to his amusement and gratification, as he seemed quite pleased with his appearance on paper. Several other good looking young men came to criticise, some spoke a little Italian but most of them Slav, I suppose, as they are the descendants of the old nobility of the Servian Empire, who fled to the Black Mountains to escape Turkish oppression, and who maintained their liberty and independence against all comers for more than five centuries.
