---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I shall speak only of the part I have…"
description: "\"I shall speak only of the part I have stayed in- the districts of Lakes Ochrida and Presba. Here there are Greeks, Slavs, Albanians, and Vlahs. Of Turk..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/edith-durham-68356_albanians_i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-st_2989607.jpg"
---

#  I shall speak only of the part I have stayed in- the…

![“I shall speak only of the part I have stayed in- the districts of Lakes Ochrida and Presba. Here there are Greeks, Slavs, Albanians, and Vlahs. Of Turks, except officials and such of the army as may be quartered on the spot, there are few. The Albanians, I believe, are all Moslem. Should there be…” quote by Edith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/edith-durham-68356_albanians_i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-st_2989607.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/edith-durham-68356_albanians_i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-st_2989607.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/edith-durham-68356_albanians_i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-st_2989607.jpg)

> “I shall speak only of the part I have stayed in- the districts of Lakes Ochrida and Presba. Here there are Greeks, Slavs, Albanians, and Vlahs. Of Turks, except officials and such of the army as may be quartered on the spot, there are few. The Albanians, I believe, are all Moslem. Should there be any Christians they would be officially classed as Greeks. A large part of the land near Lake Presba is owned by Moslem Albanians as ' chiftliks '(farms).”

Edith Durham

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A demographic snapshot of a multi‑ethnic region, noting religious and ethnic divisions and land ownership patterns.

**In simple terms:** A description of ethnic groups and land use.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the complexity of cultural and religious identities in a region.

Themes

ethnicity religion land ownership demographics colonial observation

Mood

analytical historical

Type

academic observational

When to use this quote

- historical research
- regional studies
- policy analysis

Key Concepts

identity social structure colonial perspective

Questions to Reflect On

- How have these demographic patterns changed?
- What impact did colonial views have on reporting?

A Different Perspective

The account reflects early 20th‑century biases and may lack local perspectives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Albanians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/albanians/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Farms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farms/) [Lakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lakes/)

## Related quotes

> [The fellows who amuze me are the Albanians. An Albanian on the mash is almost exactly like the medieval swells of the Italian frescoes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-durham/the-fellows-who-amuze-me-are-the-albanians-an-albanian-on-the-mash-is/)

Edith Durham

> [“For as long as anyone can remember, the history of Kosovo has been a battlefield pitting Serbs against Albanians. Each believes different things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-judah/for-as-long-as-anyone-can-remember-the-history-of-kosovo-has-been-a/)

Tim Judah

> [“Most Albanians who took up arms to challenge Serbian oppression did not object to one ethnic group bullying all the others; they simply wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-king/most-albanians-who-took-up-arms-to-challenge-serbian-oppression-did/)

Iain King

> [“I had always pictured the Albanian peasants as a very fine picturesque race of men wearing spotless native costume, and slung about with fascinating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flora-sandes/i-had-always-pictured-the-albanian-peasants-as-a-very-fine/)

Flora Sandes

> [Albanians are a nation of freedom fighters who know something about living under oppression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fatos-nano/albanians-are-a-nation-of-freedom-fighters-who-know-something-about/)

[Fatos Nano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fatos-nano/)

> [It is now necessary to face the truth and to acknowledge against all prejudices that the struggle that the Albanian tribe is leading today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimitrije-tucovic/it-is-now-necessary-to-face-the-truth-and-to-acknowledge-against-all/)

Dimitrije Tucovic

> [They are Nietzsche's over-men, these primitive Albanians - something between kings and tigers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-noel-brailsford/they-are-nietzsche-s-over-men-these-primitive-albanians-something/)

Henry Noel Brailsford

> [Swiss guys are always exactly on time, but Albanians are not like this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xherdan-shaqiri/swiss-guys-are-always-exactly-on-time-but-albanians-are-not-like-this/)

[Xherdan Shaqiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xherdan-shaqiri/)

> [“He sat down with a dour face. “Ah, Shqipëria!” he said dropping his head. “Albania will never become Albania with Albanians in it!” He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-alkazraji/he-sat-down-with-a-dour-face-ah-shqip-ria-he-said-dropping-his-head/)

[Paul Alkazraji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-alkazraji/)

> [There a lot of occasions when Albanians cause trouble, but then we are also very nice people. People sometimes forget that there are good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/granit-xhaka/there-a-lot-of-occasions-when-albanians-cause-trouble-but-then-we-are/)

[Granit Xhaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/granit-xhaka/)

> [Even if we have to go without bread, we Albanians do not violate principles. We do not betray Marxism - Leninism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enver-hoxha/even-if-we-have-to-go-without-bread-we-albanians-do-not-violate/)

[Enver Hoxha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enver-hoxha/)

> [I look at Starbucks, Howard Schultz has made many brilliant decisions, and one of the things that they did was they invented the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-look-at-starbucks-howard-schultz-has-made-many-brilliant-decisions/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [We don't have a farm-to-table food safety system. I keep saying this. It came as a big surprise to the FDA that tomatoes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-nestle/we-don-t-have-a-farm-to-table-food-safety-system-i-keep-saying-this/)

