in 



AI.BAM V. 



ALBANIA. 



in 



__ r^. - . the orange, the boon, the mulberry, and the fig. 

 Tn. agricultural produce conaisU of barley, oaU, maise, and other 

 grain*, tobacco, and cotton. The bone* are spirited and active, but 

 MX Urrr ; aMes an also used ; UM oxen an ill-shaped and stunted ; 

 fj^fr. jf ill sell and goaU an numerous. The dog* are not unlike the 

 EacUah shepherd brawl, but are larger, with sharper heads and more 

 HMd aad biuhy tails. Fowls and eggs are abundant. Among the 

 wild bwt are the bear, the wolf, and the jackal The lake* abound 

 with water- fowl 



The lllyrians were probably the original stock from which the 

 Albanian* sprung. Ptolemteus mentions a tribe of Albani in the 

 Jfrl! ji i with a town called Albanopolis; but they appear to have 

 bean insignificant, and till the 12th century we lose sight of them. 

 At that period we read of their town under the name of Albanon, 

 Arbanon, or Elbanon, and it is said to have commanded the passes from 

 the country around Lychuitu to the coast. From this people the 

 Bytantine Greeks gave to the inhabitants of these mountains, who 

 poke the same dialect, the name of AlbanCtes, Albanoi, or ArbanStes ; 

 and to the country that of Albania, AlbanStia, or Arbanetia. The 

 Albanian however calls himself Skipitar, and his native land Skiperi. 



The Albanian language, supposed by some to be derived from the 

 old Illyrian tongue, has received accessions from the Greeks, the 

 Romans, the Goths, the Sclavonians, the Franks, and the Italians ; 

 with whom, at different times, the Albanians have been connected 



' : : 



Some writers suppose the Albanians to be the descendants of the 

 Albani of Asia, who dwelt between the Euxine and the Caspian seas, 

 and who may have retired before the advance of the Sclavouian 

 nations, that for some centuries followed the track marked out by 

 the Buna, when they broke into Europe. Pouqueville asserts the 

 vita-nut of a belief among the Albanians themselves that they are 

 dctoanded from the French ; and Meletius, a geographer of the last 

 century, says they ire descended from Celts who crossed over from 

 lapygia, now the Terra di Otranto, in the kingdom of Naples. 



In the 9th and 10th centuries, Albania was included in the great 

 Bulgarian kingdom, established south of the Danube, of which 

 LychniU* was the capital In a subsequent period we find the 

 Normans of Sicily and Tarento in permanent possession of some 

 places on the coast. Dursxzo was at once their depot and place of 

 shelter. On the capture of Constantinople by the Franks, A.D. 1204, 

 M tonsil Angelas, a bastard of the family of the Comneni, founded a 

 principality called the ' Despotate,' comprehending the ancient .tttolia, 

 Acarnania, and Epirus, including the towns of Joannina (which became 

 the capital), Art*. and Nepakto, or Naupactus. The despot* were 

 sometimes tributary to the emperors of Constantinople, at other 

 times independent, or even hostile. The town of Albanon was, in 

 125T, subject to a governor sent by Theodore Lascaris II. emperor 

 of Nice (one of the sovereign tin which sprung up on the above- 

 capture of Constantinople); but as the Albanians preferred 

 f the despot, 



the sway of the despot, the governor retired. It was probably about 

 this time that the Albanian name was extended to all those mimn- 



Greek empamrs, the Franks, or the despots of Kpinm. 

 wa in thrir hands, but Berft, in the heart of their country, 



! the 14th oantary the power of the Albanians was so far increased 



a* to lead them to attempt 



their mountains, 



bat they could not retain their acquisition!. Some of their northern 

 town* were taken by the Venetians ; and the nation ultimately bowed 

 to UM sapnoacy of the Turks. The valour of the celebrated George 

 KartrUte, or Castriot, called by the Turks Iskander (Scanderbeg), 

 mid only deiayUMsabjncation of his countrymen. He died in 1466 

 or I47 ; and UM Turk, completed the oonquest of Albania in 1478. 

 The people, indeol. were never entirely subdued, nor does it appear 

 probable that UM sultan enr had more authority than at present, 

 governor who is not a naUve of the 



17th 



: bot UM eoaoooit, though imperfect, was the cause of 

 *t ohanga* In UM day. of CaMriot the Albanian, war* 

 w. aad most of them continued to be an till the middle nf 

 ntary. Thsy are now half Mohammedan, but their 

 is probably owing to poliey. that they may attain to high 

 and tbr sxihereoot to the usual practice, of the Moslems 

 tor. They intermarry with Chrirtian 

 divided between UM oppoaite) creed, of 



b by * mean* of rigid character. 

 ""^d the chUdran an dirk 



^^^ moisiMr UM DOJH L^ . _ __ _ ... 

 afar*. Their laxity Uawbj.se* of ridionJ. to 

 njt* Th. AlbwUn. of the oiMt are mostly (,-h 

 1W AlhMbn. M rfwat flv. fat* and a half 



i boys going to UM mosque, and the girls 

 ' of ridicule to the 



UMir 



I. A. . pjaj :i 



Tbair activHy and UM tight girdle, which 

 ull round the loin. : they have broad full 

 oval face* with prominent cheek-bone*, and 

 blue or hacel (rarelv quite 

 but open nostrils, and 

 Their complexions are 

 TJ,. i m - 

 foature* 



*?* * *** or **** 



bat ahswe oeTtbe rait of UM 



show a mind unsubdued by slavery, and their stately walk and 

 carriage may be denominated a strut The women are tall, strong, 

 and not ill -looking; but their appearance indicates wretchedness, 

 ill-usage, and hard work. They are not so early marriageable as the 

 women in southern Greece, but they retain their good looks longer, 

 and give birth to children at a more advanced period of life. 



