Transcriber’s Notes.
Page 59—immediatetly changedto immediately.
Page 137—every changed toever.
Page 207—changed Mount Lovcen to Mount Lovčen.
The advertisements at the beginning of the book have been placed atthe end after the index.
Other changes made are noted at the end of the book.
The map on Page viii hasbeen scanned from another copy of The Lands of the Tamed Turks here which has the same copyright date. This map was missing fromthe current book.
Footnotes have been numbered in one continuous sequence.
THE LANDS OF THE
TAMED TURK
THE LATE QUEEN DRAGA OF SERVIA.
Copyright, 1910,
By L. C. Page & Company
(INCORPORATED)
All rights reserved
First Impression, September, 1910
Electrotyped and Printed by
THE COLONIAL PRESS
C. H. Simonds & Co., Boston, U.S.A.
TO
E. McC. J.
FOREWORD
Because of their pivotal positions, politicallyand geographically; because of theirtempting adaptation to colonization; becauseof their vast proven and hidden resources; becauseof their divers other advantages, toonumerous to mention, the Balkan States havebeen, are and will continue to be, as once acertain writer so aptly put it, the “PowderBox of Europe.”
Constant conflict, however, has stunted theirprogress, and it has only been within the pastfew years that these lands—conspicuouslylacking in the arts of peace, but overcrowdedwith types and replete with wonderful scenery,their histories sated with war and romance—havebegun to be disclosed to the travellingworld. Only within the past few years theiroutlying districts have been connected withtheir business centres by telegraphic communication;only within the past few years railroadshave been constructed, steamship lines inauguratedand hotel accommodations perfected.Yesterday their peoples were almost barbaric;to-day they are more highly civilized and more[viii]finely cultured than perhaps we are inclinedto admit; to-morrow they may be famous.They have been makers of history for ourforebears and us; they will be makers of historyfor posterity and its children.
It is to assist the reader to frame a morejust opinion of that southeastern corner ofEurope, “The Lands of the Tamed Turk,”and those who people it, that this volume ofpersonal observations and experiences of travel,interspersed with brief bits of history, is offered.
The author beg