Observations on some parts of European Turliey. 187 



north to south. The height of these hills does not seem to be 

 above 3300 feet ; some of their summits are covered with pines 

 and fir trees, as is particularly the case with the Kiafa-mala 

 (hill of Kiafa), near Viet. The coniferous trees descend to the 

 elevation of 1500 feet, and the forests lower down are composed 

 of elms and oaks. 



This country, which bears some resemblance to a sea agitated 

 by a storm, is the native place of the Myrdites (not Myrmides), 

 a race of Catholic Albanians who extend from Scutari to beyond 

 Takova, and from the Deb res to Prisrend and Alessio. Their 

 captain, Doda, resides at Oros ; and he can assemble together 

 at least 10,000 armed men. These poor people dispute with 

 the torrents the ground necessary for cultivating their Turkish 

 corn ; and they conceal their villages as much as possible from 

 their enemies the Turks. The deep rents in which the Drin 

 flows through the dioritic and calcareous hills are seldom well 

 adapted for roads, but one has been made between Prisrend 

 and Scutari, along three valleys and two mountain defiles run^ 

 ning nearly west-east. Old pavements and bridges shew that 

 this road had been used in ancient times ; but, although it is 

 crowded with horses carrying goods from Trieste into Turkey, 

 it is at present only a footpath, and scarcely practicable for 

 riding. This road abounds in precipices, steep ascents and de- 

 scents, flights of steps cut in the rock (called Sliale in Alba- 

 nian), and passes excavated in the rock and too narrow for 

 horses. It is ninety-six miles in length, and during the whole 

 distance, the traveller meets with scarcely a single village, al- 

 though a dozen isolated inns indicate at least as many hidden 

 villages at a distance from the road. 



These dioritic hills are connected geographically with the 

 high and calcareous ridges of the lower Drin, which are only 

 the extremities of the very high similar chains between Ipek 

 or Scherkoles and the country of Montenegro. Their greyish- 

 white summits covered with eternal snow, except towards the east, 

 and their numerous rents, recall to one's mind the secondary 

 calcareous chains of the Alps. Around the lake of Plava, from 

 which the Bojana issues, near Gusinie above Plava, and a little 

 to the east of that, their elevation probably exceeds 8000 feet. 

 Their lower declivities are covered with villages ; for the Al- 



