e following afternoon we returned to
Krustach, where we found a Montenegrin emissary, who was journeying
homeward, having had an interview with Omer Pacha. He was a finely built
and handsome man, dressed in his national costume, with a gold-braided
jacket, and decorated with a Russian medal and cross, for his services
against Turkey at a time when Russia was at peace with that power. He
had been Superintendent of the Montenegrin workmen at Constantinople,
and had consequently seen something of European manners, although
unacquainted with any language save Slave and some Turkish. He told me
that he had left 400 followers in Piwa; but this I found did not exactly
coincide with a statement he had made to Omer Pacha, and it subsequently
transpired that his body guard amounted to about double that number.
This worthy asked me to accompany him to Cettigne, but circumstances
conspired to prevent my accepting the invitation; and so we separated,
he to Cettigne, we to Gasko on the following day.

During one of the halts on the line of march, I found the mouth of what
must have been a coal-pit of large dimensions. The entrance of this was
on the bank of a dry stream, and several masses of what appeared to be a
concrete of lignite and coal betokened the existence of the latter in a
purer form within the bowels of the surrounding country. This I showed
to Omer Pacha, who said that he would adopt my suggestion of having it
worked by military labour for the purpose of consumption during the
winter months. In several places, I subsequently came across the same
characteristics, which convince me of the existence of a spurious
description of coal in large quantities in the province. In Bosnia it
is plentiful, and of a very superior quality.

Some miles before we reached the camp we were met by Omer Pacha and his
staff.

As may be supposed, the most extravagant reports of the extent of our
disaster had preceded us. The most moderate of these involved the death
of Ali Pacha (no great loss by the way), and about 1,000 men put _hors
de combat_. Omer's face wore a grave expression when we met, and his 'Eh
bien, Monsieur, nous avons perdu un canon sans utilite' boded ill for
the peace of Osman Pacha. It was a pleasing duty to be able to refute
the assertion that this last had lost his head on the occasion in
question. Although guilty of grievous error of judgement, the other more
pitiful charge could hardly be laid to his account, since he