"
_Author_. "Ay, ay; as the Arabs say, the burning of a little tobacco
saves the burning of a great deal of powder. What is the population of
Zwornik?"
_Natchalnik_. "About twelve or fifteen thousand; the place has fallen
off; it had formerly between thirty and forty thousand souls."
_Author_. "Have you had any disputes lately?"
_Natchalnik_. "Why, yes; Great Zwornik is on the Bosniac side of the
Drina; but Little Zwornik on the Servian side is also held by Moslems.
Not long ago the men of Little Zwornik wished to extend their domain;
but I planted six hundred men in a wood, and then rode down alone and
warned them off. They treated me contemptuously; but as soon as they
saw the six hundred men issuing from the wood they gave up the point:
and Mahmoud Pasha admitted I was right; but he had been afraid to risk
his popularity by preventive measures."
The selamlik of the Natchalnik was comfortably carpeted and fitted up,
but no trace of European furniture was to be seen. The rooms of the
collector at Shabatz still smacked of the vicinity to Austria; but
here we were with the natives.
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