CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. A KETTLE OF FISH
An Affray at Orovsji - Civil War between Rival Christian Churches -
Jealousies between the Powers - The Macedonians a Mixture of Races - Bulgarian
"Bands" and their Methods - Greek "Bands" - Conversion and Reconversion
- European Officers and the Gendarmerie - A Big Massacre Wanted - Servian
"Bands" in Macedonia - Turk and Greek - The Remedy...... 1
CHAPTER II. BELGRADE
A Russian Town made Clean - Military Officers - The Mark of a Crime
- Rival Dynasties, Obrenovitch and Karageorgovitch - King Milan - King
Alexander and Queen DragaAustria's Hand in the Plot - Breaking into the
Palace - The Search for the King and Queen - A Woman's Shriek - Murder
of the Queen's Brothers, of Ministers and Officials - Where the King and
Queen were Buried - Indignation of the Powers - The Servian People not
Responsible for the Crime - Plot and Counterplot - The Serbs a Nation of
Peasants - The National Garb Dying Out......... 18
CHAPTER III. A SITTING OF THE SERVIAN PARLIAMENT
A Mean House of Parliament - A Debate - Short-lived Governments - Dealing
with Irregular Elections - Democratic Appearance of the Members - A Congeries
of Cliques - The Pay of Members and Ministers - The Leader of the Opposition
- The Minister of Justice - An Interview with the Prime Minister.... 37
Page VI
CHAPTER IV. A MONASTIC RETREAT
The Most Famous Monastery in Servia - The Archimandrite - A Glimpse
of the First King of Servia - The Vicissitudes of a Silver Coffin - Sacredness
of the King's Remains - A Devout Brigand - Dinner in the Monastery - The
Church - Feast of St. Mary....... 47
CHAPTER V. THE PEASANT NATION
The Serb a Hater of Town Life - A State without Towns - The Servian
Pig - Why British Trade is Dwindling - Peasant Proprietorship - A Country
Ruled by Local Government - Taxation - Military Service - A Simple, Genuine
Folk.... 59
CHAPTER VI. SOFIA
A Miniature Brussels - A City in the Making - The Public Buildings
- The Church of St. Sofia - The Bulgar's Qualities - A Kaleidoscopic History
- Prince Ferdinand - His Unpopularity - Bulgarian Ambitions - The Prince
a Factor for Peace - The Most Efficient Army in Europe - A Nation that
Believes in Education.... 66
CHAPTER VII. A BIT OF OLD BULGARIA
Out of the World - Tirnova in the Sunrise - A Primitive Inn - The Tariff
- " Ver' Good English" - A Litigious Community - The Churches - Monastery
of the Transfiguration..... 77
CHAPTER VIII. OVER THE SHIPKA PASS
Memorials of the Great Fight - Traces of Turkish Days - The Joy of
Early Morning - Shipka Village - How the Russians Behaved after their Victory
- Glimpse of the Plain of Thrace......... 87
CHAPTER IX. THE ROSE GARDEN OF EUROPE
Where the Best Attar of Roses Comes from - Kasanlik - A Rose Garden
Eighty Miles Long - The Plantations - The Process of Distilling - Adulteration
- Prices - Potency of Attar of Roses........93
Page VII
CHAPTER X. THE CITY OF THE PLAIN
A Sunday Evening at Philippopolis - Individuality of the City - A Passion
for Education - Bulgarians not Speculative - Agriculture - Industry of
the Peasants - Return of the Turks - Bulgar Characteristics - Fleeing from
the Heat - Monastery of St. Petka - A Night in the Open..... 100
CHAPTER XI. IN THE LAND OF THE TURK
Adrianople - Mistaken for a Person of Distinction - The Real East -
A Mixed Population - The Mosques - A Great Fire - A City of Terror - An
Armenian's Adventure - Celebrating the Sultan's Accession - A Turkish Exhibition
- Turkish Time - A Visit to the Vali......110
CHAPTER XII. WHERE THE "BEST BORDEAUX" COMES FROM
Turkish Roads - A Halt - Kirk Kilise - Shipping Wine to Bordeaux -
Visiting the Governor - Etiquette - The Return Visit - Elaborate Make-believe
- A Representative of Great Britain......... 123
CHAPTER XIII. IN THE BORDERLAND
Insurrection and Reprisal - Taken for a British Secret Service Official
- The Village of Dolan - The Headman - Sileohlu - Bulgarians and Turks
Living Together Amicably - Incessant Coffee-drinking........132
CHAPTER XIV. HIS MAJESTY'S REPRESENTATIVE
A British Consulate Described - Comfort the Triumph of English Civilisation
- Home Thoughts - England Honoured in the Balkans......... 143
CHAPTER XV. THE TURK AS RULER
Virtues of the Turk - The Sultan's Point of View - The Two Turkeys
- The Reform Party - Universality of Corruption - Abuses of Taxation -
The Peasant - The Turk Incompetent to Rule......... 151
Page VIII
CHAPTER XVI. UNDER THE EYE OF BRITAIN
Drama, the Centre of the British Sphere of Influence - British Officers
Wearing the Fez - An Expedition into the Hills - Spies - Enmity between
Greeks and Bulgars - Philippi - Memories of Greeks and Romans - St. Paul's
Visit - Kavala - Skittish Turkish Ladies - Where the Tobacco for Egyptian
Cigarettes is Grown - A Moslem Monastery - Birthplace of Mahomet Ali........
