The Days of a Man 1913 



Known by stones. The Mirdlti, Catholic and most numerous, 

 wear a high white fez; the Arnauti (Mati), a low 

 white one; the Malissori, highlanders, a large red one 

 with long tassel; and the Albaneser, a red one with 

 short tassel. The Malissori seem the best dressed, 

 but the Montenegrins despise them all impartially. 

 Said Reinwein: " Sie sind alle falsch, alle unrein, und 

 alle unsauber" (They are all false, all unclean, and all 

 filthy). 



Albanian It is generally agreed, however, that they are 

 hospitable and in their own way honest, though 

 nursing a code of ethics peculiar to themselves. But 

 the men are expert with rifle and knife, and dangerous 

 to all who fear them; they moreover labor unwillingly, 

 leaving drudgery to the women. The old fellows 

 are professional robbers, especially skillful in the 

 matter of cattle-rustling; yet they can all be counted 

 on as loyal, truthful, and trustworthy when honor is 

 involved. Young Albania, somewhat in line with the 

 times, wants schools, universities, and peace. 



The ven- The Albanian vendetta, however repugnant to our 

 ideas, rests - as in China, Corsica, and Kentucky 

 -on a sort of logical basis. 'Why," asks the Mir- 

 dite, "should the slayer of this man's son go free? 

 We must kill him, or at least kill some of his friends." 

 After visiting several schools and churches, some 

 of them interesting, Anton and I took the little 

 steamer back to Virpazar and Rjeka. But leaving 

 the former town, our captain forgot the Cettinje 

 mail until we had gone some ten miles. He then 

 turned leisurely about to get it. From the middle of 

 the lake my guide pointed out the large addition of 

 territory allowed Montenegro by the Treaty of Lon- 

 don. This included the heights locally known as 



C 532 3 



