Pictures from the Balkans Fraser, John Foster (Popular ed., London, New York: Cassell and company, 1912) First published 1906 |
Contents
I. A KETTLE OF FISH
An Affray at Orovsji - Civil War between Rival Christian Churches - Jealousies between the Powers - The Macedonians a Mixture of Races - Bulgarian "Bands" and their Methods - Greek "Bands" - Conversion and Reconversion - European Officers and the Gendarmerie - A Big Massacre Wanted - Servian "Bands" in Macedonia - Turk and Greek - The RemedyII. BELGRADE
A Russian Town made Clean - Military Officers - The Mark of a Crime - Rival Dynasties, Obrenovitch and Karageorgovitch - King Milan - King Alexander and Queen DragaAustria's Hand in the Plot - Breaking into the Palace - The Search for the King and Queen - A Woman's Shriek - Murder of the Queen's Brothers, of Ministers and Officials - Where the King and Queen were Buried - Indignation of the Powers - The Servian People not Responsible for the Crime - Plot and Counterplot - The Serbs a Nation of Peasants - The National Garb Dying OutIII. A SITTING OF THE SERVIAN PARLIAMENT
A Mean House of Parliament - A Debate - Short-lived Governments - Dealing with Irregular Elections - Democratic Appearance of the Members - A Congeries of Cliques - The Pay of Members and Ministers - The Leader of the Opposition - The Minister of Justice - An Interview with the Prime MinisterIV. A MONASTIC RETREAT
The Most Famous Monastery in Servia - The Archimandrite - A Glimpse of the First King of Servia - The Vicissitudes of a Silver Coffin - Sacredness of the King's Remains - A Devout Brigand - Dinner in the Monastery - The Church - Feast of St. MaryV. THE PEASANT NATION
The Serb a Hater of Town Life - A State without Towns - The Servian Pig - Why British Trade is Dwindling - Peasant Proprietorship - A Country Ruled by Local Government - Taxation - Military Service - A Simple, Genuine FolkVI. SOFIA
A Miniature Brussels - A City in the Making - The Public Buildings - The Church of St. Sofia - The Bulgar's Qualities - A Kaleidoscopic History - Prince Ferdinand - His Unpopularity - Bulgarian Ambitions - The Prince a Factor for Peace - The Most Efficient Army in Europe - A Nation that Believes in EducationVII. A BIT OF OLD BULGARIA
Out of the World - Tirnova in the Sunrise - A Primitive Inn - The Tariff - " Ver' Good English" - A Litigious Community - The Churches - Monastery of the TransfigurationVIII. OVER THE SHIPKA PASS
Memorials of the Great Fight - Traces of Turkish Days - The Joy of Early Morning - Shipka Village - How the Russians Behaved after their Victory - Glimpse of the Plain of ThraceIX. THE ROSE GARDEN OF EUROPE
Where the Best Attar of Roses Comes from - Kasanlik - A Rose Garden Eighty Miles Long - The Plantations - The Process of Distilling - Adulteration - Prices - Potency of Attar of RosesX. THE CITY OF THE PLAIN
A Sunday Evening at Philippopolis - Individuality of the City - A Passion for Education - Bulgarians not Speculative - Agriculture - Industry of the Peasants - Return of the Turks - Bulgar Characteristics - Fleeing from the Heat - Monastery of St. Petka - A Night in the OpenXI. IN THE LAND OF THE TURK
Adrianople - Mistaken for a Person of Distinction - The Real East - A Mixed Population - The Mosques - A Great Fire - A City of Terror - An Armenian's Adventure - Celebrating the Sultan's Accession - A Turkish Exhibition - Turkish Time - A Visit to the ValiXII. WHERE THE "BEST BORDEAUX" COMES FROM
Turkish Roads - A Halt - Kirk Kilise - Shipping Wine to Bordeaux - Visiting the Governor - Etiquette - The Return Visit - Elaborate Make-believe - A Representative of Great BritainXIII. IN THE BORDERLAND
