world, crossed with Norman adventurers brought eastwards by the great
movement of the Crusades; they felt the blood of warriors flow in
their veins, and that war was their element. Sometimes at feud with
one another, canton against canton, village against village, often even
house against house; sometimes rebelling against the government their
sanjaks; sometimes in league with these against the sultan; they never
rested from combat except in an armed peace. Each tribe had its military
organisation, each family its fortified stronghold, each man his gun
on his shoulder. When they had nothing better to do, they tilled their
fields, or mowed their neighbours', carrying off, it should be noted,
the crop; or pastured their flocks, watching the opportunity to trespass
over pasture limits. This was the normal and regular life of the
population of Epirus, Thesprotia, Thessaly, and Upper Albania. Lower
Albania, less strong, was also less active and bold; and there, as
in many other parts of Turkey, the dalesman was often the prey of the
mountaineer. It was in the mountain districts where were preserved the
recollections of Scander Beg, and where the manners of ancient Laconia
prevailed, the deeds of the brave soldier were sung on the lyre, and the
skilful robber quoted as an example to the children by the father of the
family. Village feasts were held on the booty taken from strangers; and
the favourite dish was always a stolen sheep. Every man was esteemed
in proportion to his skill and courage, and a man's chances of making
a good match were greatly enhanced when he acquired the reputation of
being an agile mountaineer and a good bandit.

The Albanians proudly called this anarchy liberty, and religiously
guarded a state of disorder bequeathed by their ancestors, which always
assured the first place to the most valiant.

It was amidst men and manners such as these that Ali Tepeleni was