The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-08-23
LAST STATE TO GIVE IN

volt against their new masters.
LAST STATE TO GIVE IN
The Albanians. the ancient Illyrians,
are worthy of the worlds sympathy.
Illyricum means 1.-THE land of the free"
and Albania highland The country
is rugged. Many mountain peaks are
as high as 5000 feet above the sea
level. The character of the country
has had great influence in making the
Albanians a virile independent and
liberty loving c
Albania was the last of the Balkan
states TO submit to Turkish rule. Aft
er the death of their great national
hero. Skanderbeg. in 146S, Albania
came nominally under the sovereignty
of the sultan. Yet the people have re-
tanned their freedom, n and
ways of living and national language.
1t is true that nor than half of the
people changed their religion for as
sured political advantages, but they
sacrificed not a particle of their other
national characteristics.
Feudalism is a living institution, in
Albania. They have not been ruled
by the Turkish laws, but by a code of
unwritten rules known as the laws
of "Leka- Dukagini." Throughout the
Malassia district there is a military or
~ganization led by their chief. called
Bairakdar (the banner bearer. Each
chieftain has an attachment of 500 or
600 armed men.
The homes of the Albanians are pa
triarchal. where the oldest rule and the
younger obey. In house only n
may find more than a hundred living
together. Inside of an Albanian house
fifteen or more rifles are seen hanging
on the walls-that Is to say, that in
one home alone there are fifteen or
twenty men to carry arms. The houses
in Albania are large, square stone
buildings, with no windows. The walls
have many loopholes on all sides and
the appearance of a fortress.
LITTLE KNOWN TO TRAVELLERS
1t is amazing how little is known in
Europe, even by men of wide educa-
ton. of the real state of the Albanian
ptODit. Int IhulA A lhots DoAhAh6 -
few daring traders and a few adven-
turous travellers who We're of sufficient
political Importance to be able to OBJ
tain from the Turkish government a
strong escort of Turkish cavalry, hard
" one foreigner has visited this law
less land of mountaineers. Since the
war. however, travelling mas been a lit
a - IA Tanrfanu NO
turning from that country says:
AT Elbasan we We're everywhere
looked upon with the greatest curiosi-
ty., Crowds of children followed us
through the streets, not begging. but
merely examining us for our oddly.
When we stopped to inspect the mer-
chandise in the open shops, though the
~shopkeeper himself still squatted in
differently beside his charcoal braZier.
behind his pile of tobacco. his box of
range his strings of figs or of gay
bandanna handkerchiefs. the passerby
would Immediately gather close about
us. thrusting wondering blue eyed
faces close TO ours and hoping ardent
~ for the pleasure of seeing how such
beings make a bargain.
AT least half a dozen times some tall
fellow stepped up to us as we strolled
along with u escort of children and
asked without the least difidence or
the least show of ceremony:
"'who are you? Where do you come
from? What are you doing heref'
"Such signs are u~nmistakable. They
are the marks of a proud. primitive
and independent community. where
travellers are as rare as white crows"