ALBANIAN DRESS. 23 



velvet or cloth, without a collar, and richly em- 

 broidered with gold. Under this a waistcoat of 

 the same material. This jacket and waistcoat are, 

 during the summer, of cotton, and ornamented 

 with cotton twist or braiding, but not embroidered 

 with gold. A sort of gaiter, also embroidered, to 

 match the jacket and waistcoat, this gaiter ex- 

 tending from below the knee to the ankle. A 

 long white petticoat or kilt, made of cotton, very 

 full and neatly plaited, reaches to meet the 

 gaiters. Round the waist they wear a rich silk 

 sash of red, yellow, or gold ; a very finely em- 

 broidered broad waist-belt, containing a brace of 

 pistols and the yataghan, or short sword, which 

 has a very broad blade and is kept very sharp — a 

 very formidable instrument. An Albanian gene- 

 rally carries in his waist-belt a silver cartouch-box 

 and an inkstand ; the latter is a small silver case 

 which will just contain a little ink and two or 

 three pens . Their shoes are of brown leather, but 

 more resembling sandals ; they are admirable for 

 walking in a mountainous country : indeed the 

 whole dress of the Albanians is well suited to the 

 country which they inhabit. The kilt is much 

 more convenient for chmbing hills than trowsers, 



