IMMENSE LOADS CARRIED BY THE WOMEN. 25 



all made of thick woollen cloth, and the better 

 sorts trimmed with red. The kilts of some do 

 not reach lower than about three inches above 

 the knee, whilst others are much longer. The 

 hose and gaiter reach just above the calf of the leg, 

 so that in England they would be mistaken for 

 soldiers of a Highland regiment. 



The loads these women carry are tremendous ; 

 indeed I have seen them with burthens on their 

 heads or shoulders, which I should have scarcely 

 expected a strong man to lift. I well remember, 

 that in a shooting party, one of our party having 

 killed a wild boar, it was a matter of some diffi- 

 culty to find means to carry it to our boat, a dis- 

 tance of about three miles. On asking an Alba- 

 nian who was with us if we could get a horse 

 from the neighbouring village, he said " No, but I 

 can bring you a woman." Our first impression 

 was, that this was an absurdity ; but the man per- 

 sisting, he went to the village, and returned with a 

 Greek woman, who took the boar upon her shoul- 

 ders, and walked away with it with the greatest 

 apparent ease, receiving a reward, in her opinion, 

 well remunerating her for a trouble, which she 

 appeared to consider as an every-day affair. 



c 



