1825.] 
a fact, that above half their: prisoners 
destroyed themselves, either by fractu- 
ring their sculls against a wall, or by 
starving themselves to death. 
The French general once complained 
to Admiral Ssenjawin about the cruelty 
of the Montenegrins. Ssenjawin sent his 
letter to their metropolitan, who replied: 
“* The French have come to conquer our 
country, but we are determined to de- 
fend it to the last drop of our blood, 
and to destroy as many of the enemy as 
we can. Death to our enemies is our 
watchword; death without mercy, our 
right, our only hope of safety.” 
The greediness of these people for 
booty is unparalleled. During the siege 
of Kagusa, they would plunder the sub- 
urbs exposed to the most destructive 
fire from the fortress. The French were 
terrified by this intrepidity, and, no 
longer venturing to sally out against 
them, they determined to entrap as 
many as they could. For this purpose, 
they sent a few donkies to graze on the 
glaciers, as a bait for the Montenegrins; 
and, although several of them fell victims 
to their rapacious temerity, they evinced 
such an extraordinary degree of skill in 
carrying off those lazy animals, that even 
the French often applauded them from 
the ramparts. Their strength, swift- 
ness, dexterity and skilfulness in shoot- 
ing, make them as dangerous enemies as 
they are useful allies. Their fidelity to 
the Russians was so great, that they 
would often expose themselves to the 
greatest dangers, for the purpose of car- 
rying away their wounded and dead in 
the face of the enemy. 
Although, as we stated before, these 
savages would never give quarter to a 
Frenchman, a Russian*sharpshooter of 
the 13th regiment succeeded, by dint of 
threats, prayers, and with the sacrifice 
of the whole of his cash, in liberating 
one of them from the hands of these 
barbarians, and to take him, as a prisoner 
of war, to the Russian head-quarters. 
A considerable time had elapsed, when 
this soldier'one day met his protégée 
on board the ship St. Peter. The latter, 
on recognizing him, threw himself at his 
feet, proclaimed him, in the presence 
of the whole ship’s company, his pre- 
server, and begged him to accept of two 
dollars, which he had succeeded to earn 
on board that vessel, and which formed 
the whole amount of his property. The 
Russian, however, refused is money ; 
and . had, pow forgotten the whole 
affair, when, a few months after, a pro- 
elamation ‘of his commander-in-chief 
appeared, which invited the generous 
Traits of Military Bravery and Generosity. 
45 
soldier who had ‘saved a: Frenchman’s 
life under the circumstances mentioned 
above, to appear before him, for the 
purpose of claiming the reward due:to 
his generous conduct. .It seems, that 
on the grateful French soldier’s return, 
seeing how much worse the Russian 
prisoners were treated by his country- 
men, than they were treated when pri- 
soners in. Russian hands, he presented 
himself before General Marmont, and 
told him how generously he had been 
rescued by a Russian soldier, and how 
mildly these people had behaved to. him 
while he had remained their. prisoner. 
The general immediately wrote to the 
Russian adiniral, informing him of the 
conduct of that man, for whom he added 
a gift of a hundred gold Napoleons, at 
the same time promising that he would 
request the cross of the legion of 
honour for him from his emperor. The 
generous soldier, however, did not pre- 
sent himself; and about two months 
more elapsed, when the ship St. Peter 
returning from a cruise, his name was 
soon discovered, and he was summoned 
into the presence of his commander.’ 
Here, again, the latter was compelled to 
employ all his authority to induce him 
to accept of the Frenchman’s donation, 
since the magnanimous warrior thought 
he had done no more than his duty. 
Ssenjawin added a handful of ducats 
from his own pocket, and advanced him 
immediately to the rank of serjeant. 
This brave officer was indeed worthy 
of commanding such extraordinary men, 
for he had a heart that could value 
generosity even more than bravery; 
which he proved: on the occasion: ofa 
grand entertainment he gave to his war- 
riors, after the retreat of the French 
from Castel-nuovo on Ragusa. During 
dinner, the generous liberator of his foe 
sat on the admiral’s right: hand, while 
General Popondopolo, who. had: shewn 
extraordinary bravery in the defence of 
the defiles, sat on his left. Next to him 
«sat Lieutenant Arbenew, with the gene- 
rous soldier who had liberated him from 
captivity, and whom he had in return 
saved from death; these were followed 
by the fourteen -heroes of the tower, 
with a number of officers, soldiers and 
mariners, not according to their respec- 
tive ranks, but according to the value of 
‘the deeds by which they had distin- 
guished themselves. Generals, colonels 
and adjutants went round the tables, 
and waited on the admiral’s guests. The 
health of the latter was drank with the 
enthusiasm which: his noble teense 
hai 
