Page:Christian Greece and Living Greek.djvu/186

 164 CHRISTIAN GREECE AND LIVING GREEK. a recreation, they had opened a small theatre, in which they were representing Kotzebue's vogue in civilized Europe. At Kallarrytes, at Syracon, in Epirus similar phenomena were to be found. It is the tradition of Kallarrytes, says Leake, that the Vlakhiotes have not been settled in this part of Pindus more than two hun- dred and fifty years, which is very credible, as it is not likely that they quitted the more fertile parts of Thessaly until they felt the oppression of the Turkish conquerors, and their inability to resist it. The removal has not been unfortu- nate, for their descendants have thereby enjoyed a degree of repose, and have obtained advan- tages which their former situation could hardly have admitted. They began by carrying to Italy the woollen cloaks, called cappe, which are made in these mountains and much used in Italy and in Spain, as well as by the Greeks themselves. This opened the route for a more extended commerce; they now share with the Greeks in the valuable trade of colonial produce between Spain and Malta, and many are owners of both ship and cargo. The wealthier inhabi- tants are merchants who have been abroad many years in Italy, Spain, or the dominions of
 * ' Menschenhass und Reue," which was then in