IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 45 



cultivated than Pasrnan, every bit of the available 

 ground being terraced out and planted. Behind 

 the cemetery is a hill, which the priest told us 

 had been till lately communal pasture. Permission 

 being given to cultivate it, the whole of it was 

 covered with hill vineyards, laid out as I have 

 already described, in two months. When we 

 reached the place, fig picking and drying was in 

 full swing, and grapes and figs were to be had 

 for the taking — by us, I mean, for though this is 

 an act of hospitality the Morlak generally extends 

 to the stranger, he is sharp enough on his neigh- 

 bour, and if he finds him on his land, it soon 

 becomes a matter of litigation. This is natural 

 enough, for the stranger can but eat a pound or 

 two of fruit, whereas the native picks for the vat. 

 Morter is also more densely populated than Pas- 

 man, the villages of Morter and Bettina, about a 

 mile apart, having nearly three thousand in- 

 habitants between them. It speaks volumes for 

 their good conduct that there should not be a 

 gendarme nearer than Stretto, at the other end 

 of the island, and near the drawbridge that con- 

 nects it with the mainland. It has not always 

 been so, I was told at Sebenico, where, indeed, 

 they go so far as to style them " Morter Brigands." 

 We only met one, and this was the first man we 

 engaged to fetch water and do the rough work. 

 For these services he only demanded lfr. 20k. a 



