THROUGH WILD EUROPE 147 



have seen old women — judging from their appearance, 

 eighty years of age, though perhaps in reality not 

 more than fifty — bent double under enormous loads 

 of firewood which they have cut in the mountains 

 and carried in on their heads. If they can't sell it 

 they carry it back and bring it in again the next 

 bazaar day. When they do sell it the price may 

 amount to as much as fourpence ! 



These poor old tottering creatures are barefooted 

 and bareheaded, their only garments apparently 

 a bit of rough sacking in front and another behind, 

 and a coarse petticoat held together with a broad 

 and heavy leather belt. Sitting on the curb at the 

 edge of the path to rest, they are only able to rise 

 again after repeated efforts. Once, seeing one of 

 them vainly endeavouring to rise, I went out and 

 gave a heave up behind to her load, to the great 

 amusement of a crowd of loafers, who laughed and 

 jeered at such an unusual act, while the poor old 

 woman herself probably thought she was being 

 moved on. 



There are two dirty little Italian steamers running 

 on the lake, which is over thirty miles long, and on 

 one of these we embarked one morning for Plavnica, 

 a small Montenegrin village at the farther end of 

 the lake. 



This lake is surrounded by high mountains, and, 

 as is usual in such cases, subject to violent storms. I 



