s
unknown, but he certainly died in the odour of sanctity, after
performing a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Having thus established the power of the Sultan in both provinces, as
well as in Bulgaria, Omer Pacha turned his attention to the
Montenegrins, whose incursions into the Herzegovina were becoming
frequent and audacious. Penetrating the country from two converging
points, he defeated the mountaineers on every occasion, who found that
they had a very different foe to contend with from those to whom they
had been accustomed. Already had he advanced close upon Cettigne, the
capital, when the Austrian government interfered. Operations were
suspended, and General Leiningen proceeded to Constantinople, where he
demanded the total withdrawal of the Turkish forces. This was acceded
to, and Turkey thus lost the hold which it had acquired upon the lawless
Montenegrins. The idea of Ottoman decay acquired daily fresh strength,
and a maudlin sentimentality was excited in behalf of these Christian
savages. Taking advantage of this, they made constant forays across the
border, stirring up by their example such of the borderers as were
disposed to rise, and using force to compel those who would have
preferred a quiet existence under the Turkish rule.

Such was the position of affairs when the battle of Grahovo took place
on May 13, 1858. Although the affair has been grossly exaggerated, and
the blame wrongfully imputed to Hussein Pacha, the military Commander of
the Ottoman forces, it cannot be gain-said that the Turkish power was
much weakened by the event, and the arrogance of the Christians
proportionately increased, while the change of frontier to which it
conduced tended rather to aggravate than diminish the evil. The new
boundary line was defined by an European mixed commission, which decided
on increasing Montenegro by the annexation of territory on the western
frontier, including Grahovo, which they had held since Hussein Pacha's
disaster. Whether the new frontier is calculated to promote a pacific
settlement of the question admits of debate, as the province is
penetrated almost to the centre by Turkish territory on either side:
this, if it give the latter the advantage in a military point of view,
exposes the occupants of the country, flanked by the Montenegrin
mountains, to constant visits from their unwelcome neighbours, who dash
down, kill, burn, and carry off all that they can lay hands on, and
retreat to their fastnesses b