ugal Montenegrins are now awakening to what
money will procure them, and they take as much as they can get without
thought, and without swindling intentions. Perhaps the lack of banks
or any institute where money can be saved up, may account for this.
Merchants buy houses or increase their stock. The peasant, as often as
not, gambles it away or buys fine clothes, a few thrifty ones
purchasing an extra cow.

No doubt the influence of civilisation, and in particular the
long-delayed prosperity of the land which is now slowly raising its
head, will alter this.

They very rarely quarrel, never brawl, and are hardly ever to be seen
in a state of intoxication.

On the other hand, they are merry, convivial, boon companions, and are
never happier than when dancing, singing their war songs and love
romances, or listening to the "guslar"--the national troubadour.

The characteristic bravery is still manifested in reckless deeds of
"derring do" on the Albanian borders. Shepherds will deliberately
drive their flocks across the frontier, thereby courting instant
death. Many instances have been given illustrating their love of
danger.

Privacy of dwellings is non-existent. Men walk in and out, seating
themselves in the room and talking. In the evening the men will
congregate, stand and squat in a large ring, and solemnly discuss the
events of the day, or in towns will walk majestically up and down the
main street swinging the graceful "struka" or shawl from their
shoulders. Likewise, the drinking-houses are used as common
meeting-places, and there is no need to order refreshment.

Marriages, baptisms, deaths are occasions for great feasting, when the
national sheep is killed and roasted whole, and wine and spirits
consumed in appalling quantities, without however affecting the heads
of these iron people.

To keep order, there is a ridiculously small force of police or
gendarmes, and their object is more to preserve the peace in places
where different races meet, animated with fanatical hatred of each
other. But during the whole time of our sojourn in Montenegro, we
never witnessed a single case of men arrested for petty offences, or
for breaking the peace by common brawling or drunkenness. The only
cases that we did see were connected with the vendetta, which still
flourishes. In the course of our travels in the land we have
sufficiently illustrated this lamentable feature that no further
comments are necessary.

Prince N