THROUGH WILD EUROPE 247 



the disastrous battle of Kossovo in 1389, the rem- 

 nant of the conquered Serbs took refuge with their 

 kinsfolk of Montenegro. And though at one time 

 or another the Turks have overrun the whole of the 

 Balkan peninsula as far as the Danube, and over- 

 thrown every other Christian kingdom, this small 

 State, the smallest and the poorest of them all, has, 

 through the centuries of strife and bloodshed, alone 

 preserved her independence. Again and again have 

 the Turkish hosts in overwhelming force surged 

 forward to the attack, only to be repulsed, and 

 sometimes annihilated, by the hardy and warlike 

 men of the Black Mountain. 



When at last, after having been cut off from the 

 sea for generations, Cattaro and its famous gulf was 

 captured, what had been gained by the sword was 

 lost by diplomacy. The Powers interfered, and 

 Cattaro was handed over to Austria. Then again, 

 when Antivari and Dulcigno were taken by the 

 present Prince, the Treaty of Berlin restored 

 Dulcigno to Turkey, awarding to Montenegro the 

 Albanian towns of Gusinje and Plava. 



However, the turbulent inhabitants of these places 

 flatly refused to become part of Montenegro, and 

 finally Dulcigno was given back, in spite of the 

 Turkish opposition. In fact, a Turkish army was 

 advancing to the attack for the purpose of regaining 

 possession, when the naval demonstration of the 



