Through the lands of the Serb,

PODGORITZA AND RIJEKA 25 Oriental yowl that means music. We strolled down to the bridge and joined the very motley collection of sight-seers. Gay and filthy, they gathered round us, and enjoyed at once the spectacle of two foreigners of unknown origin and the festivity which was going on in the back garden hard by. It could hardly be called a garden, it was the yard of a squalid little hovel backing on the river, and was filled with women in gorgeous raiment walking backwards and forwards in rows that met and swayed apart, singing a long howling chant, while the pom-pom and metallic jingle of the tambourine sounded over the voices with mechanical regularity. Presently all fell aside and left a space, into which leapt a dancing-girl, a mass of white silk gauze with a golden zouave and belt and a dangling coin head-dress. She wreathed her arms gracefully over her head and danced a complicated pas-seul with great aplomb and certainty, her white draperies swirling round her and her gold embroideries flashing in the sunlight. When she ceased, the party withdrew into the dirty little hut, and as we were now the whole attraction to the obviously verminous crowd we withdrew also. The hut was the headquarters of the bridegroom, and this was a preliminary entertainment. Next morning, four carriages dashed into the town at once, bringing the bride and her escort from Skodra in Albania. The horses' heads were decorated with gaily embroidered muslin handkerchiefs, and the bride's carriage was closely curtained and veiled. The amount of men and weapons that poured out of the other vehicles was astounding. When three carriages had unloaded, the bride's carriage drove
/ 404
Pages

Actions

file_download Download Options Download this page PDF - Page 25 Image - Page 25 Plain Text - Page 25

About this Item

Title
Through the lands of the Serb,
Author
Durham, Mary E.
Canvas
Page 25
Publication
London,: E. Arnold,
1904.
Subject terms
Montenegro -- Description and travel
Serbia -- Description and travel.

Technical Details

Link to this Item
https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afg3925.0001.001
Link to this scan
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bosnia/afg3925.0001.001/51

Rights and Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are likely in the public domain. If you decide to use any of these materials, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected] . If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected] .

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

Manifest
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/bosnia:afg3925.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation
"Through the lands of the Serb,." In the digital collection Travels in Southeastern Europe. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/afg3925.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 28, 2025.
Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.