of these have now returned, but have not given signs of any desire to ameliorate the spiritual condition of the people.  The Church has always been governed by a Vladika or Metropolitan, named from Constantinople.  Like most other appointments from that capital, this was generally paid for, and its possessor consequently did not hesitate to employ every means in his power to reimburse himself.  This, and the fact that he was never a native of the country, rendered him most unpopular; so that while the priests (little as they may deserve it) are regarded with reverence by the people, the Vladika was respected by neither the one nor the other.  At present the office is vacant, none having been appointed since the demise of the last who occupied the episcopal chair.  That event occurred in the commencement of 1861, and his attempts at extortion were so frequent and undisguised, that his death must have been felt as a great relief by the people.  Petitions were sent at that time to Constantinople, praying for the appointment of a Slavish Metropolitan; but, independently of the difficulty of finding anyone of sufficient education among the Bosnian clergy, political considerations have induced the Porte to prevent the Patriarch complying with the demand; for, however bad in other respects they may have been, the Metropolitans have always remembered that their allegiance was due to the Patriarch of Constantinople, and not to the schismatic branch of the Greek Church, over which the Czar exercises both temporal and spiritual sway.  Were a Slavish Metropolitan appointed, Russian influence would be dangerously augmented, and the task of transferring the allegiance of the people from their proper ecclesiastical head to the Russian Emperor, as has been attempted in Bulgaria, would here become easy of accomplishment.

In the N. and W. the Romish faith finds the greatest number of supporters, who look to Austria as their guiding star in all matters connected with religion.  In their ranks are comprised the agriculturalists and artisans of the province, few being engaged in commerce.  As regards education or enlightenment they are no farther advanced than their Greek compatriots:  few can read or write their own language, and the knowledge of any other tongue is most exceptional.  Learning, in its broader sense, is indeed confined exclusively to the convents, and, until very recently, no attempt of any kind was made by the priests to promote a desire for education or advancement among the people, their whole thoughts being bent on self-aggrandisement, and the acquisition of personal wealth.  Careful enquiry has established the fact that no less than 60,000_l._ is annually paid in fees, penances, and gifts to the Church by the Roman Catholic section of the population; and we may fairly infer that the Greek priests extort an equally large sum.  Of late schools have been established in different parts of the province, but the subjects of education are too confined to work any salutary change in the rising generation.  Nor is it probably intended that such should be the case.