Morning journal and courier., 1889-01-09
AMONG THE ALBANIANS.
The Semi-Savagery Which Marks the Inhabitants of an Oriental Tribe.

The Semi-Savasery Which Marks the
 Inhabitants of an Oriental Tribe.
 From the Youths Companion.l
 The Illyrians were pirates when Rome con- quered them; they remained wild men even in their subjugation. Their descendants, the modern Albanians, are still wild noun taineers, more devoted to robbery and piracy than to farming and cattle raising. Every man goes about armed to the teeth, for vil- lsge is at war with village, and blood feuds are as abundant as stones on the ground. Several years ago the Turkish government tried to arrange the blood feuds between the Sharla tribe, robbers by profession, and their neighbors. Three hundred feuds were paid
 for and wiped off and there were many
 more which the government did not settle. The code of revenge o1dains that when a man is killed his relatives shall kill the mur- derer or one of his male kinsmen. If 8 mans arms or horse are taken from him the code says that the dishonor can only be wiped off by killing the robber or one of his male relatives; but if both parties agree that it shall be done the blood may be paid for and the feud thus extinguished. A poor mans life is valued at one hundred and twenty five dollars, and the blood money in- creases in proportion to the rank of the vic- tim.
 The savage virtue of hospitality affords safety to a fugitive from feud or from jus tice. The fleeing man may enter any house and claim food and shelter for twenty-foul hours. His hosts are bound either to defend him or to send him to some place Of safety. Women are always exempted from blood feud, even while their male relatives are shooting one another at sight. If a man puts himself under woman's protection he ! is safe. If two families in village quar- rel one family usually removes and resides ! elsewhere; but the women are left behind to | take charge of the family property, without \ any fear that the other family will molest l them.
 l During harvest time the exiIed family re- l turns, and for month the deadly foes may | be within a few yards of each other, but the 1 peace is never broken. The code of honor prescribes that TO one should be rnolestod 1 while gathering his crops.
 The Albanians are as 8 class miserly, and l their love of money prevents them from | parting with coin save to buy rife or re- | volver. The author of ''A Winter in Alba mia" tells an amusing story to illustrate the penurieusness of the Albanian character.
 A gentleman staying at Cettinje. the capi. ! tai of Montenegro, found the prices charged at the one hotel of the city excessive wher ! measured by the comforts supplied. He | however contented himself with reulonstra' ting; but his Albanian servant, having l brooded over the extertion until he could l endure it no longer, went to his master and l asked permission to leave the hotel
 "But, Mark" said the master, "you don' ! pay, 80 what does it matter to You!'
 l Mark insisted because the bare idea o I living at such cost irritsted him. He wen I to the house of fellow countryman, where | for a nominal sum he lived in state of sem starvation. He derived no peeuniary bene C | kI-a1 1l I,,Hv xvol {Ho osy
 of seeing his master pay an extravagan | nrice for hoard and lodging.