160
CHAPTER XVII. THE CONDITION OF MACEDONIA
The Different Parties - Decrease of the Moslem Population - Nationality
not a Matter of Race - A Hotbed of Intrigue - The Macedonian Committees
- Austria and Russia as Watchdogs - Greece the Tool of the Sultan - Where
the Future of the Balkans is Likely to be Decided...174
CHAPTER XVIII. SALONICA
Mount Olympus at Sunrise - Ancient and Modern Greeks - Albanians -
Women of Different Races and their Dress - The "Converts" - English Manners
and Others - The Turks of Salonika - The Art of Driving Bargains...183
CHAPTER XIX. HILMI PASHA, "BONHAM'S BABIES," AND SOME STORIES
The Viceroy of Macedonia - Major Bonham and the Gendarmerie School
- "Bonham's Babies" - The Salonika Explosions - Tales of Greek and Bulgarian
"Bands"... 197
CHAPTER XX. MONASTIR
The Cut-throat Part of Europe - Murder a Commonplace - Massacres by
the Turks - Bursts of Ferocity and Bursts of Philanthropy - Outrages by
Greek and Bulgarian "Bands" - The Risings of 1903 - Audacity of the Komitajis
- Relations between the Bulgarian and Turkish Governments... 205
Page IX
CHAPTER XXI. THE QUAINT CITY OF OCHRIDA
Among Brigands - Attacked by Goat-dogs - The Dogs Dismayed - A Grateful
Albanian - Resna - Melons, Melons all the Way - Hard Life of the Albanian
Peasants - A Thirsty Ride - Water at Last - A Young Turkish Soldier and
his Devotions - Ochrida - The Chief of Police and his Horse - A Hotbed
of Intrigue - Healing Water.... 218
CHAPTER XXII. THE MOUNTAINS OF ALBANIA
Lake Ochrida - Struga - A Nation of Dandies - Why the Turks Provided
an Escort - Confidence of Albanians in the English - A False Alarm - Kjuks
- A Beautiful Prospect - A Start at Daybreak - A Perilous Descent - Roman
Bridges - Rudimentary Roads....... 233
CHAPTER XXIII. ELBASAN
The Central Town of Albania - Albania like Scotland and the Highlands
in the Sixteenth Century - Chronic Guerilla Warfare - Elbasan - Twenty
or Thirty Murders a Week - Ducks as Scavengers - Albanian Silk - The Best
Hotel in Elbasan - A Single-minded Landlord - Mr. Carnegie's Fame.... 245
CHAPTER XXIV. THE ALBANIANS
Albanian Ferocity and Chivalry - A High Sense of Honour - Language
- Religion - Customs - Lack of Unity - Outrages....... 256
CHAPTER XXV. BERAT
A Dismal Journey - Berat at Sunset - A Fever-breeding Town - Koritza
- A Specimen of the Eastern Christian - Goodbye to Berat......... 261
CHAPTER XXVI. ROUGH EXPERIENCES IN THE MOUNTAINS
A Refuse-heap of Nature - Benighted - A Dangerous Path - A Cheerless
Night - Cigarettes for Breakfast - On the Mountain Top - The Down Grade
- Permet - A Short Cut over
Page X
the Mountains to Liaskovik - Turkish Courtesy - Albanian Wedding Festivities - A Turkish Bride - A Sixteen Hours' Ride - Koritza Again - An Antiquity! - Back at Monastir..... 269
CHAPTER XXVII. A NIGHT ALARM. USKUP. THE FINISH
Difficulties in Hiring - A Disturbed Region - Taking Refuge in a Harem
- A Midnight Visit from a "Band" - At Uskup - War the only Solution of
the Macedonian Problem - A Gloomy Forecast - Germany's Designs.... 281
ILLUSTRATIONS
AN INSURGENT BAND OF BULGARIANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . Frontispiece
IN A MIXED VILLAGE: TURKS AND BULGARIANS . . . . . . . . . .
. . 116
A GOOD TRADE IN DAGGERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 116
MACEDONIAN PEASANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . .202
A GROUP OF ALBANIANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 256