MONTENEGRIN SUPERSTITION.

Dunstan Times, Issue 757, 20 October 1876, Page 3

MONTENEGRIN SUPERSTITION.

A party of German medical men, says the Examiner, are at, present in .Montenegro, in aid of the Herzegovinian wounded. One of them has addressed to the .Aligemine Zeituny a series of letters which are just now of high interest, as showing,the peculiar state of civilisation in the Black Mountains. The Montenegrin doctor who co-operates with the German medical men is a certain Dorno Iliskowilch whose family has for several cevTnries furnished exclusively the local ZEiculaps. Dorno iliskowilch, like most of his countrymen, can neither read nor write ! Such, ‘ science’ as he possesses has come to him through oral tradition. When a person dies, the funeral wail j or howling is generally continued dur-; ing several davs ; women tearing out their hair in wild frenzy. Superstition is universal. Thunder is believed to arise from thefac*- of St. PeW playing at nine-pins, while lightning is regarde I ns the reflex o'' the sword with which St Elias combats the Devil When there is a fire to he extinguished, poop'e call out, ‘ Wine ! wine !’ instead of ‘ Water !’ believing, as they do, that hv uttering the hatter word, the genius of Fire would feel insulted. Life is insecure. Men shoot down each other for a mere trifle ; and judicial punishment for such acts of violence is rare, especially if the person Id Peel is not of Montenegrin birth. A Herzegovinian, who is the chief official of the district where the party of German medical men at present are active, cannot, dare to leave his house at night, from fear of being murdered ; simply because he has attracted hatred upon himself by by being appointed to his office in con sequence of his abilhv, whilst not being a Montenegrin by birth. The power of the Prince is a despotic one, to ab intents and purposes. Tints only was he able, after having given his assent to the Geneva Convention, to forbid the cutting off the h°ads of captive Turks This order of his is, however, not relish' d. When two Montenegrins meet, the first question alwavs is : ‘ How many Turks heads hj ist.'thou cut off V Almost daily men are introduced to the German doctors ' with the remark : * He is a hero ; he has cut off so many Turks’ heads.’ Tt is considered an insult not, to ask a Monenegrin hero as to his performance in that Hue. Kissing among men is a general practice, on every occasion : even at tab’e, after a dish of garlic or onions, "'omen, who occupy the most inferior position, are never saluted hv m**n ; hut they salute men hv kissing their hands or the Ivin of their garments. Special reverence is shown to a person by a kiss on the stomach. Such is th° report of a well-meaning ‘ friend of the Prince.’

The Troy editor who published a liah of “ old maids ” is in pool for libel, and a kroon of ‘ha fair ca’nmnintad parade every day before the window of his cell with smiles and snoots noon their faces. Fi.onTr.lVE ! For the Tetii amp Prevtti - A few drrtns of the lipoid “Ploriline” sprinkled on .a wot tnoth-hrnsh produces a pleasant la'her, which thoroughly e l eanses the teeth from a’l parasites or impurities, hardens the corns, prevents tartar, steps d>eav. gives to the teeth a peculiar pcarly-whiteness, and a delightful fragrance to iho hreath. tt removes all unpleasant odour arising from decayed to tb or tobacco smoke “The Fragrant FWiline.” being mmi'O >d in part n" llopey and sweet herbs, is deli 'inns to the taste, and the greatest toilet discovery of the age. Price 2s fid, of a’l f'h'nists and Perfumers. Prepared by Henry C. Qallup, 13.1 Oxford Street. London.

The promoters of this undertaking have for their object the supplying n want that has been long felt in the district. Up to the present every bag of flour has to he carted either from Dunedin or the Lakes, whilst we are surrounded by land admirably adapted for wheat growing, with the best cli mate in New Zealand for producing it good for milling purposes. The‘quantity of land already taken up is a sufficient guarantee that; abundance of wheat can be grown to keep a mill in con-tant work Up to the present oats only have been grown, which are a glut in the market, owing to the supply being so largely in excess of the demand. The district, therefore, cannot attain the prosperity it should do until we have a Flour Mill erected in our midst. The motive power is to be water, of which tve have an abundance at all seasons of the year. 7i'he site to be within a radius of two miles from Blacks Post Office ; the exact spot to be chosen at a meeting of Shareholders to he called for that purpose. In asking for the support of all sections of the community for this desirable object, we would Lather point out that we have already an offer to take the Mill, when erected, at a rental which will return 8 per cent per annum on the capital invested, from a first-class and experienced mi Her.