Chapter I: Front Matter

ALBANIA.

ALBANIA:

A NARRATIVE OF RECENT TRAVEL.

BY E. F. KNIGHT,
BARRISTER-AT-LAW.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.

London:

SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON,
CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.

1880.

[_All rights reserved._]

Transcriber's Note: Inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, and hyphenation have been retained as printed. Words printed in bold are noted with tildes: ~bold~.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTER I.

Where to go to?--An unknown country--The expedition--Our inventor--Our equipment--The doctor--A useful remedy--The start--Venice--Trieste 1

CHAPTER II.

On board an Austrian Lloyd--Voyage to Spalato--The coast of Istria and Dalmatia--Old Venetian cities--Our fellow-passengers --Pola--A Turkish officer--The Morlaks--Why is England a triangle? --Sebenico--Arrival at Spalato 11

CHAPTER III.

Dalmatian _cuisine_--The Emperor Diocletian--Remains of the old palace--We make two friends--Wines of Dalmatia--Customs of the Morlaks--A visit to Salona--A great fete--Costumes-- Morlak singing 28

CHAPTER IV.

Voyage to Cattaro--A bora--The gulf of Narenta--The Herzegovina --The Island of Curzola--Ragusa--The Bocche di Cattan--The frontier of Montenegro--The fortress of Cattaro--Evening promenade--Personal attractions of the Cattarine ladies-- Rough roads--Prince Nikita's coach--Bosnian refugees--A Bosnian's luggage 45

CHAPTER V.

March to Cettinje--The pass across the frontier--Montenegrin warriors--Cettinje--A land of stones--The Prince's Hotel-- Frontier disputes--The commission--Montenegrin method of making war--A game of billiards--A Draconic law--A popular prince 60

CHAPTER VI.

The occupation of a Montenegrin gentleman--The public library --Prince Nikita's prisoners--Albanian _versus_ Montenegrin --A Montenegrin loan--The prince as a sportsman--The museum-- The hospital 78

CHAPTER VII.

Journey to Scutari--Atrocities--A runaway--The vale of Rieka-- A Montenegrin sailor--The lions of Rieka--The perils of the night 90

CHAPTER VIII.

A great victory--A good old custom--On the Lake of Scutari-- The londra--The debateable land--Boat song--Encampment--Scutari --A reminiscence of Cremorne--The brothers Toshli--Willow-pattern plates--At the British consulate 100

CHAPTER IX.

Condition of Albania--Her races--The Mussulman--The Christian-- The Arnaut--Prince Scanderbeg--Turkish rule--Albanian language --Gendarmes on strike--A Scutarine beauty--Courtship and marriage --Nuns 116

CHAPTER X.

The bazaar--Turkish gipsies--The vendetta--An assassin--A way to pay debts--Bosnian refugees--A card-party--Paving stones --Burglars--Army doctors--Change for a ten pound note--Our horses 132

CHAPTER XI.

Our Lady of Scutari--A miracle--The fete--A funeral--A drunken Arnaut--Our escort--Two more Britons--Warm discussion--War-- Marco 151

CHAPTER XII.

March to Podgoritza--An Albanian khan--Our cook--The Fund-- Across the lake--Night visitors--The frontier--Podgoritza-- The armourer--The war minister--Dobra Pushka 163

CHAPTER XIII.

War preparations--Our camp visitors--An impromptu ball-- English-consul fashion--Robbers--Ruins of Douka--A dangerous bath--Bastinado--Karatag yok mir 181

CHAPTER XIV.

An escort--A Turkish dinner-party--Brigands--Our sportsman--A chief of the league--Objects of the rebels--Achmet Agha--A meeting of the league--The boulim-bashi of Klementi--An Arnaut chieftain 194

CHAPTER XV.

To Gussinje--The valley of the Drin--A rough road--In the mountains--Hospitality--A pretty woman--A scientific frontier --Franciscans--Dog Latin--Marco Milano 215

CHAPTER XVI.

The mission-house--Gropa--The mandolin--A letter from Ali Bey --A trap--Our throats in danger--Retreat--Nik Leka--Proverbs-- A pleasant evening 238

CHAPTER XVII.

Rosso and Effendi--A barbaric feast--Patoulis--Mead--The future of Albania--The Italia Irridenta--Sport in Meriditia--Dick Deadeye 251

CHAPTER XVIII.

The coffin--A Pasha's death--Horse-dealing--The postman-- Brigands--An hotel bill--Down the Bojana--Dulcigno--Pirates --Farewell 268

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

SPALATO 26

BOCCHE DI CATTARO 48

WALLS OF CATTARO 49

CETTINJE 65

THE LONDRA 102

SCUTARI FISHING HARBOUR 109

PODGORITZA 177

A SCIENTIFIC FRONTIER 229

ALBANIA.