AN UNKNOWN LAND.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 122, 23 May 1908, Page 15

AN UNKNOWN LAND.

Mr. James F. Hope, author of "The History of tho 1900 Parliament," has communicated to tho Standard his impressions of a journey recently taken by him tlirough the country proposed to bo traversed b,y the Novibazar railway. He says .■ —

"Although this territory borders on Austria, and has now been brought by rail within 36 hours of Vienna, it is as uncivilised a strip of country as can possibly be found in tho whole of Europe. It would appear to have been left by the Treaty of Berlin as a wedge, for' strategic reasons, to divide Servia from Montenegro.

,; 'Underlie Treaty of Berlin, the Austrians have a right to occupy the whole country as far as Mitrovicza, but up to now they have only availed themselves -oflthat right., as far as] the Lim Valley, where they have^ advanced posts to Pribpj' and Pnjeepolje, with a ' strong advanced post at Plevlje, or Tashlitzd. At thcfie. places there are also Turkish troops, who are garrisoned 'side by side ,\^iih the Austrians," apparently in per.fectT.hannony^. It [is a matter of some lfttio - difficulty to ' traverse tiiis region, 1 as the Vali of the Province of Kossovo "is \ somewhat > c.h<iry of making himself responsible for , European travellers, and will- in. no case allow them to go without 'a • considerable armed escort. If, ho\v-_ aver, leave is once given, the authorities show every -courtesy, and even hos.pita^ity, to the traveller." M^". • Hope describes, his visit to the tow.n of Mitrqyicaa, the village of Banska • — w^ere there t are medicinal springs — and (Nbvibazar, where he had his first experience of Turkish hospitality, di inking plum , Jirandy and. ma-king a meal of hoTS d'oeuvces, in ignorance of the baked meats that were. . to follow. ■ He continue^ his journey westward to Sjenitza, through territory in which an escoit was 'deemed epqcntial, for the reason that it is held to be within the sphere of roving Albanian bands. '''The-, visit to-, the Governor is one of great ceremony,", continues Mr. Hope, "and, to cut this call short would be considered highly impolite., Afterwards the 'traveller is taken to his lodgings, but eixcept for a^moment or two to wash himsilf, he is -attended all the time until -tfie 'principal evening meal, the interval being . taken- up with cigarette smoking, \the> drinking of coffee, and such (conversation as is possible through the medium- of 'an interpreter.. Until one gets f | accustomed to it, this is rather fatigtting, but one" poon adapts oneself | to the customs of the country. No breakfast, save ,a cup of • coffee, is taken by the lurk, and for the midday meal one has'Hk) take one's chance of getting eggs or cficese in the han, or wayeide inn. AH ' the food is provided gratuitously, but substantial' tip&'are expected by j the servants who. wait upon you. ' "Ro ddou bt,( t , if many travellers > went ' along this 'route ( inns would bo established and regular charges made, but I was' told in Novibazar that only ten Europeaiis had been 'there in eighteen months.' On leaving Sienitza, we passed out of the bare down country, 'and • ascended the head ' Waters ■" of "the Uvatz, through beautiful natural ,woods of birch and fir. We then crossed the watershed between tho Uvatz and ohe Lim, the ;view to „the left, towards Montenegro, being magnificent t& a degree. There is hardly-, the semblance of a road here, although, (somehow, carria-ges. manage >to g&{" along, and hers "and there the beginnings of a new road" were being cut, wh^ch mayj-perhapsi have been finished by jno'w. J The descent into the Lim Valley is^ exceedingly steep, "and almost ( at.ev<trji atep one finds a change of -cli.matei ' At the -bottom the road is a handsome' 'iftodern Servian monastery, •and" above;' it ' a' fine old castle.' After a slipH ' da-y^fe, , ride ' I arrived in 'the early afternoon, \ii Prijipolje, where," in front of thel£6na]c, I found an imposing array of. official , n©rsons ■ ready to do mo honour, including, the Governor, and on one side, a ißimbashi, in command of tho Turkish trobps, and on the other side an .Austrian ' major, whose appearance made- ■ a pleasant' impression on me, after the entirely Oriental scenes I had been t'h^ough^ . ' .#> , ','At,Triji]Qolie I "was entertained, ■ the lust, night, py/'a .wealthy Servian, with, great, hospitality, and the next night I was the guest of the Austrian mess. I then) went on ( to Plevlje, where I was entertained by the Pasha, who was, at once civil and military, governor, and who lives, on amicable, terms with ,the Austrians . 'qamrterecl there. Prom here onwards .1 was provided with mounts by. the kindness of the Alstrian authorities, and reached Sarajevo after thieo days' travelling through exquisitely beautif4 country, strangely little known to Western Europe. With regard to the railway that is to open up the country" described above, it must be remembered that its commercial importance ; msy.'m sy.' \>p eajsily exaggerated, as the pre- ' sent line from the Hungarian, frontier r to. Uvatz is a- narrow gauge, whereas the line with which it will have to connect at MitioviczaL is a broad gauge. Thus the natural course of goods going from Salonika will still be via 'Nish and Belgrade, Strategically, however, it undoubtedly threatens both Servia and Montenegro, and, therein, no doubt, lies its, real, value to the Austrian Govern- • ment. It ,will be a line exceedingly costly and difficult tor construct, because if it followed, the Uvatz Valley from its present terminus, it would run/ absolutely along the- Servian frontier. It will, therefore, -have to be diverted up the Lira, whence it will fte a tremendous climb on to the table l?nd of Sienitza. The same' difficulty will ocmy further , east,' and the/line will have to be taien over the Rogosna yidgc instead of up the Valley of the Ibar. Whatever political complications have arisen over the making of this line, it oannot be otherwise than an unmixed boon \o the inhabitants, many of whom are now eunk in the lowest straits of poverty and misery." I