Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-10-06
The Descendants of Pirates.
A Town UroS WHICH THE EYES OF THE
WORLD REST.

The town of Duicigno. which the Albani-
ans ordered by the powers of Europe to
give up to plucky little Montenegro, lies on
the Turkish side of the Adriatic Sea- at a
point opposite Rome and Naples midway be-
tween each. 1t is called in that quarter of
the earth Dool-cheen-yo. About 5000 peo-
pie live there, und are the effete descendants
of the most formidable band of pirates that
ever existed 1t is very old town, as every
thing IN that region is old beyond our West
ern meaning of the word. One hundred and
sixty-seven wears before Christ the city sur
rendered to the Romans and received exemp-
ton from taxation and its freedom. From
l 800 to 800 pirates held full sway, and in
l7lS great battle was lost there by the We
nctians. In the seventeenth century Dulcig-
no became temporarily as noted as Jerusa-
lem on account of the successful as
sumptions of an impostcr named Sab
batai. who proclaimed himself the
Messiah. Converts to Sabbath were num-
bered by thousands in every part of Europe.
His face was handsome, and his conduct aus
tere and becoming to the part he played. He
was well versed in the Talmud and able.
through his fine education and general earn
estness of demeanor, to impose upon all who
came under his influence. As his fame in
creased his responsibilities widened, and it
Dttdlut necessary IUdI ne SnOulu UcpOSe the
Sultan, the enemy of Christianity He there
fore, set out for Constantinople to confound
the Turk with his anathema. Owing to the
moral power which he had acquired, this en-
petition was not crazy an affair as might
he imagined. However, the Sultan met him
with craft, temporized, and finally got him in
his power. Under threat of execution the
impostor renowned his claims and became
convert to the Mussulman's faith. He was
then banished to Dulcigno, where, such is
the power of faith, his former disciples re-
fused to accept the fact of his apostasy in
any other light than as a divinely inspired
means of bringing Islam to his feet. The re-
ligion of Sabbath of Dulcigno continued to
thrive until his death, and his tomb became
a shrine for fanatcal pilgrims from Germany
and France.
The harbor of old Dulcigno is one of the
oldest on the Adriatic, and the best that ex-
lists on that harboress coast between the
southern point of Dalmatia and the mouth of
the Drin. The haven is sure safeguard
from the south wind-the fierce sirocco, but
is exposed on its northern side When the
pirates were captured in the sixteenth CEN
fury this harbor was the scene CT the confa-
grafton of 500 of their ships, lustraton
that at one blow forever purged the whole
Adriatic Sea. In 1873 the Montenegrins
took Dulcigno by storm, most of the Turkish
garrison having previously got away to sea.
Austria. however, at the Berlin Congress,
objected to its retention by Montenegro. Aus
tria is chagrined by the present cession of
Dnlcigno to Montenegro. The little country
of hereditary fighters is an uuwelcome neigh
Dor. and its liability to also want Scutari in
the near future disturbs the Austrians The
Dalmation tongue of land which Austria is
compelled to guard so jealousy is at all
times open to the forays of the Montenegrins
and the stronger they become the greater
danger to Austria.
The Montenegrins, intrenched in their
mountain Businesses. can never be extirpated
by their enemies. Their position is as i'm
pregnable as was the retreat of Capt Jack
in the lava beds. There is a vitality in their
race which would seem to prophesv great
possibilities should they ever drift into the
Roman role of conquest.