THROUGH THE LANDS OF THE SERB By MARY E. DURHAM LONDON EDWARD ARNOLD 1904 DEDICATED TO MY MOTHER [Illustration: MONTENEGRIN WOMEN, CETINJE.] CONTENTS PART I MONTENEGRO AND THE WAY THERE I. CATTARO--NJEGUSHI--CETINJE II. PODGORITZA AND RIJEKA III. OSTROG IV. NIKSHITJE AND DUKLE V. OUR LADY AMONG THE ROCKS VI. ANTIVARI VII. OF THE NORTH ALBANIAN VIII. SKODRA IX. SKODRA TO DULCIGNO PART II OF SERVIA X. BELGRADE XI. SMEDEREVO--SHABATZ--VALJEVO--UB--OBRENOVATZ XII. NISH XIII. PIROT XIV. EAST SERVIA XV. THE SHUMADIA AND SOUTH-WEST SERVIA XVI. KRUSHEVATZ PART III MONTENEGRO AND OLD SERVIA 1903 XVII. KOLASHIN--ANDRIJEVITZA--BERANI--PECH XVIII. TO DECHANI AND BACK TO PODGORITZA LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS MONTENEGRIN WOMEN, CETINJE CEMETERY NEAR CETINJE BAKER'S SHOP, RIJEKA--ALBANIAN AND TWO MONTENEGRINS BULLOCK CART, PODGORITZA UPPER MONASTERY, OSTROG RUINS OF ANTIVARI MOUNTAIN ALBANIANS IN MARKET, PODGORITZA STREET IN BAZAAR, SKODRA SKODRA MOSQUE, SKODRA SHOP IN BAZAAR, SKODRA MONTENEGRIN PLOUGH SERVIAN PEASANT TRAVELLING GIPSIES, RIJEKA, MONTENEGRO SOLDIERS' MONUMENTS CHURCH, STUDENITZA--WEST DOOR. CORONATION CHURCH, KRALJEVO TSAR LAZAR'S CASTLE CHURCH, KRUSHEVATZ--SIDE WINDOW OF APSE THE PATRIARCHIA, IPEK (PECH) PODGORITZA MAP OF THE LANDS OF THE SERB PUBLISHER'S NOTE In the spelling of proper names the system adopted in the _Times Atlas_ has been followed as nearly as possible. Owing to the absence of Miss Durham in Macedonia, the following pages have not had the advantage of her revision in going through the press. PART I MONTENEGRO AND THE WAY THERE "What land is this?" "This is Illyria, lady." _Twelfth Night._ THROUGH THE LANDS OF THE SERB CHAPTER I CATTARO--NJEGUSHI--CETINJE I do not know where the East proper begins, nor does it greatly matter, but it is somewhere on the farther side of the Adriatic, the island-studded coast which the Venetians once held. At any rate, as soon as you leave Trieste you touch the bubbling edge of the ever-simmering Eastern Question, and the unpopularity of the ruling German element is very obvious. "I--do--not--speak--German," said a young officer laboriously, "I am Bocchese"; and as we approached the Bocche he emphasised the fact that he was a Slav returning to a Slav land. Party politics run high even on the steamboat.