Aubrey Herbert and the diary of a day in Kosovo: Among the Albanians you lacked civilization!

In the summer of 1912, Aubrey Herbert had decided to visit Kosovo once more, where the armed uprising against the Ottoman Empire had almost ended, which led first to autonomy and then resulted in the independence of Albania. This time Herbert had decided to travel from Sarajevo to enter the province of Kosovo, in order to stay in Mitrovica where he would meet Isa bey Boletini. When he had entered Berane, since then it was part of Kosovo, he had come across the moment when the insurgents were overthrowing the local government. In his diary of that day, Herbert noted interesting things that speak of the state and mentality of the inhabitants of this city:

Read too Aubrey Herbert – the greatest friend of Albanians

Berane, Saturday, August 24, 1912:

I dismounted and we entered the city full of confusion and sorrow. My guides disappeared. The rifle shots continued unabated. They sent us to an inn in the city. I was unceremoniously shoved down the stairs, and Johnny was brutally treated. The crowd stayed behind us. We were taken to a rather large room where there were somewhere around 25 armed men. I needed to show that I was in control of the situation, and as if I was their host, I proposed to all 25 gunmen that we sit down and start talking about general things.

Meanwhile, they had opened my bag. Johnny kept his composure the whole time and said to me with an expression of displeasure: 'Do you see that man? He has taken your brushes and is brushing his mustache with them.' This giant man had a mustache like a seal. I spoke to him socially and said, 'You shouldn't do that.' He said, 'Why not, answer?' I replied: 'If you came to my place, I would not open your purse or use your brushes.' 'No,' he said, 'certainly not. I have no bags like yours, nor ivory brushes.'

Another, about two meters tall, armed to the teeth, approached me and spoke angrily while the others were listening. He told me: 'You are Austrian and you have come to take our land'. I told them: 'I did not come for this job. I am English and Dere-bey (landowners). I have a lot of land of my own and I don't want your land. It is bad business today to be a landowner. The land, practically, brings you nothing'.

During all this time, rifle fire continued outside. Another man, very tall, named Ahmet, who later became my friend, came close to me and said: 'Don't be afraid at all, my lamb; these people lack civilization, but I spent five years in prison in Izmir and seven in Manastir and I know what civilization is. These people are wild'.

The conversation turned into general and friendly chatter. They told me that they had just taken the city and that the people had killed the kaymekam of Berana, who was being buried at that moment. I gave them cigarettes and showed them my Mauser pistol, razor blade and a pocket knife. In the meantime, I asked them, why are these gunshots going on outside? 'Are they killing Christians? I can't stand this'. They said, 'No, it's the children who are shooting rifles in the air for joy.' /Telegraph/

(Taken from: The man who was Greenmantle – A biography of Aubrey Herbert)