Tour in Cyprus m 1887. 99 



Finding a servant, procuring ammunition from Limassol, 

 and trying to acquire some information about the island, took 

 up some little time^ and I did not leave the capital till March 

 4th. I had determined on visiting the lighthouse at the 

 extremity of the Akrotiri peninsula for a few days, in order 

 to watch the arrival of the migrants. All travelling is done 

 in Cyprus by mule, and my first introduction to the native 

 saddle, which I had resolved on using, was no more pleasant 

 than such introductions usually are. Over the stratouri, as 

 it is called — a pack-saddle of good pattern, so far as the com- 

 fort of the animal is concerned — is thrown a pair of strong 

 saddle-bags of the ordinary Syrian type. A pair of stirrups, 

 tied together with cord, is then laid across, and on the top a 

 four-fold paplouma or quilt. Although there is a girth, it is 

 never tightened, and the creature's load, whether animate 

 or inanimate, depends almost entirely upon balance for its 

 safety. Equitation in Cyprus appears to the tyro to offer no 

 certainties but a broken neck ; but after a time he learns to 

 prefer the native saddle to an English " Peat,'' at all events 

 for work upon the island. 



We had hardly left Nikosia an hour, before some heavy 

 rain-clouds, which had been threatening for some time, broke 

 over us, accompanied by a bitter wind from the north-west. 

 The barren, lifeless plain looked dreary beyond description, 

 and on reaching the Idalia river, a dry, stony watercourse, 

 as are most of the " rivers " of Cyprus, I decided to halt for 

 the night. I obtained lodgings at a Turkish house in the 

 little village of Pera-khorio. Next morning the villagers 

 brought me a small stone head of Assyrian type, in excellent 

 preservation, and a tame Rook. These birds do not appear 

 to be common, as, indeed, might be expected ; and I believe 

 the greater part, if not all of them, leave the island in the 

 spring. 



Next morning the weather was fine, and the wind had 

 veered to north-east. In spite of the sun, it was so cold in 

 the forenoon that I wore a thick pea-jacket with pleasure. 

 Our way lay southward towards Mount Stavrovouni, and 

 leaving the plain we came into a country of low, irregular 



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