The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 2Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron
General
The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 2
Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron
English poetry
On Albania and its inhabitants I am unwilling to descant, because this
will be done so much better by my fellow-traveller, in a work which may
probably precede this in publication, that I as little wish to follow as
I would to anticipate him.[214] But some few observations are necessary
to the text. The Arnaouts, or Albanese, struck me forcibly by their
resemblance to the Highlanders of Scotland, in dress, figure, and manner
of living. Their very mountains seemed Caledonian, with a kinder
climate. The kilt, though white; the spare, active form; their dialect,
Celtic in its sound; and their hardy habits, all carried me back to
Morven. No nation are so detested and dreaded by their neighbours as the
Albanese; the Greeks hardly regard them as Christians, or the Turks as
Moslems; and in fact they are a mixture of both, and sometimes neither.
Their habits are predatory--all are armed; and the red-shawled Arnaouts,
the Montenegrins, Chimariots, and Gegdes, are treacherous;[215] the
others differ somewhat in garb, and essentially in character. As far as
my own experience goes, I can speak favourably. I was attended by two,
an Infidel and a Mussulman, to Constantinople and every other part of
Turkey which came within my observation; and more faithful in peril, or
indefatigable in service, are rarely to be found. The Infidel was named
Basilius; the Moslem, Dervish Tahiri; the former a man of middle age,
and the latter about my own. Basili was strictly charged by Ali Pacha in
person to attend us; and Dervish was one of fifty who accompanied us
through the forests of Acarnania to the banks of Achelous, and onward to
Messalonghi in Ætolia. There I took him into my own service, and never
had occasion to repent it till the moment of my departure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account