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CYPRUS. 



539 



Cyprus, found here in abundance and perfection. It has been 

 l *""Sf~""*' supposed, that the art of making this cloth is unknown 

 to the moderns ; but, according to the author aheady 

 quoted, the inhabitants of a certain district m Siberia 

 are in the practice of preparing thread, by mixing flax 

 with this substance, and then spinning it. After weav- 

 ing with this thread, the cloth is exposed to the action 

 of fire, which consumes the flax, and leaves an incom- 

 bustible web. But of all the mineral riches which this 

 island contains, the inhabitants are allowed by their 

 Turkish masters to trade only in yellow oclrre, umber, 

 terre verle, and salt. This last, when Cyprus was sub- 

 ject to. the Venetians, was a very considerable article of 

 exportation, and a great source of revenue, and annual- 

 ly constituted the sole cargoes of seventy large ships. 

 A few country barks, however, are now sufficient for 

 this branch of export trade. The great lake, or salt 

 marsh, where the salt is formed, is in the neighbour- 

 hood of Salines 1 , and was formerly three leagues in cir- 

 cumference ; but the canals by which the lake commu- 

 nicated with the sea being now much choked up, the 

 water scarcely covers a space of a league in circuit. 

 The evaporation of the water is accelerated by the heat 

 of a burning sun, and there remains a thick crust of 

 salt, which is gathered in the month of September into py- 

 ramidical heaps. It then acquires consistence and hard- 

 ness, and will even resist the winter rains. In the 

 spring it is put on board small vessels, and conveyed 

 to the neighbouring coast. 

 Lriimals. Among the animals of Cyprus, those termed domes- 



tic have degenerated like their masters. They have al- 

 so greatly decreased in number; while snakes, and 

 other hurtful and hideous reptdes, have been allowed 

 to propagate, and to cover the fields. Tarantula?, with 

 a black and hairy body, and yellow and brilliant eyes, 

 are here not uncommon ; and a large spider is some- 

 times met with, called by Sonnini the galcode of the 

 Levant. According to this author, it is about an inch 

 in length, " has a body of a livid yellow, and beset 

 with long hairs, and even with prickly ones in several 

 places. It runs with prodigious swiftness, and thus 

 more easily escapes its destruction, in which mankind 

 are interested, its bite being very dangerous, and its ve- 

 nom very subtle. The parts which are attacked by it 

 swell in an instant, and occasion excessive pain, follow- 

 ed by certain death, if proper remedies be not speedily 

 applied." 



The Cypriots are, in general, tall and well made, with 

 an open countenance, and noble and agreeable manners ; 

 but they are said to be the most cunningand knavish of all 

 the Greeks. They are, however, remarkable for their 

 hospitality, which they exercise in a most generous man- 

 ner; and are also very gay, andmuch attached to show and 

 pleasure. " The women of Cyprus," says Dr Clarke, 

 " are handsomer than those of any other Grecian island. 

 They have a taller and more stately figure ; and the 

 features, particularly of the women of Nicotia, are regu- 

 lar and dignified, exhibiting that elevated cast of coun- 

 tenance so universally admired in the works of Grecian 

 artists." They seem, however, to take very great pains 

 to disfigure their natural beauty, by an unbecoming 

 dress, and a profusion of ornaments. The waist is made 

 as long as possible, and the legs consequently short ; 

 and though they are naturally corpulent, yet they use 

 no endeavours to diminish the size of their bodies by la- 

 cing, but are rather vain of their bulk. The upper robe 

 of the higher classes is always made of crimson, scarlet, 

 or green silk, embroidered with gold ; and they wear 

 long scarlet pantaloons, with yellow boots, and slippers 

 4 



Manufac- 

 tures, 



of the same colour. Their head dress is a kind of Cala- Cyprus. 

 thus, which is worn by all ranks. Their hair is dyed ^~"Y"^" 

 of a fine brown colour with henna, and hangs down be- 

 hind in long strait braids, with a few ringlets near the 

 face ; and from the head, and around the neck, are sus- 

 pended a profusion of coins, chains, and other trinkets. 



The fevers which prevail in this island are almost al- Diseases. 

 ways malignant, while those experienced in other parts 

 of the Mediterranean are in general intermittent. The 

 inhabitants are consequently obliged to be very careful 

 of their diet ; and they consider it fatal to eat flesh of 

 any kind in hot weather, unless it is boiled to a jelly. 

 Fat meat they dare not touch, and they likewise care- . 

 fully abstain at that season from eggs, cream, milk, and 

 all sorts of pastry. 



The method of grinding corn between two stones, 

 called querns in Scotland, is still in use here, and is also 

 common throughout all Palestine. This employment 

 is confined solely to the women ; and the operation of 

 grinding is frequently repeated, as they seldom prepare 

 more at a time than what is necessary for present use. 

 The prevalence of this ancient custom shews the rude 

 state in which the inhabitants of these countries are with 

 respect to the arts and refinements of life. Indeed the 

 Cypriots have lost, along with their liberty, both the 

 means and the power of profiting by the progress of 

 civilization in other countries. Their only manufacture 

 worth mentioning, is the preparation of Turkey or Mo- 

 rocco leather. It is carried on chiefly at Nicotia, and 

 in the neighbouring villages; and the workmen pretend 

 that they have a particular method of preparing it, 

 which they keep as a secret. It is certainly both bet- 

 ter dressed, and the colour is more durable and more 

 brilliant, than what is made in the other parts of Turkey. 

 They have also a manufacture for printed calicoes, and 

 some other cloths made of silk and cotton. So far back 

 are they in the arts, however, that such stones found in 

 the island as are capable of being polished, must be sent 

 to Grand Cairo for this purpose. 



The commerce of Cyprus is now very inconsiderable ; Com- 

 and the only place in the island where trade is carried merce. 

 on with any degree of activity is at Larnica. Their 

 principal exports are about three thousand bales of cot- 

 ton, but of which thirty thousand bales were annually 

 exported by the Venetians ; twenty thousand bales of 

 silk of various colours, besides the floss, which is also 

 exported to the ports of Turkey and Europe ; the fruit 

 of the careb tree ; wine ; salt ; a considerable quantity 

 of wool ; Turkey leather ; calicoes ; and some cloths. 

 For these, they receive in return woollen cloths, sattins, 

 light stuffs, laces, metals, India spices, colonial produce, 

 &c. 



Since the conquest of Cyprus by the Turks, its most p fe , ent 

 valuable productions and riches have vanished, and its ttaic. 

 inhabitants have gradually fallen from the high station 

 which they held when under the Venetians, to the 

 most abject state of apathy and indolence. Every 

 branch of industry and refinement is stamped with a 

 deep impression of Turkish despotism. " The rigours 

 of an oppressive domination," says M. Sonnini, " have 

 shed their baneful influence over fields, arts, and men. 

 Eveiy day we see commerce fail, industry decay, lands 

 dry up, and agriculture become impoverished. Vallies 

 once shaded by useful or agreeable trees, which culture 

 enriched with harvests of every species, or adorned with 

 verdure and flowers, now remain uncultivated, and 

 overrun with brambles, and other stubborn, meagre, 

 and useless plants. One may travel whole days in plains, 

 deserted and abandoned to that mournful and pernicious 



