IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 171 



CHAPTER XX. 



In Dalmatia I had heard glowing accounts of 

 the sport in the Administered Provinces ; in fact, 

 this had heen a very principal reason for going 

 there. So it may he imagined that I lost no 

 time in proceeding to take out my licence, and 

 in ascertaining what sport was to be obtained in 

 the vicinity. The licence system — or rather the 

 system of taxation thereunder — in the Adminis- 

 tered Provinces is peculiar. Apart from the 

 permit to carry arms, which costs Is. 3d., the 

 shooting-licence, which entitles the holder to 

 shoot anywhere in Bosnia and the Herzegovina, 

 except in the five sanctuaries, costs 8s. 4rZ. ; hut 

 it is doubled if the sportsman wishes to shoot 

 with one dog, and trebled should he desire to 

 use two ; more than two are not allowed. This 

 strikes me as, on the whole, the very worst plan 

 possible for collecting revenue from sportsmen ; 

 for is it not equivalent to a premium in favour 

 of the peasant shooter, who observes the haunt 

 of beast or bird when he is at work, and knows 

 exactly where to lay his hand on it afterwards ? 



