Chap. VI. of Monfieur Tavernier. gi 



which the report of the Country goes, that Si. Helena returning from JerutaU 

 Jcft a piece of our Saviour's Crofs with the Chriftians of Cyprus, who built a ChurT 

 there, by means of the Liberality of the fame Princefs. Afterwards thofe of the 

 Town of Leucara took it from hence , and carry'd it to their Church , where I f aw 

 it. The piece is as big as the Palm of a Man's Hand , let in a great Crofs of Latten 

 embofs'd with ieveral Figures. , ' 



In the Kingdom of Cyprus there is an Archbifhop and three Suffragans The 

 Arch-bifhop takes upon him the Title of Nicofia; to which Fama«ofta belongs with 

 all the Country between Nicofia and Famagofta, with the Territories of Nicofia and 

 all the Villages round. He has a Houfe about a League from Nicofia , where the 

 chiefeft of his Revenue lies. Some years fincc he caus'd the high Altar of the 

 Church to be painted and guikled , being a neat piece of Workmanfhip. Thus 

 the Arch-bifhop has under his Juriidiftion all the middle part of the J.fland and 

 ibme part toward the Eaft. ThcBifhops are the Bifhops of Paphds > Larnce* and 

 Cerines. 



The Greeks are very much addifted to the obfervation of their ancient Cuftoms 

 and Ceremonies-, and generally their Mattes arc very long. Upon Sundays and 

 Holy-days they rife between one and two of the Clock in the Morning to Sing Mat- 

 tins. To which purpole there is a Clerk that goes from door to door and knocks 

 with a Hammer , to wake the people , and then cries out with a loud voice , Chril 

 fttans go to Church. The men and old women fail not to go as being more zealous - 

 but the maids and young women never go out of doors in the night for fear of the 

 Turks, There are feven or eight Villages, the Inhabitants whereof are Maronitcs ^ 

 who came from Mount Libanus, and fpeak Arabic at home, but greeks among the 

 Iflanders. They follow the Romijh Religion, and have their Churches peculiar to 

 themfelves. 



The Ifland of Cyprus is no wholcfom Air, being fubjeftto thefpoylof a fort of 

 Locufts, that fome Summers deftroy all their Fruit aud Corn. During the heats 

 they hover in the Air, which they will dark'n with their number like a thick 

 Cloud \ but when the North Wind blows , it carry's them into the Sea , where 

 they perifh. 



There are in Cyprus three forts of colour'd Earth , a Grey-black, a Red , and o 

 Yellow \ of which the Venetians fetch away great quantities for their courfcr fort 

 of Painting. There's alfb a Mine of White Alome , which is the ftone call'd Dami- 

 antlius. ' Fis thought that the Ancients had a way to fpin this Alome into a kind of 

 Cotton , and fo to make out of it a certain fort of Cloth that would notconlume in 

 the Fire, but only be the more perfectly whiten'd thereby. The Indians formerly 

 bury'd the dead bodies of their Kings deceas'd in Shrouds of this kind of Linnen, 

 and then putting them into the Fire, found the bodies all red ue'd to allies, but the 

 Cloth whole ; out of which they took the afhes, and carefully put them into an Vine, 

 which was prepard for their prefcrvation. 



When the Baftm of Cyprus has a mind to view the Fortrcfs of Famagofta , he fends 

 to give the Bey, who is Governour thereof, notice of it. For it is* at the Gover- 

 nors choice whether he will give him admiflion or no. The Bafja Hali-Giorgi , 

 being a comely old man of above a hundred and two years of age , letting out of 

 Nicofia in his Litter with about two hundred Horfc , when he was come within 

 half a League of Famagofta, the Governour of the place lent his Lieutenant with a 

 hundred Horfe to Compliment him , and to conduct him to the Town. Immediately 

 they took upon them the Guard of the Bajha's Litter , who was not permitted to take 

 along with him above eight or ten of his principal Otficers. The Cannons roar'd at 

 his entry, and he was treated magnificently, but he lay not in the Town, be- 

 ing conducted back by the fame party to the place where they met him in the Morning. 

 Upon the third day of OMer we let Sail about three a Clock in the Morning with 

 a Weft-North- Weft Wind , and about Noon we were within fight of Famagofta , 

 into which place we could by no means be admitted , by reafon of the Wars be- 

 tween the Turks and Venetians. But as far as I could diicern a tar off, there is no' 

 eafie accefs to the Port, and for the City I could dclcry no part of it. 



The fourth, by break of day we got fight of the'Coaftof Syria, Cape Ganger , 

 and the Golf of t/fntioch, and about Evening we arriv'd in the Road of Alex- 

 andrctta, 



h tfom 



