Jugoslovenski Rotar

upwards extend the pasture lands, coverred with rare alpine flowers, as far as the white rocks of the highest peaks. The flora in these mountains is undoubtedly more interesting than anywhere in the central Alps. Next to the well known narcissi, gentian, ranunculi anc anemones, we find the dark purple viola declinata, the beautiful amarilis, rare varieties of asphodels and the flame coloured lilium bosniacum, which make of these pastures the most luxurious flower gardens. At sunset when the glow of the sun fades away from the snow-capped peaks the mountain slopes echo with merriment. The herds gather round the huts, the bells of the leading rams sound, the sheep bleat, and the angry shepherd dogs bark, the shepherds sing and call out to each other. The whole mountain is perfumed with the evening dew and fresh milk, which is poured into archaic pails of wood and of copper. The shepherds drive the cattle into enclosures, and then they sit in the huts round the hearth. Outside in the starry night Maglié dominates with its distant solitary peak.

The most approachable and easy of access is the region of the Durmitor in the Dinaric Alps, in the basin of the affluents of the rivers Drina, Piva and Tara. At the foot of the Durmitor is the home of the highland clans of Piva and Drobnjak. Until very recently this region was accessible only by old caravan paths on foot or on horseback. Today a car can drive us in a few hours over Nikšić and Šavnik into the heart of the Durmitor, to the wide plateau of the Drobnjak lakes, to the height of 1500 meters (5000 ft), where we can enjoy the perfume of steppe herbs and fine distant views. Such plateaux, all of an even height of roughly 1400 to 1700 meters form a pedestal for the central massif of the Durmitor, which from this foundation rises still 1000 meters high. Days and days we can wander through light groves and dark forests of conifers, which are constantly intermingled with flowery glades. We pass through the tall grass and flowers wet with dew, and from the shady woodland the eye rests on the distant imposing parorama of the central mass of the Durmitor mountains. We may climb Durmitor itself, enter the region of its rocks and peaks, its stone crags and steep cliffs, and reach the snow of its highest summits. Ours efforts will be highly rewarded. Here is Bobotov Kuk with its eastern and south-western slopes so exciting for climbers, here is the exotic Prutas, the unique massif of Sareni Разом, ће deep tectonic valley Skrka with its glacier lakes. Only a few hours’ walk on these plateaux suffices in order that we should be surprised by an unusual change in the landscape: the deep ravines of the Durmitor rivers cut their way through the plateau. Some 1000 meters deep under us at the bottom of a gorge flows the green mountain torrent Tara, famous in our popular ballads. The Dinaric rivers Cetina above Omis, Neretva with the Rama and Dreznica, Tara, Piva, Sušica nd Komarnica in the Durmitor. Morača in the mountains of Montenegro, Lim, the fateful Rugova and the mighty Valbona in the Prokletija, are all huge canions. They carry in themselves the dynamic of tectonic formation and the wild exotie which is unknown to other Europe and regions.

The contrast between the bare white Karst and the lovely green woodlands, although we often meet it in the Dinaric Alps, is nowhere