The burden of the Balkans / by M. Edith Durham.

OCHRIDA. 225 drawback was that I had never seen him; he had already started, and I must pick him up-an unknown quantity in a quite unknown land. As, however, I was going alone and on my own account, and so was responsible for no one's money or life, I was free to take any risk. The one thing necessary was to obtain Turkish Government permission for the expedition. Without this I should be fairly certain to be turned back somewhere, and the society might get into trouble, as Turkish officials were very suspicious of strangers. Some of my friends on the relief work were of opinion that to ask permission was to court failure, and that a refusal was certain. The British Consul, however, knew best; he advised me to call by myself on the Vali, and predicted success. Calling by yourself at a Government Konak is a nervous task. There is a yard full of soldiers and gendarmes, and several staircases more or less muddy that lead to unknown heights, and, naturally, all the directions are scribbled up in Turkish. Upstairs there are corridors where officers hang about and smoke, and messengers hurry from one heavilycurtained door to another. No one took the faintest notice of me, so I addressed the most gorgeous in French. He did not understand, but called someone who did, and in two minutes I was in the presence of His Excellency. He was much amazed at my request, but very affable, and gave me leave to wander as long as I liked, though he was sure that cold and hardships would prevent my carrying out 8

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Title: The burden of the Balkans / by M. Edith Durham.
Author: Durham, Mary Edith, 1863-1944.
Canvas: Page 225
Publication: London :: Nelson,; [1905]
Subject terms: Eastern question (Balkan); Balkan Peninsula -- Description and travel.

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Collection: Travels in Southeastern Europe
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ans3900.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bosnia/ans3900.0001.001/232

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Full citation: "The burden of the Balkans / by M. Edith Durham." In the digital collection Travels in Southeastern Europe. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ans3900.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 1, 2025.

The burden of the Balkans / by M. Edith Durham.

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