AN ENGLISHMAN IN MONTENEGRO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15269, 5 April 1913, Page 5 (Supplement)

AN ENGLISHMAN IN MONTENEGRO.

CETTINJE A PAGEANT CITY. The stronger entering Cettinje for the first time/ says .••. Mr; i can scarcely believe himself to be in the ; capital of : He looks in vain for the ? imposing■ ybuildings- that embellish Sofia arid the:; electric 3 trams, the trains, theatres, and all the „accompani- ; menteof;our,modern civihaatibn.* Instead; .; he' finds hun Self in; '& big : village, - with low, i two-storeyed buildings ;:and wide, open . streets, .not: unlike a 'South -African toWn- ;; ship.: Dtter simplicity is the Keynote!of • everything in Montehegro. King Nicholas's v abode retains its title of-palace by courtesy . alone,"and ia merely a long,, two-storbyed ; house, with* a sentry-box in front., It is ; .the-'largest building Jn: Cettinje; save that ; of the Russian Legation, which, for press- :; ing;diplombtic reasons; has .been; con-; '■ strncted upon as elaborate and magnlOcent a plan ae possible. Russian influence is ,; supreme in Mohtenegro;" indeed, one must i not hint at anything derogatory to; the •..■ Muscovite while; a guest of the prnagora.: What appeals most to the:stranger Is the colour of. the streets. He; finds himself transported from' the dreary ; black and ; white of ; the present-day into the midst of i":; a dazzling pageant; His' first- impression • is that'there must be some, great fete on; ;,-: yet, after he has lived a week or two. more i in the land, he begins to; realise that the ; gay throng' is but a phase of the every>:i day life of the people. , National. Characteristics.- [: The universal costume consists; first, of ■ a, longshaped: coat, hung from the • ehoulders; it has a wide skirt reaching to the! knees,, which,; as the wearer walks, j gives him somewhat the swing that the . Highlander' gains from. hia kilt; a waist- • coat of red, heavily embroidered:with gold • and black braid, according to: the worldly " possessions of:the owner; a brilliant' sash , wbund round the waist; then a pair, of '/ extremely baggy trousers, - a beautiful ;> shade, of dark blue; these end at the knees 1 in the top ojt a pair of heavy white felt leggings, fastening at ...the back. The , better-class have adopted Russian top-boots , of the softest leather, * reaching; to the ' knees.; 'One and- all wear a; little round; " hat oh: the head. The crown is; bright 5 v red, ah emblem of the blood ehed on the \ grey rocks; the outside.band is of black I silk, black; in memory bf fatal: Kossbvo atid Serbian Dream. -Five gold bands: '■:. are embroidered on the- red crown to cele- . brate five centuries of , .Among ', the better;class^thevlong;cbat-is.of skyblue, green,- or 'dark blue; so; ; that when, '/. huhdrede of so-dtessed figures gather io- § ether they present a; scene of the rilliaricb.:: The > army the; other hand j '' have dispensed with the long coat, and in i ita^place wear^a:short red-sleeved jacket i to -the•'s'asli, giving them a very emart apI pearance.: Among the ;; most favoured ■'•- troopß-King Nicholas is introducing the sJiiiternatiohal' khaki :cloth;; -which, while j | vital modern; ;;warv:cbhditions F looks r horribly.drab,and cbmmbhplace^beside the '■'Inativb'd'refia of ;": -' " - ■