The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-11-04
THE CESSION OF DULCIGNO.
| Summary OF the Events Which
Brought DulcignO into Dispute.

CesSlOn OF those districts, and the sultan
and Prince Nikita, with the assistance
and approval of the congress powers
came to an understanding respecting
an lndemnitication in another direc-
ton, to be conveyed to Montenegro by
the porte. This substituted concession,
however, was also to consist of Albanian
territory, consequently the league re-
fused to acquiesce in its fulillment, and
when the transfer should have taken
place in Tusi upon April 81, occupied
the positions hitherto held there by
the Turkish troops, as soon as the latter
had evacuated them, and before the
arrival from Podgoritia of the Mon
tenegrin forces, which the levies Of the
league hindered by musketry fire from
taking possession of the positions in
question. Thereupon the Montenegrin
government complained to the porte
and demanded satisfaction, alleging
that Izzet Pasha. the vail of northern
Albania, and Osman Pasha, the Turk
ish general in command at Tusi, had
furthered the Vaccinations of the
league; that the latter had evacuated
his post at too early an hour ON the
21st, and, moreover, had during his
withdrawal materially assisted the AL
bantam insurgents by leaving behind
him large quantities of provisions and
munitions of war. The representatives
in Constantinople of the congress
powers recommended these complaints
and demands to the consideration of
the porte which however declared
Montenegro's allegation to be unfound-
ed, and set forth the assertion that the
evacuation of Tusi and its neighboring
strategetic positions had been notified
and effected the hour agreed upon.
The ambassador of the powers, not
deeming this declaration satisfactory,
required that the ceded districts should
be reoccupied by Turkish troops, and
subsequently, handed over to Monte
negro according to compact. An
offer was then accepted. At the
same time the Dulcignotes were secretly
encouraged to make resistance. This
would be out of the question unless
help were sent them. If the govern
ment had chosen to prevent it not one
man could have left Scodra, as small
force acting in concert with one of the
gunboats moored just off the bazaar
could have blocked the only road to
Dulcigno against a much larger body
of men than the league were in a posi-
ton to send. AS it was the vulunteers
quietly embarked at the bazaar during
the night, and dropped down the Bo-
jana on the way to Dulcigno, firing con-
tinuous volleys after the manner of Al
h;;lian warriors on the war path. This
,as at once accepted as a declaration
IF war between the mountaineers.
Montenegro was not slow to accept
the challenge. Through every pass of
the Black mountains the summons to
arms went forth. Bojo Petrovitch, the
commander in-chief, cousin to Prince
Nikita, was soon encamped with the
southern army on the heights above
Dulcigno. They were perched almost
on the top ola steep mountain range,
the peaks of which reach the respect
able altitude of six thousand feet, with
thick oak forest around them and
plentiful springs Of excellent water.
Some were employed in building rough
shelter huts, some carrying water in
large square pals, improved for the oc-
casion from the tins in which kerosene
oil is sold, some chopping up firewood
others attending fires and preparing
their rough food, and, outside the line
of vigilant sentinels andthe guard round
the guns which stood on the road with
a ready spliced and battened, showing
what rough work had they gone
through before they reached the top of
those rugged mountains. Nor were the
soldiers one the sufferers, for great
number of women, strong and hardy as
their husbands, followed them in the
field, carrying their provision and
blankets, and indeed, sometimes the
rifle as well. Dressed in the long white
garments, of course linen, which ap-
peared to be the only covering for the
upper part of their bodies, with their
stalwart and sunburnt arms and legs
often bare, these mothers of the noun.
taineers made very striking feature
ir the camp. They were able to take
more than their share of the work,
making long marches and carrying
heauy loads which would appear more
suited to a mule. And hardly less
notable was the commander himself
Nothing was more astonishing than
his minute knowledge of the topo.
graphical details Of the country
Every spring and its qualities was
familiar to him-this one being fit fo1
the men to drink, that one being un.
wholesome. Every defile and glen
was mapped out in his mind as if his
brain was storehouse for geometrica
Surveys. He seemed almost to know
how many men could capture any
given hill by assault, while the length
of marches and time required for com
binations appeared also quite familiar
to him. He had made up his mine
not to retreat foot until Dulcigno was
ceded. So he waited with his men, or
the crest of the mountain, command
ing splendid panorama of mountain
and plain, with the deep blue Adriatit
on the right, with wild and savage
glens, abrupt precipices and masses o
fallen rocks lying on the inside below
while on the opposite ranges lay camp
| ed the Albanian and turkish forces.
Meanwhile the powers had gathered
their representative ships together. ant
such a spectacle as was presented IL
Porto Gravosa on the coast of Dalma
tia, has not only been seen on any par
of the Mediterranean shores before
but is probably quite unique in TIN
worlds history. Here lay the massiv'
and somewhat unwieldly Custozza
which did such good service at Lissa
her very name recording one of thu
Austrian victories in northern Italy
and close to her the Palestro, q vesse
which saw the success of the Custozz'
at that great naval action, and was 70
a short time actually engaged agains
her, until, seeing the hopelessness .
the affair, she was withdrown. Within
pistol shot were vessels whose name
commemorate services of the grea
generals, Landon and Zremji. Not "a
from those ships lay the Prinz Eugen
called after the bold and dashing sol
dier whom France and Germany an.
Russia viii remember for years +