The country now called Albania is extremely difficult of definition. It was originally confined to the little district of Albanopolis*, (now Albassan) in Southern Illyricum or that region which was afterWards denominated New Epirus. From this insignificant origin, the courage and increase of its inhabitants, shewn especially during the weak disorderly reigns of the Byzantine emperors, have extended the limits, or rather the name of Albania over greatest part of Illyricum and Epirus; so that in the present day it borders to the north upon Bosnia, to the east upon Macedonia and Thessaly, to the south upon Acarnania and the Ambracian Gulf, to the west upon the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic; though the Albanians by no means form the chief population within these limits, being interspersed with numerous tribes of Servians, Bulgarians, Valachians, Osmanlis, and Romaic or modern Greeks: so that in the same town it is not uncommon to hear spoken the Turkish, Romaic, Bulgarian, Valachian, and Albanian languages, and sometimes a patois, or mixture of them all. Albania is not unfrequently divided into Upper and Lower, though the boundary line of these divisions is very undefined: they might perhaps with greater propriety be styled Illyrian and Epirotian Albania. The districts which are generally acknowledged in the country are as follow. Scutari, Upper and Lower Dibra, Croia, Dulcigno, Duratzo,Tiranna, Aibassan, Ochri, Avlona, Berat, Musachia, Desnitza, Scrapari, Koritza, Kolonia, Konitza, Dangli, Toskaria, Malacastra, Arberi or Liapuria, Argyro-Castro, Kimarra, Delvino, Liutzaria, Zogoria, Palaio-Pogojanni, Ioannina, and Tzamouria: to which might now be added Arta, and Luro, since as many Albanians are settled in these provinces as in most of the others abovementioned.
Travels in Sicily, Greece & Albania, Volume 2 By Thomas Smart Hughes, 1820, p.94-95
Travels in Sicily, Greece & Albania - Thomas Smart Hughes - Google Books
