Travels in Southeastern Europe

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

TEPELEN TO ELBASAN. 293 the others fight desperately to be allowed to do the same. We made many detours with but slight benefit, and I went down all the worst descents on foot, as the animals pretty well rolled down them, and arrived in a heap at the bottom, and the packmule, often on its knees or haunches, had to be hauled on to its legs again by the two zaptiehs. Zadig (' the faithful') was fitly so called, and showed strength, skill, and patience that was beyond all praise. I was nearly thrown once as my mount fell forward suddenly with one foreleg into a deep mud-hole, overbalanced, could not get a footing, and plunged violently, to the terror of the zaptiehs, who thought I was going to be smashed. I could not dismount without falling under the beast in the mud, but managed to steady him down, and he climbed out all right. My saddle and bridle saved me many a spill. The bridle is specially necessary, as the kirijees supply only halters, and the beasts when scared are then quite out of control. The zaptiehs were anxious at our slow progress. The kirijee was in despair, and said he had never travelled a worse way. We made only a half-hour's halt for lunch, and to let the beasts browse, and then pushed on. Life, so far as I was concerned, resolved itself into a ceaseless struggle to keep my mule on its legs when I was mounted, and to keep my own balance when on foot. The valley narrowed, and we skirted along the mountain-side high above the yellow, swollen Viosa. Beyond it
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About this Item

Title
The burden of the Balkans / by M. Edith Durham.
Author
Durham, Mary Edith, 1863-1944.
Canvas
Page 293
Publication
London :: Nelson,
[1905]
Subject terms
Eastern question (Balkan)
Balkan Peninsula -- Description and travel.

Technical Details

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https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ans3900.0001.001
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https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bosnia/ans3900.0001.001/300

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"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 April 30, 2025.
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