Rambles in Istria, Dalmatia and Montenegro

by R. H. R.

"The tactics of Montenegrins are confined to being skilful marksmen.... In a pitched battle their movements can be ascertained only by the direction of their standards. They have certain signal cries, which are uttered when they are to join in a compact body for attacking the weaker points of the enemy. As soon as such a signal is given, they rush furiously onwards, break into the squares, and at all events create a deal of disorder in the enemy's ranks. It was a terrible spectacle to see the Montenegrins rushing forward, with heads of slaughtered enemies suspended from their necks and shoulders, and uttering savage yells....

"The Russian commander-in-chief had much difficulty in persuading them not to cut off the heads of their prisoners. He finally succeeded in this (chiefly by paying them a ducat for every prisoner) but what he had more difficulty, with the assistance of the Vladika, in persuading them to do, was to embark for an expedition on board of ship—a thing which they had never done before.

"Notwithstanding that they were treated with the greatest kindness, they proved very troublesome guests. Whenever the captains invited their chiefs to breakfast, they all entered the cabin, and having observed that more dishes were served to the officers than to common sailors, they wanted to have a similar fare. When the Fortress of Curzola was taken the feast of Easter was approaching; they gave the captain no repose, entreating him to return to Cattaro; but when it was explained to them that the vessel could not advance against the wind, they fell into great despondency.

"When at last the ship approached the entrance of Boccha di Cattaro and they caught a sight of their own black mountains, they uttered joyous exclamations, and began to sing and dance. On taking leave they affectionately embraced the captain and the officers, and invited those to whom they had taken a liking to pay them a visit. But when the sailors told them they could not leave the ship without the permission of their superiors, they were much astonished, and said, 'If you like to do a thing, what right has another to forbid you?'"

Does not the foregoing read like a chapter in "Waverley," or in "Rob Roy?" but though it is now a good many years since M. Broniewski wrote the foregoing, the Montenegrin is still much the same, with the exception of cutting off the heads of those killed in battle, which he has given up, principally, I believe, because he has had no fighting of late. But at the period of the last attempted invasion of Montenegro on the Grahovo side, by the Turks in, I think, 1862, heads were cut off as freely as ever, and were liberally paid for by the chieftains; the only difference was that instead of taking them to Cettigne to hang in festoons upon the round tower at the back of the monastery, they were allowed to rot on the battle-field among the rocks of the Grahovo where scores of them are to be seen lying about to this day.

CHAPTER XVI.

BATTLE BETWEEN TURKS AND MONTENEGRINS—ADDRESS OF PRINCE MIRKO—HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER—THE PROJECTS OF PRINCE DANIELO—PRINCE NICHOLAS I.—SPORT IN MONTENEGRO—INTERVIEW WITH THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS—NATIONAL COSTUME—SPLENDID ILLUMINATION.

I REGRET more than I can express having lost some interesting notes of several conversations I had with the Commandant Pedro Pejovich on the subject of the campaign of 1864(?); all the more as they were most graphically told me by him, who had been in the thick of the fight, and carried in his body, in the shape of severe wounds, proofs of the active part he had borne in that campaign. One only I partially remember still, sufficiently well to venture to retail.