ot on, as I could not see, I cannot imagine, but the box which
it carried was not seriously damaged. The two guides in their opunkas
walked firmly, but the others were tumbling frequently. The female
who had come with us now fairly "compounded," according to the
sporting phrase, and gave vent to her sufferings in tears and
reproaches. This had, however, a reviving effect upon others of our
party, who were near compounding themselves--for I had rather been
holding out the endurance of this poor woman, who had walked most of
the day with a portmanteau on her head, as an example for imitation.
The town of Cattaro at length became visible far below us, after
almost the longest three hours I ever passed. At other times, I might
have been tempted to derive amusement from the mishaps of my friends
under similar circumstances; but at present, some of the party had
been reduced to such desperation, that I began sometimes to doubt the
favourable issue of our journey. By nine o'clock the land gates are
closed, and this we had heard already strike. The sea gate is open for
another hour. It was not till after this, that, having gained the
coast road which leads to Cattaro from the south, we reached the town.
There, a boat was requisite to take us over the sea gate; but all the
town boats had long since retired, and it took us at least half an
hour to awake somebody on board a trabacolo in the harbour. When at
length we were conveyed to the gate, a small gratuity to the sentinels
gained us admission, and a little before midnight we found ourselves
once more in our favourite inn. We remained some days at Cattaro,
arranging for our departure. During this time, we heard that the
Vladika had at length found his task hopeless, and abandoned
hostilities. He had been, however, a week arriving at such a
conclusion, and the sound of the cannonade was heard during the whole
of the time occupied by our return. It was a pity to see a worthy
potentate of moderate means spending his pocket-money so fruitlessly.
The philanthropist will be glad to learn that no lives were sacrificed
during this protracted siege. The Montenegrians, more modest than some
of our own neighbours on a late occasion of very similar glory, laid
claim only to having wounded one man in the fort; but an Albanian
bulletin might have denied even that.

Before concluding, a few further particulars concerning Montenegro
will not be out of place. In former days, as I have observed,