[Marion Nestle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-nestle/)

> [Life on a small farm might seem primitive, but by living such a life we become able to discover the Great Path. I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masanobu-fukuoka/life-on-a-small-farm-might-seem-primitive-but-by-living-such-a-life/)

[Masanobu Fukuoka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masanobu-fukuoka/)

> [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/)

[Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/)

## More by Edith Durham

> [The fellows who amuze me are the Albanians. An Albanian on the mash is almost exactly like the medieval swells of the Italian frescoes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-durham/the-fellows-who-amuze-me-are-the-albanians-an-albanian-on-the-mash-is/)

Edith Durham

> [They are strewn with the wreckage of dead Empires - past Powers - only the Albanian "goes on for ever."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-durham/they-are-strewn-with-the-wreckage-of-dead-empires-past-powers-only/)

Edith Durham

> [There is a peculiar pleasure in riding out into the unknown. A pleasure which no second journey on the same trail ever affords.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-durham/there-is-a-peculiar-pleasure-in-riding-out-into-the-unknown-a/)

Edith Durham

Explore all 4 Edith Durham quotes

## More Albanians quotes

> [Even if we have to go without bread, we Albanians do not violate principles. We do not betray Marxism - Leninism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enver-hoxha/even-if-we-have-to-go-without-bread-we-albanians-do-not-violate/)

[Enver Hoxha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enver-hoxha/)

> [There a lot of occasions when Albanians cause trouble, but then we are also very nice people. People sometimes forget that there are good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/granit-xhaka/there-a-lot-of-occasions-when-albanians-cause-trouble-but-then-we-are/)

[Granit Xhaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/granit-xhaka/)

> [“He sat down with a dour face. “Ah, Shqipëria!” he said dropping his head. “Albania will never become Albania with Albanians in it!” He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-alkazraji/he-sat-down-with-a-dour-face-ah-shqip-ria-he-said-dropping-his-head/)

[Paul Alkazraji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-alkazraji/)

> [The fellows who amuze me are the Albanians. An Albanian on the mash is almost exactly like the medieval swells of the Italian frescoes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-durham/the-fellows-who-amuze-me-are-the-albanians-an-albanian-on-the-mash-is/)

Edith Durham

> [They are Nietzsche's over-men, these primitive Albanians - something between kings and tigers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-noel-brailsford/they-are-nietzsche-s-over-men-these-primitive-albanians-something/)

Henry Noel Brailsford

> [It is now necessary to face the truth and to acknowledge against all prejudices that the struggle that the Albanian tribe is leading today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimitrije-tucovic/it-is-now-necessary-to-face-the-truth-and-to-acknowledge-against-all/)

Dimitrije Tucovic

> [Albanians are a nation of freedom fighters who know something about living under oppression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fatos-nano/albanians-are-a-nation-of-freedom-fighters-who-know-something-about/)

[Fatos Nano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fatos-nano/)

> [“I had always pictured the Albanian peasants as a very fine picturesque race of men wearing spotless native costume, and slung about with fascinating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flora-sandes/i-had-always-pictured-the-albanian-peasants-as-a-very-fine/)

Flora Sandes

> [“Most Albanians who took up arms to challenge Serbian oppression did not object to one ethnic group bullying all the others; they simply wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-king/most-albanians-who-took-up-arms-to-challenge-serbian-oppression-did/)

Iain King

> [“For as long as anyone can remember, the history of Kosovo has been a battlefield pitting Serbs against Albanians. Each believes different things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-judah/for-as-long-as-anyone-can-remember-the-history-of-kosovo-has-been-a/)

Tim Judah

> [Swiss guys are always exactly on time, but Albanians are not like this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xherdan-shaqiri/swiss-guys-are-always-exactly-on-time-but-albanians-are-not-like-this/)

[Xherdan Shaqiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xherdan-shaqiri/)

[Browse all 12 Albanians quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/albanians/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I shall speak only of the part I have stayed in- the districts of Lakes Ochrida and Presba. Here there are Greeks, Slavs, Albanians, and Vlahs. Of Turks, except officials and such of the army as may be quartered on the spot, there are few. The Albanians, I believe, are all Moslem. Should there be any Christians they would be officially classed as Greeks. A large part of the land near Lake Presba is owned by Moslem Albanians as ' chiftliks '(farms).",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Edith Durham"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-durham/i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-stayed-in-the-districts-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Albanians"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-durham/i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-stayed-in-the-districts-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/edith-durham-68356_albanians_i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-st_2989607.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/edith-durham-68356_albanians_i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-st_2989607.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/edith-durham-68356_albanians_i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-st_2989607.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I shall speak only of the part I have stayed in- the districts of Lakes Ochrida and Presba. Here there are…” — Edith Durham",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Edith Durham",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-durham/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I shall speak only of the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-durham/i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-stayed-in-the-districts-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-durham/i-shall-speak-only-of-the-part-i-have-stayed-in-the-districts-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
