MONTENEGRO.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3952, 7 June 1913, Page 10

MONTENEGRO.

THE COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE,

The attitude of Montenegro towards Skutari ivas fierce enough when A. 11. Layard visited the country in 1839 (says a Avriter in the London “Chronicle”). Layard asked Prince Danielo, the Prince-Bishop of Montenegro — Avhose age was 27 and height 7jft— whether, if peaceful relations were established betAveen him and the Turks, he AA'ould visit the Pasha of Scutari; and the Prince replied that he would only enter Skutari at the head of 10,000 warriors. While the Prince and Layard ivere pla-yirtg billiards, loud shouting and gun-firing Avere heard. It was the return of a party of Montenegrins from the Skutari district, Avith a number of Turkish heads to add to the ghastly collection on the round toAver before the palace. In those days both sides habitually took such trophies from their slain enemies.

Montenegro has, after- all, some reason to be gratefuKfoj' its stones. “It is in these scones,’’ Avrites Mr William Miller, “that the Black Mountain lias found its best fortifications — for artificial forts it has none—and it Avas not till the time of the present Prince (now King Nicholas) that the Napoleonic idea of making a road across the country was carried out. Even uoav it is not by any means certain that this improved means of communication AA-ill not be a source danger in the future.”

Napoleon, in the early years of the nineteenth century, offered to construct a roadivay across the principality at his oavu expense, but his overtures were summarily rejected. He then threatened to lay Avaste the country AA-itli fire and sivcrd till its name became Monte Rosso (“the Red Mountain”) instead of Montenegro. The threat, hoAvever, was never carried out.

Hoav Montenegro’s hopes Avere set upon expansion Avas illustrated to Mr W. J. Stilman in the seventies by the answer constantly given AA'lien Montenegrins were asked Avhy they did not build more substantial bouses. It Avas, that they were not going to stay there long, but meant to get a better country. For tho Montenegrin has alivays felt the bitter truth of the -Serb saying, that. Avhen God made the world, the bag which contained the stones burst, and the stones all fell upon Montenegro.