IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 239 



acres. Yet all these woods are waterless. The 

 Velez woods are only separated by a few rods of 

 open ground from those of the Crnagora, at whose 

 south-east angle the Lakat barrack stands. Before 

 it stretches the Nevesinjskopolje, mostly cultivated, 

 but just here a mass of low hazel covert. The 

 monotony of the plain is only broken by a few 

 villages and by cemeteries, those of the Bogumilites 

 being the most numerous and conspicuous. In 

 the nearest one to Lakat stands a huge cross, on 

 the upper limb of which the face of the deceased 

 is portrayed. The long drooping moustache is 

 very distinct and characteristic. Crescents and 

 other conventional ornaments decorate the rest of 

 the stone. Near Nevesinje is another conspicuous 

 stone, with very plainly sculptured equestrian 

 figures. 



My attention these first days was more bestowed 

 on the woodlands. Lakat itself lies almost directly 

 behind Mostar — the Velez of course intervening. 

 Behind it the Crnagora Range, which owes its 

 name of Black Mountain to the fact of its upper 

 part being covered with fir woods, runs for some 

 seven miles, its culminating point being 4300 feet. 

 My first object was to examine this ; so, taking my 

 gun, I started off, followed by the two dachshunds. 

 The entire range consists of a succession of cup- 

 shaped hollows (karstlucher). On the lower 

 ground they are pretty enough, being covered with 



