The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-14
THE WAR IN HERZEGOVINA.
THE SULTAN AND THE REBEIs-wHAT THE
TURKS THINK OF THE HERzEGovINIAN IN
sURRRCTION


CoEsTASTINoPLE, July 81, 1878
Tho Porte has at present hand the excitement Of a
small insurrection. For weeks past would
that disturbances have broken Herzegovina one
of the border provinces OF European Turkey but fear
ing that the spirit of discomfort might spread the
Ottoman government had far succeeded in conceal
ing the extent and the cause of it
ORIGINATED.
The origin of the disturbance was this wise: Some
200 Herzegovnian families which had lately returned
from prolonged residence in Montenegro, when
resetted In their native country refused pay the
tthes or the tax for exemption from military servtcA
The authorities at rst tried to overcome the resistance
OF these people by gentle means but failed completely
the malcontents only becoming holder and more deter
mined in their opposition Meanwhile the insurrection-
airy spirit has spread the province and the nsur
gents
WHO ARE ALL CHRISTIANS
strong in numbers, have taken TO their The Mus
suman inhabitants have been attacked Two conflicts
are reported to have taken place. in which the nsur
gents had the advantage, many Mussulmen having been
killed.
''oRUsH IT OUT"
The Turkish government Is anxious to crush the in
surrection before il extends beyond Herzegovina and
the HerzegoVnans having forfeited all claim 70
gentle treatment Turkish troops being sent in num-
bers 70 stamp out AZ once the revolutionary movement
Austria has also moved troops on the frontier TO
watch the progress of events and prevent the insur
gents crossing over into Austrian territory.
PRINCE MONTENEGRO,
70 whom the insurgents would naturally look for
couragement and support and whose sympathies
doubt in their favor has magnanimouSy declared his
Intention 10 remain strictly neutral
| AN ENGLISH MILITARY SURVEY OF THE FIELD
OF OPERATIONS IN THE EAsT-THE GREAT
WILL HAVE TO ENCOUNTER.
Vienna duly 28) correspondence of London Standard
1t Is impossible TO judge Of the encounters in the
Herzegovina reported by telegram, from military
point of view till 1t be ascertained whether they
have any connection with each other Should this not
be the case, then the skirmshes only encounters
between the Turkish garrisons reinforced by the
! Mohammcdans living in the little towns, and single
bodies Of the insurgents; but should there have been
any connection between the three skirmshes It ID
proof that the insurgents have been driven TO tho
Austrian frontier by the troops that Fastening from
| Roumeha
NEvEsNJE,
where the first and serious conflict took place the
23d, is village in the centre Of the table land Of the
same name, about fortyAve miles from the Austrian
! frontier town Metkovich-
| DABRA,
where battle also fought the 23d likewise
small village plateau The latter Is stony in winter
marshy, very thinly inhabited and is seventeen
miles distant from Nevesinje, eight from the little Turk
ish town Of Stolatz which is provided with citadel,
and thirty from Metkovch Near Stolatz, In the
centre Of the limo from Dabra TO Metkovich, lies
! BIEGLovICH.
From this place four companies Of Turkish troops lat
the $50 men said 70 have tried surround the
|
OF the Narenta, about six miles from Metkovich
That the Turks have burned down
village there, reported should doubt for
there such great scarcity Of wood in that part Of
stone, the roofs being made Of stone Slabs and
there is not chip to be found in any Of the houses
TYPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION THE WAR
NATURE IN AID OF THE NsURREcTIoN
War is carried under far greater difficulties IN the
Herzegovina than in any other country IN Europe Al
though the mountans both Of Bosnia and OF the Her
Eegovina, spurs OF the Dinarian Alps, yet their
character in both provinces is essentially different
The mountains In Bosnia formed m ridges those in
Herzegovina in holows or in 'eKarstr form pecuii-
arty OF these Kars. Mounains-whieh formed the
bed OF the sea- and composed of petred marine
ials-s the extreme seepness all their declves and
the want Of wood and water The rivers by their powerful
abrasion have worn for themselves deep beds in tho
rocks having perpendicular banks OF immense height
sometimes more than 900 feet while many rivers dis
appear suddenly in the abysses at the foot Of the noun
tains Most plateaus watered exclusively by such
gully rivera The brooks and many small rivers dry up
entirely in that drop Of water is 70 be
be assembled only certain points and those often
Btrategeticaly unfavorable that tho direction and
extent of their marches must depend entirely on those
places where and beast find water The latter
Is transported pack horses In leather bags and In
time Of war bloody conflict takes place at every
spring To this Is added
rHB WANT OF ROADS
The called bride paths indescrbably tosome;
down hill the rider must always dsmount and lead his
horse for the descents almost perpendicular The
paths rise in countless short turns up and down slopes
from thirty to forty degrees They do not follow tho
nOf lntN aln ho
tween the two places In the Karst Mountains are
often found round slopes, three 70 six inches deep
which formed by each horse planting his foot In tho
deep dent Of his predecessors hoo In order 70 find
| firm footing in tho smooth some
The wayside cisterns are probably dry at present
THE STAFF THIRD oRDU,
or Turkish army corps, garrsoned In Roumeia Bosnia
and the Herzegovina is in Monastir As the Turks fear
rising in Bosnia in addition TO their mstrust of the
Servan Cabinet the few troops at their disposal have
been collected the Servian frontier They could,
therefore, send reinforcements the scene Of revolt
only from Monastr-that is, from an immense distance
And as the whole ordu, according to reliable reports
consists of but $1,000 men, only small attachments
could be marched 10 the Herzegovina As far as
! sJENIcA, RAsCIA,
the troops could avail themselves Of the toerabe road
leading from Monastr to Serajewo but from Sjenca in
order TO reach the of the Instruction they would
be obliged to pass defes and 10 climb many
'Plannas, tmountain chains) BY narrow paths, in
where some dozen sharpshooers concealed behind the
rocks, could cut down whole regiments. Within the
Pachalk OF Novibazar many Arnauts live, among whom
REVOLUTIONARY AGITAroRs
hsve been busy Of late the Rajahs there free
from revolutionary tendencies CRajah Arabic word
signifies literally CLOCKS anf desgnates farmers and
day aborers, Christians Jews gypses for the Turks
If they not large landed propreors prefer rather
TO be mechanics and shopkeepes than agriculturiss
The Turkish territory there forms strip be-
tween Serva and Montenegro so that II the insurgents
had reflected in the least they might have cut off the
Turkish troops in the dehles while climbing the
mountains and then have called on their brethren Of
Servia and Montenegro for assistance Whole divisions
of the Turkish army would have found their Their
mopyl@ there. But after the troops had entered
the Herzegovina and reached the plateau Of Nevesnjo
their would be almost question Of weeks only
THE PLATEAU or NBvRsINJE
Is the largest In the Herzegovna-more than twenty
eight miles long and three 10 Eve broad-and lies 500
feet above the sea; 1t is waterod by the Zalomska
Rjecka Lsjecka means river) and It's anluent To the
west Of the plain, at the foot Of the beautifully wooded
Bukoyica Planina the river suddenly disappears On
all sides Of the plateau rise steep mountains Of
them situated 10 The west, present magnificent
pect The plateau is fertile and proportionately
densely inhabited The population consists Of 500
families, exclusively Christians and Agas, the latter