CHAPTER I.

Object of Travels—­Start—­Mad Woman—­Italian Patriot—­Zara—­Sebenico—­Falls of Kerka—­Dalmatian Boatmen—­French Policy and Austrian Prospects—­Spalatro—­Palace of Diocletian—­Lissa—­Naval Action—­Gravosa—­Ragusa—­Dalmatian Hotel—­Change of Plans.

’Omer Pacha will proceed with the army of Roumelia to quell the disturbance in Herzegovina.’ Such, I believe, was the announcement which confirmed me in the idea of visiting the Slavonic provinces of European Turkey.  Had any doubts existed in my mind of the importance attached by the Ottoman government to the pacification of these remote districts, the recall to favour of Omer Pacha, and the despatch of so large a force under his command, would have sufficed to remove them.  As it was, the mere desire to keep myself au courant of the events of the day, together with the interest which all must feel in the condition of a country for whom England has sacrificed so much blood and treasure, had made me aware that some extraordinary manifestation of feeling must have occurred to arouse that apathetic power to so energetic a measure.  Of the nature of this manifestation, little or no reliable information could be obtained; and so vague a knowledge prevails touching the condition of these provinces, that I at once perceived that personal observation alone could put me in possession of it.  The opinions of such as did profess to have devoted any attention to the subject, were most conflicting.  Whilst some pronounced the point at issue to be merely one between the Turkish government and a few rebellious brigands, others took a far more gloomy view of the matter, believing that the first shot fired would prove the signal for a general rising of the Christian subjects of the Porte, which, in its turn, was to lead to the destruction of Turkish suzerainty in Europe, and to the consummation of the great Panslavish scheme.  To satisfy myself on these points, then, was the main object of my travels,—­to impart to others the information which I thus obtained, is the intention of this volume.

On August 31, 1861, I left Trieste in the Austrian Lloyd’s steamer, bound for Corfu, and touching en route at the ports on the Dalmatian coast.  Having failed in all my endeavours to ascertain the exact whereabouts of the Turkish head-quarters, I had secured my passage to Ragusa, reckoning on obtaining the necessary information from the Ottoman Consul at that town; and in this I was not disappointed.

It is not my intention to enlarge upon this portion of my travels, which would indeed be of little interest; still less to tread in the steps of Sir Gardner Wilkinson, whose valuable work on Dalmatia has rendered such a course unnecessary; but rather to enter, with log-like simplicity, the dates of arrival and departure at the various ports, and such-like interesting details of sea life.  If, however, my landsman-like propensities should evince themselves by a lurking inclination to ’hug the shore,’ I apologise beforehand.