XI 



THE BALKANS REVISITED : ALBANIA 



On returning to Durazzo I had again to face the 

 vexations of the custom-house. It will, perhaps, 

 hardly be believed, but the gun, rifle, pistol, and 

 cartridges which had been seized before and 

 returned barely a week ago were again confiscated. 

 Not only that, but they refused to release any of 

 my luggage until the next day. I wanted par- 

 ticularly one portmanteau to enable me to dress 

 for dinner ; but although it had been opened 

 and shown to contain nothing but clothes they 

 obstinately refused to give it up. Three times 

 the kavass went to demand it in vain, and it was 

 only obtained at last by the urgent representations 

 of the dragoman attached to the Austrian Consulate, 

 and then too late to be of any use, and I had to 

 appear at dinner in knickerbockers. 



Once more I had to invoke the assistance of the 



British Consul at Scutari, and the Embassy at 



Constantinople. They must have been very sick 



of me and my guns ; but finally a telegram was 



205 



