232 BIRD-HUNTING 



being three times as strong as one single family. 

 They were Christians, Roman Catholics, of a sort, 

 as are most of the Albanians, though there are many 

 members of the Greek Church and Mohammedans 

 among them ; but the Mohammedan influence is 

 evident in many of their ways and customs. The 

 women, for instance, do not cover their faces, but 

 are kept very much in the background. They are 

 merely servants, and almost beasts of burden, cutting 

 and carrying in firewood, bringing water from the 

 well, besides doing all the household work. They 

 never presume to eat with the men, at all events 

 when there are guests, but cook and bring in the 

 meal, eating what is left when and how they can 

 afterwards. These people had lately built a new 

 house, since my visit last year, of which they were 

 very proud. It was quite one of the best I have 

 seen among the country people, actually provided 

 with a chimney, through which some at least of the 

 smoke could escape, and with four glazed windows 

 which would open and shut ! As a rule the 

 smoke escapes as best it can through the holes 

 in the roof and walls, and to sit inside enveloped 

 amid rolling clouds of wood-smoke is a very trying 

 experience. 



In this house lived the men and boys old enough 

 to carry a rifle, while the women and children kept 

 entirely to the old house, which was quite detached. 



