LITERARY NOTICES.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 43, 7 April 1863, Page 2 (Supplement)

LITERARY NOTICES.

From Smith, Elder and Co.'s 'Mnnflily Clrntlar.) Uerzegoviva ; or, Omtr Pacha and the Christian Rrhph; ici/h a firirf Al--eoimt of Serrin, its Social, Political, ■and Financial Condition. Rv Lieut. G. Arbnthnot, R.H.A., F.R..OS. With Frontispiece and Two Maps. Post Bvo. pp. 2SB. 10s 6d. A Short Dip m Hungary and Tmn.ittltania m the. Snrintj ot 1862. By Professor D T. Aliped. Post Bvo, p;>. 252. 8s 6d. Those who remember Sir Gardn°r Wilkinson's interesting account of Dal matiawill read with pleasure the narrative of a recent traveller, who leads them over the Pinaric Alps info the neighboring provinces of Turkey. It is true the narrative of I ieiif. Arhuthnor relates to events already past, hut the oountry and the people of which the volume contains many lively sketches remain, and the successful soldier who commands the IWalxmedan army is still an jnterestii'i. 1 acquaintarce, and has a long career, it is to be hoped, before him. The operations of Omer Pacha m Herzegovina n few months ago induced the author to embark at Trieste on the Austrian Lloyd's steamer bound for Corfu, en rotite to T^apusa, where he expected to obtain infoimatinn of tie Turkish henH. quarters. ]n ibis he was not disappointed, and hein<: entrusted with df spate) es for the Pacha who was ■stationed at Mosfar, he set forth without loss of time, and m due course found himself m the capital, discussing with the Ottoman chief the relative attitudes of the European powers w'th 1 regard to Turkey, afid especially the subject of French and Russian intrigue. The campaign then fehfJijt to be Opeaed (September, 1861) was of course the next topic of conversation, and Oiner Pacha spoke with confidence of his Success ; a confidence m which the author shared, who is not slow to denounce the. rebels of Montenegro as a disgrace to the Christianity they profess — lovers of rapine wbode^cend from their fortresses to ravsp« the country with fire and sword, sparing neither aye nor sex m their fury. As an illustration, however, of the difficulties which the Sublime Porte experiences m the attempt to govern these countries, Wo may relate some particulars of the sforv of one Uadji Ali Pacha, to whom a firman was granted some years ago, ceding to him ihe. privilege, for years, of exploring Bosnia aod Herzegovina, and working any mines which he might tbere discover ; the probable exisience of these mines being used as a mere cloak to cover his nefarious conduct. Hadji, it appears, com men cco 1 his career as a clerk m the pay of Meb«met Ali, the celebrated Viceroy of Egypt, but, having deserted to the Turks, he received a commission as uzbaehee or captain ; and subsequently, when he marie his way to Constantinople, was appointed kaimakan, or lieutenant-colonel, with which grade he was sent to Travr»ik m command of a regiment. Tahir Pacha, the governor of Bosnia, had about this time been informed of the existence of gold mines near Tr&vuik, and be ordered Hadji to

