Herzegovina; Or, Omer Pacha and the Christian RebelsArbuthnot, George
History
Herzegovina; Or, Omer Pacha and the Christian Rebels
Arbuthnot, George
Hercegovina (Bosnia and Hercegovina) -- History; Serbia
The priest, although a man of small education and strong prejudices,
appeared to be possessed of much good sense. He deplored the state of
things in Herzegovina, and said that much misery would ensue from it,
not only there, but in all the neighbouring provinces. As an instance of
the severity of the government demands, he mentioned that 1,400
baggage-horses had been recently taken from the district of Livno alone,
as well as more than 400 horse-loads of corn, for all of which promises
of payment only had been made. For the accuracy of his statements I am
not prepared to vouch, but I give them as they were given to me. He did
not, however, complain so much of the quantity, as of the injudicious
mode of proceeding, in making such large demands at one time.
A few hours took me to the town of Livno, on the outskirts of which is
the Catholic convent. Mass was being performed at the time; but I found
the Guardiano, 'Padre Lorenzo,' and one of the Fratri disengaged. After
keeping me waiting for some time in a very cold vaulted room, these two
came to me, though their reception of me contrasted very unfavourably
with that of the simple village priest. The convent is for monks of the
Franciscan order, of whom there were five besides the Superior. It is a
large, rambling, and incomplete building of white stone, and in no way
interesting, having only been completed about six years. After mass came
dinner, which was provided more with regard to quantity than quality,
and at which the holy men acquitted themselves _à merveille_. Excepting
a young priest of delicate appearance and good education, the brethren
appeared a surly and ill-conditioned set. So ill-disguised was the
discontent conveyed in the ungracious 'sicuro' vouchsafed in reply to my
petition for a bed, that I ordered my traps to be conveyed forthwith to
the best khan in the town, and, having failed to find favour with the
Christians, sought the aid of the Mussulman Kaimakan, from whom at any
rate my English blood and Omer Pacha's Buruhltee insured me advice and
assistance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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