During one of the halts on the line of march, I found the mouth of what must have been a coal-pit of large dimensions.  The entrance of this was on the bank of a dry stream, and several masses of what appeared to be a concrete of lignite and coal betokened the existence of the latter in a purer form within the bowels of the surrounding country.  This I showed to Omer Pacha, who said that he would adopt my suggestion of having it worked by military labour for the purpose of consumption during the winter months.  In several places, I subsequently came across the same characteristics, which convince me of the existence of a spurious description of coal in large quantities in the province.  In Bosnia it is plentiful, and of a very superior quality.

Some miles before we reached the camp we were met by Omer Pacha and his staff.

As may be supposed, the most extravagant reports of the extent of our disaster had preceded us.  The most moderate of these involved the death of Ali Pacha (no great loss by the way), and about 1,000 men put hors de combat.  Omer’s face wore a grave expression when we met, and his ’Eh bien, Monsieur, nous avons perdu un canon sans utilite’ boded ill for the peace of Osman Pacha.  It was a pleasing duty to be able to refute the assertion that this last had lost his head on the occasion in question.  Although guilty of grievous error of judgement, the other more pitiful charge could hardly be laid to his account, since he never for a moment lost his habitual sangfroid and self-possession.

The subsequent operations during 1861 were scarcely of a more decisive nature than those in the early part of the campaign.  They consisted for the most part of slight skirmishes, which, though unimportant in themselves, tended to establish the Turks in their occupation of the country, and produced a good moral effect.

One event, however, deserves notice, as giving fair evidence of the respective merits of the belligerent parties.  In pursuance of the plan which he had originally devised, Omer Pacha established a permanent fortified camp in Piwa.  Twelve battalions under Dervisch Pacha were concentrated at this point; and at the time of the contest which I am about to describe, Omer Pacha was himself present.  Reduced to the greatest straits by famine and the presence of the Turkish troops, and inspired doubtless by the knowledge of the Generalissimo’s presence in the camp, the rebels resolved to make a desperate onslaught upon the entrenchments.

On the morning of October 26, a strong force was despatched from camp to procure forage, wood, and other necessaries.  While thus employed, the enemy, favoured by the formation of the surrounding country, made a sudden and well-sustained attack upon this force, in conjunction with a consentaneous assault upon the entrenchments.  With more judgement than is generally found amongst Turkish commanders, the foraging party was brought back to camp, though