, 1877-01-14

,achrd the age III ~ 10 TX cit1'pe ~ LIE o1ace.
So,ra is divided irto eighteen departments, |
.;,t, suh-departmen1s. and LUIS communes. |
E.'i dc,art1ncu: is administered bya Aateh- |
~ NJ, officer whose position somewhat re-
s.u,les that Of a United States Marshal, but is
are ,kc the French I're5et- lie is head Of the |
-o,;cc the post-otIccs, telegraph, etc- The |
t.h de,artmcnt is merely a division OF the de-
sar4,nt,t made for purposes Of convenience
Tnc v;'1a~c conl1n1lncs are relic of Slaronic
...t;,ut5ous, and are almost identical with those
~ pus.ia. il, cacl, commune the local govern
nm, is administered by public meeting called
:. >,urx, which is thus described oy servlan
E1.ier;
Fsei, sunday all the heads Of honses conEregAte
- jo.u S1rn< The assembly is held in the
onra a:r an! lasts four ora, hours In the centre
ep Ibc h:li; .u::olu1ed By the Sfdrtsi tcllers.
A,eras Ans,s,s es ss and Controlled by a the heads Of
hnates 1Ac hUeft publicly judges the disputes or
ihe villagers. tclibeFates with them on al thc
n+s NJ the village. and reads the dccrees Of the
rarrrnIucpt which each head Of family COM
tnupicaies 10 his ho1senolo.
Another institution peculiar to Seryia Is the
7odrooa. 1t is social brotherhood, consisting
NJ several families, usually united by tics OF
hood or marriage, who combine to form one
{,m;ly. or rather community. Goods are held
end land is titled in common, and the Oldest man
b.t4,,ccs the .Sfurchiud, the head OF the house
The Zadroga seldom contains more than fifty
r4,soos: it was probably first formed for pro-
tection against the Dahis, or resident Turkish
officials.
Tie Sku,r chooses the tax-assessors, but a1l
ether appointments are made by the Prince
The Sluyx also decides cases at law in
yolying sums less than $10 Beyond that,
cases must 60 into the County Courts.
The uuushmen1s in criminal cases are not
sc7erc, and show much more humanity than
the Turkish code. For instance, when the
Turks ruled in Seryia, criminals were put to
death bv hurting them over IN embanknent
ten feet high upon half-atlozcn upright pixies,
II the poor deyl was not killed By this handling,
Is yery often happened, he was left impaled upon
the spikes until he died. This was sometimes Tor
several DAYS. Less than ten years ago one man lay
there for five davs before death came to his re-
lief, and for forty-eighI hours his screams OF
agony were SO loud that they could be heard,
especially in the stiffness Of night, half over tho
Cuy OF Belgrade, on whose outskirts the affair
happened. Since the Servans have had the ad-
1uiuistTation OF their own laws, criminals con-
de:nncd to death are shot, after being made up
1oariously drunk. This may be considered
worse for the souls OF the unfortunates than the
old code, IS not allowing them time to repent,
but it is decidedly easier on their bodies.
Popular education is not In a very forward
state in Seryia but steps have been taken Of late
TO create thorough system OF national instruc-
tion There are now 31S primary schools, ten
secondary, aud three universities; these contain
4G0 masters, and more than 16, 900 pupils. Ali
this in the face of the fact that there has been
no educated Slayic class, either at home or
aIroad. from which the nation could draw its
instruction.
There are no railroads in Scrvia, but one Is
projected from Belgrade to Mich, and work had
leen begun upon it before the outbreak Of diff
cul,ies IN the Province. There is an aggregate
1epstt Of over 800 miles OF telegraph in opera
rion; there are also postal facilities, but these
are irregular.
The country is mountainous, but the valleys
ere yerr fertile, and hills and valleys covered
with heavy growth OF timber. Large droves
Of swine feed upon the acorns and nuts, and
these form the chief product Of the country.
Another branch OF trade Is the picking and pre-
Garir. Of pIums. These are dried into prunes
a:.oydiag TO recipe known only to the natives,
and form staple article Of export. Wheat and
r2ai.e are also raised. The food Of the people is
1aa:nls vegetarian.
The Seryian is tall and strong, Of dark and
swarthy complexion, his clear-cut features
stamped with manly energy. The women are
beautiful when young, but soon lose their good
locks. They marry at about the age Of II,
and as is the case in most Aalf-ciyil-
iz.l countries, perform most OF the drudgery
u the fa17n work. The people belong mainly
10 the Greek Church; but although the religious
feelin. Is strong there Is much 1axity OF morals
The rites Of the Church arc is deyout1y OBJ
served End those Of different secis ablaorred,
ly the trigands rs the priest himself But the
SeTyans have long been All oppressed race II
tAey have learned robbery aud cruelty, treach-
cry and tyranny, they have learned them Of
their rulers and practice them, not on their
fr:low-Chyistiaus, but upon Turks and
foreigners.
Bug garia is merely an extension Of Seryia,
st! under Turkish rule. Bulgaria was con-
qaered about the same time as Scry;a, but for
3 leng while preserved her autonomy, paving
tribute to the Sultan. But the Turkish Office
seekers demanded spoi1s. and the remnant OF
Bulgarian liberty was oyerthrown and the land
given over to the Dais. The Greek Church was
Dominant here too; but as the Sultan appoints
The acD!shopsthc Church has lost much Of the alice
Ton ot tue people. The country is rolling; the
hlis and valleys both fertile, and the climate
Is delightful. The chief productions are cotton,
sils, and corn. But the curse Of bad Govern
ment has well-nigl blasted the land. Taxation
might have impoverished the people, but only
lie arbitrary oppression Of the Dallis could have
60 demoraIized them. They are reckless and
'nproridcut. indocntly neglccting the opportu-
htes VI wealth offered in the possession Of so
fertile country, since, if man is supposed to
oe s1chcr than his ncighbors, he is forthwith
SINGLED out for special fleecing.
There arc quite L number Of schools In Bull
Ezra 50 that the people are not uneducated;
puf the youth Of spirit usually finishes mis-
course Tltha lew wears among the brigands.
Alter te has sown his wild oats in this way he
returns to his native village with eclat- Some
times the Turks catch him and cruelty him; but
1e has to risk that
lhe northern part Of Roumelia is peoplcd by
Lie same race as Bulgaria.: the southern part
mainly by Mahometa1ls The country is hilly
aha Wild, and brissnds flourish among its noun
tsln fastnesscs
Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Turkish Croatia
aase hitherto formed hui one yillayet, or Turkish
l1o'1nce, but the Sultan has lately divided
aaein, and made Herzegovina province By itself.
AneeE provinces haynp t,nre hnrr n1rf of the