Insurrection and Reprisal - Taken for a British Secret Service Official - The Village of Dolan - The Headman - Sileohlu - Bulgarians and Turks Living Together Amicably - Incessant Coffee-drinkingXIV. HIS MAJESTY'S REPRESENTATIVE
A British Consulate Described - Comfort the Triumph of English Civilisation - Home Thoughts - England Honoured in the BalkansXV. THE TURK AS RULER
Virtues of the Turk - The Sultan's Point of View - The Two Turkeys - The Reform Party - Universality of Corruption - Abuses of Taxation - The Peasant - The Turk Incompetent to RuleXVI. UNDER THE EYE OF BRITAIN
Drama, the Centre of the British Sphere of Influence - British Officers Wearing the Fez - An Expedition into the Hills - Spies - Enmity between Greeks and Bulgars - Philippi - Memories of Greeks and Romans - St. Paul's Visit - Kavala - Skittish Turkish Ladies - Where the Tobacco for Egyptian Cigarettes is Grown - A Moslem Monastery - Birthplace of Mahomet AliXVII. THE CONDITION OF MACEDONIA
The Different Parties - Decrease of the Moslem Population - Nationality not a Matter of Race - A Hotbed of Intrigue - The Macedonian Committees - Austria and Russia as Watchdogs - Greece the Tool of the Sultan - Where the Future of the Balkans is Likely to be DecidedXVIII. SALONICA
Mount Olympus at Sunrise - Ancient and Modern Greeks - Albanians - Women of Different Races and their Dress - The "Converts" - English Manners and Others - The Turks of Salonika - The Art of Driving BargainsXIX. HILMI PASHA, "BONHAM'S BABIES," AND SOME STORIES
The Viceroy of Macedonia - Major Bonham and the Gendarmerie School - "Bonham's Babies" - The Salonika Explosions - Tales of Greek and Bulgarian "Bands"XX. MONASTIR
The Cut-throat Part of Europe - Murder a Commonplace - Massacres by the Turks - Bursts of Ferocity and Bursts of Philanthropy - Outrages by Greek and Bulgarian "Bands" - The Risings of 1903 - Audacity of the Komitajis - Relations between the Bulgarian and Turkish GovernmentsXXI. THE QUAINT CITY OF OCHRIDA
Among Brigands - Attacked by Goat-dogs - The Dogs Dismayed - A Grateful Albanian - Resna - Melons, Melons all the Way - Hard Life of the Albanian Peasants - A Thirsty Ride - Water at Last - A Young Turkish Soldier and his Devotions - Ochrida - The Chief of Police and his Horse - A Hotbed of Intrigue - Healing WaterXXII. THE MOUNTAINS OF ALBANIA
Lake Ochrida - Struga - A Nation of Dandies - Why the Turks Provided an Escort - Confidence of Albanians in the English - A False Alarm - Kjuks - A Beautiful Prospect - A Start at Daybreak - A Perilous Descent - Roman Bridges - Rudimentary RoadsXXIII. ELBASAN
The Central Town of Albania - Albania like Scotland and the Highlands in the Sixteenth Century - Chronic Guerilla Warfare - Elbasan - Twenty or Thirty Murders a Week - Ducks as Scavengers - Albanian Silk - The Best Hotel in Elbasan - A Single-minded Landlord - Mr. Carnegie's FameXXIV. THE ALBANIANS
Albanian Ferocity and Chivalry - A High Sense of Honour - Language - Religion - Customs - Lack of Unity - OutragesXXV. BERAT
A Dismal Journey - Berat at Sunset - A Fever-breeding Town - Koritza - A Specimen of the Eastern Christian - Goodbye to BeratXXVI. ROUGH EXPERIENCES IN THE MOUNTAINS
A Refuse-heap of Nature - Benighted - A Dangerous Path - A Cheerless Night - Cigarettes for Breakfast - On the Mountain Top - The Down Grade - Permet - A Short Cut over the Mountains to Liaskovik - Turkish Courtesy - Albanian Wedding Festivities - A Turkish Bride - A Sixteen Hours' Ride - Koritza Again - An Antiquity! - Back at MonastirXXVII. A NIGHT ALARM. USKUP. THE FINISH
Difficulties in Hiring - A Disturbed Region - Taking Refuge in a Harem - A Midnight Visit from a "Band" - At Uskup - War the only Solution of the Macedonian Problem - A Gloomy Forecast - Germany's Designs