IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 1G1 



Just at the mouth of the above-meutioned 

 gorge comes the " lion " of Mostar — the famous 

 Starimost, or old bridge. Long supposed to be 

 Romau, it is now admitted to be of Turkish 

 origin. From between two black cliffs a pointed 

 arch fifty-five feet high crosses some ninety feet 

 at a single span. On the northern shore is a 

 once defensible gateway. From a laudable desire 

 to preserve this interesting relic, it has been 

 closed to wheeled traffic, which must cross by the 

 new Francis Joseph Bridge. It is, however, 

 probably strong enough — at least, field batteries 

 fully horsed crossed it in 1878. A similar but 

 much smaller and modern arch crosses a con- 

 fluent stream just below the great bridge. 



This stream, by name Cesma, is in itself one 

 of the prettiest things about Mostar. Not only 

 does it end its existence with a fall of considerable 

 size (especially after rain) into the bed of the 

 Narenta, but throughout its course it is a charm- 

 ing, babbling trout-stream, with picturesque mill- 

 dams. Towards its source the valley it waters 

 shrinks to a rocky glen, winding at one spot 

 round a weird mass of rocks, which might well 

 pass by moonlight for a ruined castle. Its source 

 is curious. It is what is known as a cave-stream 

 (Grottenflus*). The whole body of water quells 

 out in one mass at the foot of a precipitous cliff. 

 It is, when new-born, large enough to drive a 



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