hat it is loaded; and the other that, if the trigger is pulled, there
is a considerable chance of its going off. Now these are circumstances
which apply in a much slighter degree to the magazine of small arms
which he carries about his own person. But, beyond all this, when a
Frank is shot there is such a disturbance made about it! Consuls write
letters--pashas are stirred up--guards, kawasses, and tatars gallop like
mad about the country, and fire pistols in the air, and live at free
quarters in the villages; the murderer is sought for everywhere, and he,
or somebody else, is hanged to please the consul; in addition to which
the population are beaten with thick sticks ad libitum. All this is
extremely disagreeable, and therefore we are seldom shot at, the pastime
being too dearly paid for.

The last Frank whom I heard of as having been killed in Albania was a
German, who was studying botany. He rejoiced in a blue coat and brass
buttons, and wandered about alone, picking up herbs and flowers on the
mountains, which he put carefully into a tin box. He continued
unmolested for some time, the universal opinion being that he was a
powerful magician, and that the herbs he was always gathering would
enable him to wither up his enemies by some dreadful charm, and also to
detect every danger which menaced him. Two or three Albanians had
watched him for several days, hiding themselves carefully behind the
rocks whenever the philosopher turned towards them; and at last one of
the gang, commending himself to all his saints, rested his long gun upon
a stone and shot the German through the body. The poor man rolled over,
but the Albanian did not venture from his hiding-place until he had
loaded his gun again, and then, after sundry precautions, he came out,
keeping his eye upon the body, and with his friends behind him, to
defend him in case of need. The botanizer, however, was dead enough, and
the disappointment of the Albanians was extreme, when they found that
his buttons were brass and not gold, for it was the supposed value of
these precious ornaments that had incited them to the deed.

I procured some letters of introduction to different persons, sent my
English servant and most of my effects to England, and hired a youth to
act in the double capacity of servant and interpreter during the
journey. One of my friends at Corfu was good enough to procure me the
use of a great boat, with I do not know how many oars, belonging to
g