The above shows that the province yields to the imperial treasury a yearly sum of about 79,000_l._ sterling, from a taxation of about 8_s._ per head on the population. The amount may appear small; but when it is considered that the taxes are not equitably levied, that the heaviest share falls upon the poorest inhabitants, and that a great part of the amount is in direct taxation, it cannot be considered light. The burden, too, weighs with undue severity upon the faithful subjects of the Porte, since they are compelled to pay the share which would fall upon those who have rebelled against the Turkish authority. There is one branch of the public administration which eminently requires readjustment. This is the police force. Ill-paid and badly organised, it follows as a matter of course that it is inefficient to perform the duties required of it. It is divided into horse and foot, and is paid as follows per month:-- Horse Piastres Binbashee (or Chief Officer) 1,000 per month Uzbashee (or Captain) 600 " Tchonch (Corporal or Sergeant) 250 " Nefer (Private) 150 " Foot Piastres Tchonch 100 per month Nefer 75 " The Zaptiehs have frequently duties to perform which should only be intrusted to men of honesty and sagacity, and it is consequently of great importance to render the service attractive to trustworthy men. To effect this the pay, more especially in the lower grades, should be increased, and circumspection used in the selection of recruits. At present this is far from being the case, many men of notoriously bad character being employed, and these are driven to peculation and theft for the means of supporting life. The mounted portion find their own horses and forage, is very dear in many parts of the province. [Footnote I: Many of the villages on the Montenegrin frontier no longer exist, having been fired by the insurgents.] [Footnote J: These are principally on the western banks of the Narenta, outside Mostar.] CHAPTER VII. Omer Pacha--Survey of Montenegro--Mostar--Bazaars--Mosques--Schools--Old Tower--Escape of Prisoners--Roman Bridge--Capture by Venetians--Turkish Officers--Pacha's Palace--European Consulates--Clock-Tower--Emperor's Day--Warlike Preparations--Christian Volunteers--Orders to March. During the week which intervened between my arrival and the removal of head-quarters to the seat of war, I had several interviews with Omer Pacha. On these occasions he showed much kindness of disposition, and took great trouble to explain to me the arrangements which he made for the prosecution of the war against Montenegro in 1852, and to describe the nature of campaigning in that province.