Suliots

A people in and around the valley of Acheron, the southern corner of the pashalic of Janina ( Epirus ), in Turkey in Europe, are a mixed race, being partly of Hellenic and partly of Albanian origin. They are the descendants of a number of families who fled from the Turkish oppre ors to the mountains of Suli (whence they derive their name) during the 17th century. In this obscure corner of the Turkish empire they prospered, and towards the close of the 18th century numbered 560 families. For about fifteen years they heroically resisted the encroachments of Ali Pasha of Janina upon their independence, the very women taking part in the strife. Vanquished in 1803, they retreated to Parga, and afterwards to the Ionian Islands, where they remained till 1820, when their old oppre or, Ali Pasha, finding himself hard pre ed by the Turks, invoked their aid. Eager to return to their cherished home, they accepted his terms, and under Marcos Bozzaris maintained a long and desperate conflict with the Turks, but were ultimately forced again to flee from their country, and take refuge to the number of 3000 in Cephalonia, though a large remnant preferred to skulk in the neighboring mountains. Though, after this, they took an active and glorious part in the war of Greek independence, their country was not included by the treaty of 1829 within the Greek boundary-line, but many of them, as Bozzaris (son of Marcos) and Tzavellas, have since been raised to important political offices in the new kingdom of Greece.