is it, when we reflect on its vicinity to the overgrown population of Western and Central Europe, who, sooner than adopt a country, so long the battle-field of hostile races and hostile creeds, are obliged to seek a home in the far-distant lands of America.

Hassan-Pacha-Palanka, although it bears the name of a town, does not contain more than between four and five hundred inhabitants. It is, however, the seat of a Starachin (judge), and the Kapitan of a Nahia (circle), and appears, from the number of shops filled with. merchandize, its armourers, tailors and sandal-makers, coffee-houses and confectioners, to be in a progressive

state.

We had unfortunately set out on our tour during one of the interminable fasts of the Oriental Church, and as the stock of provisions, with which we had furnished ourselves at Belgrade, was now exhausted, we could get nothing in the town better than stale carp and tench from the Danube and the Morava-poor fare for hungry travellers. In vain we despatched Georgy in quest of a fowl, or even eggs-it was of no avail; the fanatic inhabitants would neither sell, nor even cook, an article of food forbidden by their Church.

Determined to provide ourselves with a more substantial meal than the mess of soup, composed of fish, garlic and beans, the hanji was disposed to set before us, we sallied forth towards the environs of the town on a foraging expedition. We had not proceeded far when our eyes were gladdened by the sight of a goodly_array of barn-door fowls, preparing to take up their quarters

for the night in the wide-spreading branches of a mighty oak; but, alas! no offer of ours could prevail upon the good housewife to sell us one of her cackling charge, and so become accessory to our breaking the commandments of her Church.

Thus balked in our endeavours to procure a supper, like two hungry men we determined to carry off by force the first fat fowl we could lay hands on, even at the risk of paying an exorbitant price, but we soon found that we did not give our feathered friends credit for half the agility they possessed, as they one after the other, eluding our endeavours to catch them, took refuge among the branches of their vast roosting-place ; so that our promised supper began to assume the doubtful aspect, if not of a castle, at least of a bird in the air; and as we stood panting and wearied with our fruitless chase at the bottom of the tree, we could not help feeling that, in our case, a bird in the hand was worth a score in the bush.

Coûte qui coûte, determined not to be conquered by a chicken, I resolved as a dernier ressort to have recourse to the loaded pistols I carried in my belt, and drawing one forth, took deliberate aim at an insulting chanticleer, who in imagined safety, at the top of the tree, was clapping his wings, and crowing defiance at our futile efforts to entrap him; when, lo! a bullet through the head laid him struggling at our feet, and throwing a dollar to the astounded and horror-stricken owner, we hoped to escape in peace to our han. Vain delusion the uproar which followed could not have

been exceeded if the Arnouts had stormed HassanPacha-Palanka; and we were followed to our inn by an angry, vociferating crowd of men, women and children, who heaped upon our devoted heads every abusive epithet which their voluminous, and not over-choice vocabulary furnished them; we were in the same breath called dogs of heretics! Latin hounds! and unbelieving flesh-eating Franks! all uniting in clamorously demanding justice on the transgressors.

Fortunately, in the midst of the uproar, the kapitan and the judge made their appearance, with several civil officers of distinction in the town. As soon as anything like silence could be obtained, I stated my case at full length, to which the judge listened with the most profound attention, evidently treating it as a matter of the highest importance, and finally, much to our satisfaction, pronounced a verdict in our favour. "Were we not Franks ?" said he; "and was it not a manifest violation of the laws of hospitality to refuse to furnish strangers with such articles of food as their Church, like an indulgent mother, permitted them to enjoy? How," as this light of the law most logically argued, “could the same laws be expected to hold good for all creeds? Here we have two distinguished Frank travellers come to visit you from the Far West, who, after a long and fatiguing day's journey, have been unable to procure, in the whole town of Hassan-PachaPalanka, such an ordinary article of food as a fowl-for shame, Servians! for shame! blinded by your fanaticism, you have violated the laws of hospitality, and by

forcing these strangers to an act of violence, you have brought down disgrace on the name of a Servian."

The piece of money we had thrown to the good housewife was now demanded, and with some reluctance produced; upon viewing it, our Aristides gravely declared it to be ten times the worth of the fowl, and after estimating its true value, the residue to the amount of several piastres was presented to us, which we however added to the prime cost, as an indemnity to the rest of the feathered troop for the loss of their gallant leader.

The arrival of strangers, who had already rendered themselves so conspicuous, drew to our han visitors from every part of the town, who overwhelmed us with questions concerning our respective countries. The kapitan, Nestor Arvamonowich, was a splendid fellow, a perfect giant, and rather good-looking. Our judge, Milanowrinowich, and a young man, his secretary, Demetrius Johanowich, were very well informed, particularly the latter, who had been to Vienna and Munich, and spoke the German language with some fluency; they afforded me considerable information respecting the political state of the country and its future prospects, together with many anecdotes of the bravery of Tzerni George, and also of his companion in arms, Thomas Wouschitz Pereshitz, the present hero of Servia, who it appears is a second Earl of Warwick, having twice dethroned Prince Milosh, and then his son, for the sake of placing at the head of the principality Alexander, the present sovereign, son of Tzerni George.

Our tête-à-tête terminated with a pressing invitation

from the kapitan, Nestor Arvamonowich, to take up our residence at his konak. Our hospitable entertainer, who in intellectual culture was a century in advance of the fanatical ignorance of the people, provided us a splendid supper, in which our gallant cock made a conspicuous figure, and caused many a witty remark. Our party was also joined by the starachin, and all the notables of the place; we remained together till a late hour discussing the politics of the great powers of the West, particularly that of the mighty Russia, and the relative position of Turkey, with her millions of Christian rayahs.

It was highly amusing to observe the self-love of these haughty Servians, and the importance they attached to their little state of a million of inhabitants, as a member of the great European family, and how often have I been referred to the history of Servia under their great Tzar, Douschan, at a time when the Schouab (Austrian), and the Rouss (Russian), were barbarians. Servia was then," exclaimed the gigantic kapitan, "one of the greatest empires in the world, and its sovereign bore the title of Imperator Rascia Bulgaria, Bosniæ, fat que Albania." Then their peculiar idiom of the Slavon was ever the theme of much national pride, as the noblest, the richest, and most comprehensive of all.

Having acquired my first knowledge of the Slavonian dialect in Russia, my accent betrayed to my auditors where I had made acquaintance with their language, and I was soon told that the idiom of the Rouss was a bastard of the noble Servian tongue; and the