tobtam -samples tor transmission to 'fche Port*. Thw he did, fcilrirrg care te "retain all the valuable specimens, and forwarding those of inferior quality, which, on their arrival at Constantinople, were declared worthless.' No sooner was this decision arrived at than Hadji imported the necessary machinery., and an Austrian mechanic, to separate the g«ld from the -ore*, and m this wav amassed immense wealth. Soon, however, rumors carae to the ears of Tahir Pacha:; to discredit which the unscrupulous Hadji found it convenient to put the Austrian out of the way by some nummary process, and farther concealed his proceedings by obtaining the firman alluded to. In 185!), when Omer Pacha whs occupied m restoring oroW m Bosnia, this scoundrel had the command of two batta lions, and Was convicted o f coimntinicatinii with the- enemy, fiV which Omer Pacha would have shot him had he not been aware that; his enenrfes at Constantinople would not f-iil io distort the circumstances. The Tinkish commander, therefore, Sen» him to Constantinople, where lie was shortly released, and employed his <roM to such «ood purpose- that he was actually sent down as civil governor to Tnivi.ik. which he had so recently lefr as a -prisoner convicfed of robber V and treason. Tn 1837 he purchased the tithes of Bosnia and llerzoi»ovin;i, an«l einplnxed such ruffians to collect them, i hat. the people of Pessavina rose au innssr; and we are «ivcn to understand • Ikil this very movement proved the inifwitive of fliat discorfJ arul rphellioii «»liicll h;»s been attended wi'h such p;ilamitotm re-nlrs. Ts ir. wotidcTt'iil. then, l.ieijt. Arl'.uihnnl's own sl>owiny. ihouL'h no oneciin be better disposed to 'he Tinkish "ovcrnrnpiit, th^t. its administraiion m the provinces should excue the utmost oHium? This very man was at Mo^'nr when tlic movement, be«an m 1858. and was- made commandant of i he ll^rzo^ovinian InCL'ulars, »nd suhsequeniK kaimskan of 'l'rebitjne. At this srnye of Ins career the European consul* iVterfVred : and we are ulad to have lifetir. Arhut hnot's as«nrnnce th it the ra«ea) has fie camped, but witinuit psnirijj the sums due to the government on his fH\ contract. It would occupy toj much of our space to follow the author step by step through h's rambles m Herzegovina, but so:nf> idea of a province so little known mjiy be acceptable to our readers Tn the first place it. is a country of remarkable wihlness. The hi»hest. and mr.^t important mountains are ])ormifor on the Moriteneyrin frontier, and Velesh, which forms a ruj/ffed backyronnrl on «)ie plain nf and raises its head six thnus-iiirl fe^t tihove tbv 'evel of the sen. The southern part -of the province i^ ('-escribed as a v sen ol r<>'k," cliiefly oomposfd <»f a gvey limestone, mingled with which is a s'atv stratum. Of the mineral products of the mountains there is bur. little accurate knowledge to be obtained, hut there is reason to believe that «rold. silver, and lead miirht be obtained. The population of tlve native country fimounis to about, one hundred and eitrhtv-two thnusand persons, of whom it. is estimated that, fiftytwo thousand are Catholics, seventy thousand of tl.e Greek Church, and sixt\ thousand Mussulmans. Origina'ly the«e were all of the same stock, and rheir present divisions, while constituting 1 an element of safety for Turkey, are most prejudicial to the well-bein» nf the coiintrv. Greeks ha'e f'atholics, and Catliolics and Greeks unite m the'r fletestafion of the Mii-sulmanj!. Chrisit'anity m thepiovince, according to the author, is merely nominal, both Greeks and Catholics presenting a painful combination of Western c-unnintr and intriune with Oriental apathy, while the\ »re \v;infiti(r ill that spirit of devotion and dignified resii. 1 nation to the will of Providence which pre-eminently characterise the religion of Alahomet. Drunkenness and the nsi.- of bad lan«.'ua»e prevail universally. The perpitual whine of Russia about Chri.-tians held m yalley subjection to the Turks is a " miserable deception," according to Lieut. Arburlmot, which "although it may serve as a pretext lor their own repeated acts of interference, cannot mislead those who have seen any thing ol these countries, or who hare been brought into contact with their Christian inhabitants." In addition to Herzopovina which occupies the jjrenter part of the volume, the author treats of Servia, detailing its social, political, and financial condition ; and this includes an interesting personal account of Prince Michael, who, it appears, is far from sharing the devotion of his father to Russia. "Ambitious, obstinate, and devoted to intiigue, his character is no more that of a mere puppet than it is one likely to attain any great eminence." All his er.<rgies are applied to the acquisition of independent power; and he even dreams of including m his dominions the slave provinces of Austria, not excepting Hungaiy itself. Asa means to his end, he is indefatigable iv wotking for the regeneration of his country; a statement, t>y the way, not quite cons-istent with the slight opinion which the author holds of his talents for rising to an eminent position. Valuable maps of Vontenegrro and of the Slavonic provinces of European Tut key are given by Lieut. Arbuthnolt to illustrate his account, of Herzogovina. Professor Ansted's work contains a traveller's account of the political state of the country visited, but its special object is a scientific one.