Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-11-19
The Descendants of Pirates.

For some time the eyes Of the people
OF Europe, and even Of the world, have
been turned with anxiety upon Dull
cigno. The following description and
history will be read with interest now:
The town of Dulcigno, which the
Albanians were ordered by the Powers
OF Europe to give up to the plucky lit.
tie Montenegro, lies on the Turkish
side of the Adriatic Sea, at point on.
posite Rome and Naples, midway be-
tween each. 1t is called in that quar-.
ter of the earth Dool-cheen.yo. About
5000 people live there, and are the
efete descendants of the most formi.
dable band of pirates that ever existed.
It is very old town, as everything in
that region is old beyond our Western
meaning of the word. One hundred
and sixty-seven years before Christ
the city surrendered to the Romans,
and received exemption from taxation
and its freedom. From l 500 to 1000
pirates held full sway, and in IT'S q
great battle was lost there by the Veni-
tians. In the seventeenth century
Dulcigno became temporarily as noted
as Jerusalem on account of the success
full assumptions of an impostor named
Sabbath, who proclaimed himself the
Messiah. Converts to Sabbath were
numbered by thousands in every part
of Europe. His face was handsome,
and his conduct austere and Eecoming
to the part he played. He was deeply
versed in the Talmud, and able, through
his fine education and general earnest
ness of demeanor, to impose upon all
who came under his influence. AS his
fame increased his responsibilities
widened, and it became necessary that
he should depose the Sultan, the enemy
of Christianity. He therefore set out
for Constantinople to confound the
Turk with his anathema. Owing to the
moral power which he had acquired,
this expedition was not so crazy an at.
fair as might be imagined. However,
the Sultan met HIM with craft, tempo.
rized, and finally got him in his power.
Under threat of execution the impostor
renowned his claims and became q
convert to the Mussulman's faith. He
was then banished to Dulcigno, where,
such is the power of faith, his former
disciples refused to accept the fact oil
his apOstasy in any other light than as
divinely inspired means of bringing
Islam to his feet. The religion of Sab
batai of Dulcigno continued to thrive
until his death, and his tomb became a
shrine for fanatical pilgrims from Ger.
many and France.
The harbor of old Dulcigno is one of
the Oldest on the Adriatic, and the best
that exists on that harborless coast be-
tween the southern point of Dalmatia
and the mouth of the Drin. The ha-
ven 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 century,
this harbor was tie scene of the con-
fagration of 500 of their ships, a lustra-
ton that at one blow forever purged
the whole Adriatic Sea. In 1878 the
Montenegrins took Dulcigno by storm,
most of the Turkish garrison having
previously got away by sea. Austria,
however, at the Berlin Congress, OBJ.
jected to its retention by Montenegro.
Austria is chagrined by the present
cession of Dulcigno to Montenegro.
The little country of hereditary fighters
is an unwelcome neighbor, and its liza
bility to also want Scutari in the near
future disiurbs the Austrians. The
Dalmation tongue of land which Aus.
tria is compelled to guard SO jealousy
is at all times open to the forays Of the
Montenegrins, and the stronger they
become, the greater the danger to
Austria.
The Montenegrins. intrenched in
their mountain Businesses, can, never be
extirpated by their enemies. Their
position is as impregnable as was the
retreat Of Captain Jack in the lava beds.
There is vitality in the race which
would seem to prophesy great posi-
bilities should they ever d rift into the
Roman role of conquest. -.