318 Henry Skene, Esq., on the Albanians. 



the doom which was entailed on them by their apostate fore- 

 fathers. Unhappy in their faith, and mistrusted of both 

 Greeks and Turks, there is little doubt, however, that they 

 might again be restored to Christendom, were the Albanians, 

 who have not abandoned the cross for the crescent, admitted 

 to equal privileges. There are still many of the latter class, 

 as one of the best authorities on this subject * gives it as his 

 opinion, that only one half of the Albanian nation has re- 

 linquished their fidelity. Christianity seems, however, never 

 to have taken a very firm hold on this race, which is morally 

 and intellectually, if not in strength and physical courage, 

 greatly inferior to the Greeks. Their interests dictated their 

 apostasy ; and however unworthy the motive may be, a simi- 

 lar agency may lead back these lost sheep to the fold. The 

 very readiness which many of them shewed to adopt Islamism, 

 is an earnest of their easy recantation and return ; and, were 

 the allurements of military advancement to be equally the 

 right of every distinguished soldier, whether Moslem or 

 Giaour, the Mahometan Albanians would probably again be- 

 come Christians. This would most likely be the first effect — 

 and it is no paltry or insignificant one — of the emancipation 

 of the latter in Turkey, and of the establishment of a com- 

 plete system of general and mutual religious tolerance, pro- 

 vided always that it is enforced, and does not remain a mere 

 project on paper, unseen and unfelt in real life. A radical 

 change in this, as well as in their social and political circum- 

 stances, would certainly afibrd tranquillity to these restless 

 and rapacious tribes, which, in their present state, are con- 

 stantly at war among themselves. 



An incident occurred about two months ago, which illus- 

 trates the actual condition of society in Epirus, while it is 

 also highly characteristic of the primitive and patriarchal 

 manners of the Albanians. A feud had existed for some time 

 between two villages of the Tsami and Liapi tribes, and 

 various acts of reciprocal vexation had kept it alive, without 

 its having exploded, until now, in open hostilities and blood- 



* Colonel Leake. 



