Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-12-01
The Brave MountaInct rs.

. The Brave Meuntaineers.
A Ragusa correspondent writes to Q
English paper in the following strain
Prince Nickola, who is q poet and
Montenegrin, telegraphed the news I
the fall Of Nicsics to his consort at Ce
tinge in a poet quatram. It was 2:s
when the glad tidings reached the sma
palace at Cettinje. Heralds we're ser
to tell the citizens that the princess ha
something important to communicate I
them. The princess now stepped fort
on to the balcony and informed th
crowd, amidst breathless silence tina
Nicsics was taken. She had intende
to have read her husbands poetic tele
gram, but was cut short by tremendou
"Zivio !" and a simultaneous volle
from the guns and pistols Of her loya
subjects, and retired, kissing her hand
The scene that followed almost battle
description. The people surged alonI
the street, firing, shouting, singing
leaping with joy. 1t is an enthusiasm
an ecstasy, unintelligible, impossible ii
civilized country-hardly to be OK
pressed in civilized terms. Ancien
veterans, grim, rugged mountain giants
fall about each others necks and kis.
each other for very Joy. The wounded
are helped forth from the hospitals, ant
hobble along on crutches to take part il
the rejoicings men dying of theil
wounds lit up, I was told, when they
heard these tidings and seemed to gair
new respite of life. Crowds are con
tinually bursting into national songs and
hymns, broken at intervals with wild
"Nvio =! Zivio ;" and ringing hurrahs.
The big ancient bells of the monastery
and the watch tower on rocks above peal
forth. The bronze cannon is dragged
out, and salvoes of artillery tell every
upland village that Nicsics has fallen.
The jolly Metropolitan of Montenegro
proceeds to form ring on the green
sward outside the village capital, and
there-between the knoll that marks the
ruins of church destroyed centuries ago
by the Turks and the elm of judgment,
where of old the Vladikas sat and judged
the people-the warriors dance in pairs
a strange barbaric war-dance. In the
evening the dance is renewed before the
palace. Little Cettinje Eliminates it.
self, and the palace walls and entrance
are brilliant with long rows-well, of
stearine candles. 1t is here, before the
palace gate, that the people form large
circle, the front rank of the spectators
holding lighted tapers to illuminate the
arena. On the palace steps sits the
princess amidst her ladies. and little
Dsnilo the "eSRs suose ai Msnsensrsahs s%eng shs
other tbystanders. Two old senators,
whose dancing days we're over one would
have thought generation since, step
forth into the ring and open the ball
amidst storm of cheers. Young war
riors take up the dance" the dance -
but how describe it (? This am sure,
that a traveller might cross Central Africa
without meeting with anything more
wild, more genuinely primitive. Some
lines it is graceful; it is always barbaric.
The warriors dance in pairs, but several
pairs at a time. They dance to one
another and with one another, now on
,ne leg, then on the other. They bounce
nto the air, they stamp upon the ground,
hey pirouette, the snatch lighted tapers
rom the bystanders and whirl them
lither and thither in the air, like so
many will-o'- o'-the-wisps. In Besserkar
ury they draw from their sashes their
pistols, and take flying
Ihots at the stars; their motions slacken;
hey follow each other; they are on the
now; they step stealthily as a
,anther before it springs; they have
eapt-but are they bears or wild cats ?
They are hugging one another now; they
ire kissing one another "with effusion. "
Other pairs of warriors enter the arena,
md this bout is concluded.
At every turn in the dance they give
rent to strange cultural cries; theyyelp
ike dogs or utter the short shrieks of a
bird of prey.
The rank and beauty of Monte
legro must pay its tribute to manly
,alor. One at time, in light white
dress, delicate raiment
or Cettinie, step forth from the palace
,ate bevy of fair damsels. These are
citations of the prince himself, among
hem his sister, the vile of Voivode
the new governor of Nicsics;
nd the beautiful young wife of his
ousin Bozro Petrovich, the hero and
avior of Montenegro, come to honor
he peoples representatives by dancing
With them. Nothing can exceed the
ender majesty of these princesses
mong princesses: their dainty tripping
orms a pleasant contrast to the more
lncouth performance of the men.
Nothing is lost in this light natural
tire; their every motion is instinct with
race; they have flung aside their
ombre kerchiefs, and the long black
resses of their hair are caught in wave-
ets by the breeze. Hoko their dance
> called, and it might have been q
horOs Of some Hellenic festival divine.
These old world revels have their epic |
too. The people pressing |
ound the dancers ring pour forth a
,easured flow Of song, antique in tones
nd cadence as the dances it accom-
anies; vigorous only in it's persistence,
pirit-stirring only to the initiated; to
he outsider monotonous, almost doleful
8 if even the music were 80 intensely
ational as Of set purpose to repel the