The Tomahawk., 1916-04-06

IN ALMAT1A belongs to Austria,
but Austrian-nO, that 1t Is
not, after hundred years OF
possession. Its native Ian
guage is Serb, with much Italian also
spoken on the coast, but German one
scarcely hears at all, except in the
shops frequented by Austrian visitors.
It's people are simple and ignorant,
very tenacious to old ways. customs
and costumes and not easily to be
converted into a commercial and mod
ern people.
It was in search, first of all, OF
warmth and sunshine that we north
erners set out for Ragusa, the most
southerly of Dalmatian ports, writes
V. Clutterbuck in Country Life. Also
we hoped to find less Of the monot-
onous luxuries prepared for travellers
in France and Italy. In this hope we
were not disappointed, for with the
exception of one very good and very
expensive hotel at Ragusa, full to over
flowing OF Austrian visitors. there was
no accommodation to be found with
any pretensions to comfort. We were
at once face to face with primitive no.
lions.
The coming Of the steamer seemed
to be the great event of the day, or
possibly of several days, II one can
judge by the eager, jabbering crowds
flocking to the quayside to CLEAN all
possible news of the world outside
their island home, and to comment on
the strange travellers leaning over the
steamers rail. AS evening fell the
setting sun turned the bare, brown
hills and distant high range Of noun
tains into peaks of coral and garnet,
and kept us late on deck wondering
as to the unknown inland country, its
fine, hardy people and how they lived
apparently on stones, nothing being
visible but rock and stone, no green
valleys, no wooden hills, only small,
gray trees, shrubs. and again stones.
Ragusa Enchanting and UnspoiIed.
Early morning found US anchored
at Gravosa, the excellent protected
harbor at Ragusa, about mile away,
and here, unfortunately, in dismal
downpour of rain we first made ac-
quaintance with the natives of the
near. East, the porters and cab driv-
ers In their partly eastern dress OF
baggy blue knickerbockers. embroid-
cred white stockings, embroidered
coat and waistcoat and scarlet fez.
Ragusa is enchanting, unspoilt by it's
overlooking garrison, or even by its
fashionable Austrian visitors. 1t
seems part Of the great rocky hills
themselves, so cunningly is it built
up ledge uron ledge Of the selfsame
stone. The town covers as we'll a
tiny peninsula at the foot of the hills.
like q landslide of stone, kept in its
place and guarded from the sea by
massive encircling walls. The walls
creep on upward up the mountain side,
and clasp the little town firmly, so
siege and sheltered many trembling
refugee; she even defied proud Ven
ice.
Ragusans have the pride Of ma
ton, tiny one certainly, but Of an
cient lineage. 1t ia claimed that
Ragusa was a republic from A. D. 663,
and lasted so with intervals Of vary
ing length, during which the territory
was under the protection Of Hungary,
Constantinople, Venice and France, to
1914, when Austria finally took pos
session.
Thanks to the courtesy Of the COM
5nander of the garrison, we, with 9TH
er visitors, walked round the top OF
the great walls, so wide that they con-
tain prisons, stores, barracks-a world
of activity, hidden from the view of
all except seagulls and friendly swal-
lows, maybe, who can peer into the
loopholes. From the walls one gets
the best idea of the crowded town, its
carefully protected gateways (no"
without portcullis or drawbridge), Its
broad, paved, central street forming
q valley through the town, and from
1t lnaIuerable lanes becoming stair