changed my ideas
about the Austrian occupation of Bosnia. My diary towards the close
of my stay notes: "I wouldn't be a native under British rule at any
price. They may 'do a lot of good to you,' but, dear God! they do
let you know their contempt for you, and drive your inferiority into
you. Any one with any spunk would rather go to hell his own way than
be chivied to heaven by such odiously superior beasts. . . . The
Moslems are not grateful for 'benefits' they do not want, and the
Christians are discontented and annoyed, as in Bosnia." During the
winter I heard from Albania that a fresh revolt was planning; that
General Garibaldi had promised arms and men, and that it would break
out in the spring. Before leaving Egypt for Europe I stayed at
Alexandria, and saw my friend the attache, who was now a full-blown
Austrian consul, and retracted the criticisms I had made to him on
Austria in Bosnia.

At Constantinople, I learnt that the Albanian revolution had broken
out. Popovitch, the Montenegrin Minister, complained bitterly that
his Government gave him no information, and left him to answer the
Turks' charges of complicity as best he could. He was so anxious
about the affair that it was obvious Montenegro was "dipped" in
whatever was happening, and he begged me to go straight to the scene
of action.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

1911 AND THE INSURRECTION OF THE CATHOLICS

I arrived in Cetinje on May 5th, and found Italy had built a
Legation bigger than that of Austria. France had erected a gay villa
in the main street. Great Britain still only parlour-boarded at the
hotel for a few months in the year. The elephantine Vladni Dom
(Government House) dominated the town, and two ridiculous new houses
in the "new art" style had been built in the main street out of
the "pickings" so folk said, of the British loan, the whole of which
had been spent on useless ostentation. I had hoped that it would
have been used for irrigating, or otherwise developing the land, and
promptly sold out my few shares in disgust--and at par. I wonder how
many other people got out as cheaply?

Vuko Vuletitich was swollen with pride over his daughter, who, as
Madame Rizoff, held a great position as wife of the Bulgarian
Minister in Rome and was known as "la bella Montenegrina." Through
Rizoff I was told Montenegro hoped to attain to much.

I had been so disgusted over the bomb affair in 1908 that I had
fully intended not to visit Montenegro again.