MONTENEGRO
536
MONTENEGRO
dom inclined to earn- anything, or take any trouble that they can transfer to the women, who are the beasts of burden in Montenegro; and one sees women toiling up the steepest hills under loads which men seldom carry in other countries. They are therefore very mus- cular and strong, and the beauty they frequently pos- sess is soon lost by the hard and coarse complexions they acquire, their youth being generally exhausted by laborious and unfeminine occupations. The sheaves of Indian corn, the bundles of wood, and everything re- quired for the house or the granary are carried l)v women ; and the men are supposed to be too much in- terested about the nobler pursuits of war or pillage to have time to attend to meaner labors. As soon as the tillage of the lands is performed, they think they have done all the duties incumbent upon men; tlie inferior drudgery is the province of the women, and the Monte- negrin toils only when his inclination demands the ef- fort. The men therefore (as often is the case in that state of society), whenever active and exciting pursuits are wanting, instead of returning to participate in or lighten the toils necessity had imposed on the women, are contented to smoke the pipe of idleness or indulge in desultory talk, imagining that they maintain the dignity of their sex by reducing women to the condition of slaves. The men wear a white or yellow cloth fiock, reaching nearly to the knees, secured by a sash around the waist ; under it is a red cloth vest, and over it a red or green jacket without sleeves, both richly embroidered, and the whole covered by a jacket bordered with fur. They wear a red Fez cap, and white or red turban, be- low which protrudes at the back of the neck a long lock of hair. The women wear a fiock or pelisse of white cloth and open in front, but much longer than that ot the men, and trimmed with various devices, and with gold ornaments in front as well as around the neck. The red cap of the girls is covered with Turkish coins arranged like scales. The red cap of the married women has, instead of coins, a black silk border, and on gala days a bandeau of gold ornaments. Women and men wear opanche (sandals), the soles of which arc made of untanned ox-hide, with the hair taken off, and that side outward, and these enable them to run over the steep- est and most slippery rocks with facility. The mar- riage ceremonies are celebrated with great signs of re- joicing. Eating and drinking form a principal part of the festivity, with the noisy discharge of guns and jus- tols, and the duration of the entertainment depeiuK on the condition of the parties." When a young man re- solves on marrying, he expresses the wish to the oldest and nearest relation of his family, who repairs to the house of the girl, and asks her parents to consent to the match. This is seldom refused ; but if the girl objects to the suitor, he induces some of his friends to join him and carry her off; which done, he obtains the blessing of a priest, and the matter is then arranged with the parents. The iiride only receives her clothes, and some cattle, for her dowry.
Political Dirisiims and Government. — Montenegro is divided into the districts of Montenegro Proper and Brda or Zjcta, each of these lieing subdivided into four "nahies" or departments, and these are further sub- divided, each subdivision having its own hereditary chief. Some islands in the Lake of Scutari also belong to Montenegro. Until ]>i.'>2 the head of the govern- ment was the Vladika ("metropolitan," or "spiritual chief), who, besides his proper otlice of archbishop and ecclesiastical superior, was at the same time chief ruler, lawgiver, judge, and military leader. This theocratic administration became (1(597) hereditary in the Petro- vitch family, l)ut as the vladika cannot marry, the dig- nity was inherited through brf>ther3 and nephews. (See below.) Since lHr>2 the two ofhces have been disjoined, and the vladika is restricted to his ecclesiastical office, while the cares of government devolve upon the "(Jos- podar" ("hospodar") or lord, though the common people still ajiply to him the title "svcti gospodar," which
I properly belongs to the vladika alone. The vladika [ Pietro II (1830-51) established a senate of sixteen mem- I bers, elected from the chief families of the country, and in this body the executive power is vested. The pub- lic ofhcers, local judges, and public representatives are appointed by popular election. From time to time an Assembly of all the adult males of the country takes place in a grassy hollow near Cettigne, the capital ; but j the powers of this assembh' are very undefined. For defraying the expenses of government, taxes are levied on each household. The prince also receives from llus- sia a subsidy of 8000 ducats (£3733), and from France one of 50,000 francs (4)1980). As the Montenegrin, even when engaged in agricultural operations, is ahvays armed with rifle, yataghan, and pistols, an army of
ai> Costume of the "Ilospodii."
20,000 men can be summoned on the shortest notice, and in desperate cases 14,000 more troojis can be raised. Their intense love of independence and heroism in de- fence of their country are worthy of the highest respect; but out of their own country they are savage barbari- ans, who destroy with fire and sword everything they cannot carry off.