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"The road leading towards Stara Gradiška, passing through more frequent and more beautiful villages, high groves, meadows and valleys, tells you that you are not far away from the Sava river basin.
"And, what strange signs! An hour before reaching Stara Gradiška, you can see houses raised on beams, like ships; the road goes so high, that it looks like a rampart and huge bridges span the field. They spread as far as the poplar grove where the town of Gradiška is situated. From this high, royal road, from these oak-timber bridges, endless fields stretch westward. The yellow dandelions look like a golden carpet and the sight of this divine park fills your heart with joy.
"What are these ramparts for? What's the use of so many bridges?" - "This is the road leading towards the River Sava, Sir", good, old Joso told me, sighing. When the River Vrbas is high in autumn, the River Sava starts striding along the banks as thouah running away from a monster. When, after Vrbas, the River Bosnia is high, as well as all the tributaries, again the River Sava enters the fields drowsily and penetrates further and further. But when one wave starts whispering to the other; when those from Sisak embrace those from Mačkovac and start dashing against each other and pitching, that is the time when the River Sava makes its final leap. What a terrible leap! Corn fields sink, houses swim, cattle drowns; everyone is afraid; baptised and not baptised. The only consolation then is a boat; and ice is the best helper. Under ice everything becomes still until spring and in spring high and low tides again and finally the turmoil ends.
"If the Sava were regulated, it could be heaven on earth! This wilderness cannot hide the beauty of the scenery. The sun is setting in the west; we are taking a walk through the willow-grove; and to avoid the road dust we continue our walk through the fields. When the dew seized our feet and the dark our eyes, we came back to the River Sava. The young people from the village of Uskoci were sitting on the bank of the river and singing. The moon was shining in the east and its golden shadow was glimmering in the river. The young landowners were singing from the bridge: "Oh maid with your eyebrows" and the Moslems from the Turkish guard-house came down by boat and sang: "Bright sun, you don't shine on all the same". The reply came from our side: "How deep is the River Sava". All three songs met above the silent water under the bright moon, all three sighing for one kind of love, physical love.
"Not a word about old courage by the River Sava; although it was not long ago that the Border warriors were conquering Berbir and that the whole of Gradiška was on fire. The Uskoks immigrated from Vrbaska after the peace of Biograd.
"The Turks occupied the area by the River Sava as well as the entire East, more successfully by debauchery than by sword. We must understand this and bear it in mind whenever we dream of our future.
"The Bosnian Mecca is situated on the River Sava, close to the entrance to the town. In deep shadow, between lime and ash trees, the Turkish pilgrim bows in front of the tomb of the great prophet Gajbija. He who cannot visit Muhamed in Mecca, comes to Stara Gradiška to Gajbija's tomb. Gajbija lived during the Viennese war and he foretold that Kara Mustafa would not come back and that the Turkish frontier would be at the place of his death. It was said that he rose from the dead and came among the congregation whenever war was declared and that by the appearance of his face it could be guessed who would win. Gajbija was proclaimed Great Mufti by the Turks who wanted to bring his bones over to Bosnia but the Viennese government did not allow it. They allowed pilgrimage to Gradiška instead. In 1820, by King Franjo's order, a stone wall was raised around his tomb. In 1832, the Turks built a mosque on the grave and the Captain of Bribir, Kosarac, left a fund to light the icon lamp for the prophet of Gradiška. Now Visoka Kapija pays a watchman who changes towels and water so that the prophet can drink and perform the ritual washing whenever he gets up and feels like it. Gajbija is a martyr since his companions killed him because he did not want to run away with them across the River Sava. 1t is said that he frequently used the sign of cross on his way back.
"At midnight a thunderstorm began. Only at dawn could we come out into the street to take a breath and have a look at the world. The River Sava became areen and the weather was calming down from the River Drava. Black clouds hang over the mountains of Pakrac threatening the arrival of a new hail storm.
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