The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-07
BOOK REVIEWS AND
 BOOK NOTES.

A4i9 ANeoOIA LOI NlSlllLlS lHS9C LlHSo WAS, he says, 50 little is known about them that they had always held pe- culiar fascination for me"
 Warnings of danger came to him from all sides. Insurance companies fatly refused to accept him as an "ac- cident risk" when they learned his object. Friends urged him to take care of himself, "as though that were possible in the midst of hostile tribe." Ill fact, there seemed to be a conspiracy on the part of friends, strangers and officials to prevent me from penetrating the Land of Mys- tery." When he reached Montenegro Prince Nicholas himself queried the adyisability of undertaking the jour ney. On the Albanian frontier raids occurred almost daily into Montene- grin territory, and the whole border was constantly terrorized by Albanian bands, who shot the Moitenegrins whenever found. Indeed, the mar ket at Podogoritza, where men squat ted with loaded rifles over four or five fowls or a basket of apples, was suf- | ficient to tell me the truth, while the daily talk of that town was of fight Ing with the wild race that lived across the border"
 All warnings were of no avail how l ever. The author was undaunted. He engaged 6 guide of the name of Palok, who had been born in Skodra, or, as we call 1t, Scutari, not Scutari on the Bosphorous.
 At Skodra you will have nothing to fear" said the Turkish minister at Crettinje, to whom he applied for passport. T will give you note to the governor of that town. But do not go into the country. If you do you will be shot like dog"
 It was hard days Journey on horseback across rocky and precipit- ous mountains from Skodra to the | outlying posts of the bandits. Through Palok and his friends they had been advised of the intended friendly visit from an Engllshman, who was neith- CT spy nor an official in disguise. Twenty men-"certalnly the flercest and most bloodthirsty gang have ever set eyes on"-came out to meet him at signal from Palok's revolver. | With one accord they all raised their rifles aloft and shouted one welcome, whereupon one man stepped forward the great Chief Vatt-Mara- shi himself. Jauntily and even mer- rily he approached me and bent un- til his forehead touched mine--the Skrell sign of welcome"
 What he said was interpreted into Italian by Palok as, You are well come here to my country, very well come, And you are an Englishman and have travelled so far to see us! It Is wonderful! Wonderful! We'll I cannot give you much here or make you very comfortable, not so com fortable as you have been down in skodra. But will do my best. Come let us eat"
 Thereupon the whole crowd walked to spot where cauldron was standing upon wood fire, and out of this the host, the visitor and the guide had pieces of boiled chicken and rice, specially prepared for the occasion.
 The object of this meal, the Eng lishman learned, was to cement mu- tual friendship. The Albanian code of honor is curious one. A word | once given by these savage tribes is never broken, and if the stranger eats food of the skreli, even though he may be an enemy, his person is sacred for twentyfour hours thereafter.
 And so while ate with this wild chieftaln his band squatted around, l apparently discussing me.
 Tt was probably the first time they had seen an Englshman." Palok eX- l plained, 'and they,were at first lnclin- ed to regard me as a secret agent of the government, until later that after noon their chief assured them to the contrary. Then that wild horde be- came to man my devoted servant"
 They remained so until the end of his visit, which lasted for several days.
 Watt, their leader, unlike most AL banians, is light haired. His eyes are fierce and barbaric; nevertheless, he lis pleasant of countenance, with a constant smile of hearty good fellow ship.
 1 An athletic, erect, handsome chief tain like looking man, proud, imperi- ous eagle eyed was Watt, Heading his men, the little body moved in process sion toward the tiny cluster of houses forming the village in which the guest was to be quartered; oh every side were bare, great limestone rock. | i, ctp orIo 11o1n of q desolate mountain region into which no foreigner had penetrated save when captured and held for ran som. Through centuries that same tribe has ruled this barren land. Nc conqueror of Albania has eyer sue ceeded in busting them.
 On the way the chief talked frankly and freely.
 You have no doubt heard down 1T Skodra frightful things about me" he suggested, laughing. "I expect you feared to come and see me, eh?''
 The Englishman admitted he had heard things not altogether reassur- ing.
 "Ah!" he laughed again, "that is because the Turks do not like me Whenever a Turkish soldier puts hi: foot kilometre outside Skodra we either take away his Mauser and send him back, or else--well, we shoot hin first"
 He insisted, however, that he al, ways treated hospitably the travellers whom he detained for ransom.
 Many interesting sights and incl
 dents of his sojourn in the bandit vii lage are given.
 A young woman was pointed out by one of his brigand friends. That i' , | NTr,i1zo HOI NToraet,,,k I,a avrIaiped