Norwich bulletin., 1917-06-30

the monster Tfbefns-he was slain in his bed by four attendants
 "The city passed under the donnin- ion of Turkey in 14s0.
 came at the end of the eighteenth century and extended almost through the first quarter of the nineteenth, Tor it was during this period that 1t was markabie Albanian chieftain, Ali Pas- ha, the Lion of Janina.' At this time if probably attained a population Of 5o,00o. Ali held court here in a fash ion almost as sumptuous IS did the Sultan at Constantinopie. Fifteen hundred people were fed daily in the palace, and the cilisftaln'a propensity for wives almost rivaled that of Sol omon. there being 500 inmates of his
 Many and varied are the stories told of the manner in which Ali sus-
 tained his. court, one of his fayorite trembling subjects being to make them presents of wheat. snuff-boxes,
 watches, and what not, for which they
 were always expected to present the
 than Coften doubIe) the market price in coin. The scheme was not an in vention of Alfs students of English
 history will readily recall parallel practice of British sovereisns in a
 much earlier age.
 The last episode in the career of
 the Lion of Janina reads as if it might have been borrowed from the Arabian Nights" or one of the Moorieh legends of the Alhambra. Finally brought to
 bay in his iron castle on the prom
 ontory which juts out into the shallow lake, Ali tried to come to terms with
 the chief of the sultan's forces. He went to the island in the lake where the opposing forces had established | their batteries and there offered sub mission on certain conditions. But before placing himself in the hands of the enemy he left his faithful slave Achmet in the castle to guard the great store of treasure which he had
 been aceumulating for decades. Ach- nets orders were to stand day and night with lighted taper in hand ready to fire to a powder magazine which would scatter the riches to the winds 1 if any harm should befall his master. After long negotiations Ais sus-
 picions were ailayed and he sent the half of a signet ring to Achmet as q
 token that the taper should be ex- tinguished. No sooner had the faith ful slave put out the light, however. than the messengers slew him and
 In the meantime, on the island tae aged Ali was stabed to the heart while
 owing his adieus to the sultan'z enis- sary.
 There are numerous mosques, churches, and synagoRues in Janina,
 but the cypress groved castle of Ali
 Pasha bears striking evidence that it's glory has departed
 The city now has a population of less than 25,000 but it is still famous as in olden days, for it's rnanufa --lre of gold and silver filigree and om- broidery. The surrounding country .s
 extremely fertile and the lake supplies
 an abundance of fish and water fowl The climate is extreme, the inha 5i - tants finding it necessary to dress in heavy furs in winter and the Hgh.e-t Of apparel In summer. Earthquaiies are frequent and chroniclers of an early era record that the tremors
 sometimes cast fish out of the sea"
 "Janina has two import cities-say- ada, opposite Corfu, and Arta They
 are equi-distant from Janfna. the for
 mer being S5 miles in an airline to the west and the latter due south"