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
After a few days' stay at Travnik my medical adviser began, I fancy, to
despair of my case; and on the same principle as doctors elsewhere
recommend Madeira to hopeless cases of consumption, he advised me to
continue my journey to Bosna Serai. The difficulty was to reach that
place. Here, however, the Kaimakan came to my help, and volunteered to
let out on hire an hospital-cart belonging to the artillery. I accepted
his offer, and after a few days' stay at Travnik set forward on my
journey to Bosna Serai. The carriage was a species of Indian dâk ghari,
with side doors, but without a box-seat; it was drawn by artillery
horses, ridden by two drivers, while a sergeant and gunner did escort
duty. Fortunately the vehicle had springs, which must have suffered
considerably from the jolting which it underwent, although we only
proceeded at a foot's pace.
After three days' journey we reached Bosna Serai, where I was most
kindly received by Mr. Z., the acting British Consul, and by M.M., the
French Consul, with whom I stayed during the three weeks that I was
confined to my room by illness.
Bosna Serai, or Serayevo, is probably the most European of all the large
towns of Turkey in Europe. It is not in the extent of the commerce which
prevails, nor in the civilisation of its inhabitants, that this
pre-eminence shows itself; but in the cleanly and regular appearance of
its houses and streets, the condition of which last would do credit to
many a Frankish town. This happy state of things is mainly attributable
to the energy and liberality of the present governor of Bosnia, Osman
Pacha, who, notwithstanding his advanced years, has evinced the greatest
desire to promote the welfare of the people under his charge. In the
nine months of his rule which had preceded my visit, he had constructed
no less than ninety miles of road, repaired the five bridges which span
the river within the limits of the town, and introduced other reforms
which do him honour, and have procured for him the gratitude and
goodwill of all classes of his people. The system which he has
introduced for the construction of roads is at once effective and
simple. By himself making a small portion of road near the capital, he
succeeded in demonstrating to the country people the advantages which
would result from the increased facility of traffic. By degrees this
feeling spread itself over the province, and the villagers apply
themselves, as soon as the crops are sown, to making new portions of
road, which they are further bound to keep in repair. This is obviously
the first and most indispensable step in the developement of the
resources of the country. It would be well for the Sultan were he
possessed of a few more employés as energetic, able, and honest as Osman
Pacha.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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