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The Albanians. By Henry Skene, Esq. Communicated 

 by the Ethnological Society.* 



The Population of EpiruSy Thessaly, and Macedonia. 



There are three principal distinctions among the inhabi- 

 tants of the Greek provinces, still forming a part of the 

 Turkish empire. The Osmaulis, of pure Asiatic blood, and 

 the Greeks, are two of these great families, differing in race 

 and in faith : the third, which is composed of the Albanian 

 nation, is distinct from either of them, with respect to its 

 origin and descent, while it is divided between the two reli- 

 gious sects to which they belong. In habits, appearance, 

 character, and language, the Albanians are also eminently 

 dissimilar from both the Greeks and the Turks ; and they 

 side, in faith, partly with the Christians and partly with the 

 Mahometans. These three races now live in close contact 

 with each other ; and they are at such constant variance, on 

 every subject which implies the slightest interest in com- 

 mon, that a great political change can alone produce an ap- 

 proximation of feeling among them. 



The Turks and Greeks have been so often the subject of 

 the lucubrations of travellers and political speculators, that 

 their characteristics are comparatively well known in the 

 west of Europe. The Albanians have attracted less atten- 

 tion ; and, when they have been taken into consideration as 

 a nation, they have generally been misrepresented or con- 

 founded with the other inhabitants of European Turkey. 

 The Mahometan Albanians have thus been identified with 

 the Osmaulis, and the Christians with the Greeks ; while the 

 ferocious and treacherous character of one of their tribes 

 has been attributed to the whole nation. 



The Albanians are divided into four tribes. These are, 

 the Gheghides and Mirdites, the Toskides, the Tsamides, and 

 the Liapides. 



* Uead before tho Ethnological Society on June 7th 1848. 