The drees of the better sort consists of an outer mantle, made of 

 coarse woollen stuff, bordered and variously figured with red threads, 

 which, falling loosely from the shoulders behind, reaches as low as the 

 knees ; of two vests (the rich sometimes wear three), the outer one 

 open, the inner laced in the middle and richly figured ; of a broad 

 sash or belt, with one or two pistols, the handles of which are often 

 long, and curiously wrought with silver; of a coarse cotton dmt. 

 the lower part descending from beneath the belt like a highland kilt, 

 with drawers of the same materials; and of variously coloured 

 stockings, or high socks, and sandals. They wear also a small red 

 skull-cap, and metal greaves or coverings for the knees and ancles. 

 The most remarkable part of an Albanian's dress is the capote or 

 cloak, a coarse shaggy garment, either of a gray or white wool, or 

 black horse-hair with open sleeves, and a square flap or cape behind, 

 which serves sometimes for a hood. The richer Albanians often add 

 to their dress a shawl tied on the head like a turban. The dress of 

 the common people is, with the exception of the cotton shirt and 

 drawers, made of white woollen cloth. The common people are very 

 filthy in their persons, and infested with vermin. They are fond of 

 ornaments. They wear silver chains round the neck with amulets, 

 silver snuff-boxes, or watches in shagreen cases, at the end. A copper 

 or sometimes a silver pen-case, with an inkstand at one end, is often 

 worn in the girdles, adorned with a silver chain. The poor all carry 

 at least one pistol in their girdles. 



The drees of the women (such of them as are not Mohammedans 

 or shut up in harems) is fantastical, but they are more cleanly than 

 the men. Red cotton or white woollen garments, with a shawl 

 wrapped tastefully round the head, form their general costume ; the 

 younger ones wear a kind of skull-cap covered with silver coins. Their 

 hair also, which falls down in long braids, is often strung with i. 



The food of the Albanians consists of wheaten or barley bread, but 

 principally of cakes of boiled or roasted maize ; of goats' -milk cheese, 

 rice, butter, eggs, dried fish, and vegetables. The proportion of 

 animal food used is but small. On holidays they kill slurp, or kids, 

 or fowls. They all drink wine, as well as rackee, a spirit distilled from 

 grape husks and barley. They drink also abundance of cold water, 

 some coffee, the Italian rossoglios, the liqueurs of Corfu and Cepha- 

 lonin, and a little milk. The wine, made in quantities and kept in 

 casks in Joauuina and other large towns, is mixed with fine resin, 

 lime, and water. The resin is to impart strength, but is counter- 

 balanced by the water; the lime is intended to refine the liquor. 

 This process, however, imparts a harsh flavour. 



Their habitations are for the most part very neat. The cottages 

 are detached, with a garden to each ; they have seldom more than 

 one floor and that of mud, which is regularly swept and is quite dry. 

 The rooms are commonly two, one of which is appropriated to the 

 store of maize in the stalk, and of grapes which are sprinkled with 

 salt The fire is made on the floor, and as they have only a hole to 

 serve as a chimney, it is not surprising that their apartments are 

 sometimes smoky. Their furniture is very simple. A large circular 

 tray of thin iron or tin is used for eating off, and is kept well H 

 and very bright They have also a pan to mix meal in, a wooden 

 bowl or two, some horn-spoons, jam for oil and wine, and a small 

 copper coffee-jug. A brass lamp, three or four white rush mats, and 

 a block of wood about a foot high, serving as a stand for the eating 

 tray, all which articles, as well as those previously mentioned, are 

 kept in n deal cupboard or wooden chest, complete the list of an 

 Allianmn'a domestic utensils. 



Their villages have a green with a largo tree for holiday sports. 

 On this green is the circular paved threshing-floor, where the corn is 

 trodden out by horses, which are fastened by a cord to the post in 

 the centre of the floor, and driven round, sometimes to the number of 

 eight or nine abreast 



The Albanians are much attached to their country ; they are proud 

 of their independence and prowess; indeed, they are a nation of 

 warriors, being all capable of using the sword or the long gun, which 

 is far from an efficient weapon. As all carry arms, it is difficult to 

 distinguish the peasant from the soldier. 



Open robbery, upon n large scale, amongst the Albanians, as among 

 the ancient Greeks, is not considered disgraceful Men will com- 

 monly, in reference to a past event, speak nf It as occurring when 

 they were robbers. Early in the summer bandits leave the towns 

 and villages in which they have pawed the winter, and forming large 

 bands of two, five, or seven hundred men, retire to the tops of some 

 mountains those of MeUovo for instance and there live in caves or 

 in the open air ; "H"g Greece, however, and not Albania, the scene 

 of their depredations. The shepherds are often in league with them, 

 and their flocks supply these predatory bands with meat : tin 

 cure broad from the peasantry. These rol>l n wait, 



and suffer their 

 party to be att 

 MM m I sitk 



peasantry. These rol.' irt.ly in v:n't, 



prey to got quite into the ini.l .-( <>! ilu<m. If the 

 KM is Strong, they fire without rising tnmi tli.-ir 

 they are repelled, or have obliged tlp-ir victims to 



