CYPRUS. 09 
our Captain, and our utter inability to remain chap. 
an instant after the Ceres had got her cargo on < ^— ^ 
board, we took our leave ; accompanied by an 
officer of his guard, whom he permitted to 
attend us among the goldsmiths of the place, in 
search of medals and other antiquities. 
It is to these artificers, bearinsf the name of Gut/umjee, 
. . orGold- 
Guyumjee, almost universally in Turhey, that smiths of 
the peasants of the country, and lower order of 
people in the towns, carry all the pieces of gold 
or silver they may chance to find in the soil, to 
be exchanged for modern trinkets. They are 
generally men in a very small way of trade, 
sitting in a little stall, with a crucible before 
them^ a touchstone ', and a handful of very ordi- 
nary tools. Their chief occupation consists in 
making coarse silver rings, of very base metal, 
for the women, and in setting signets for Turhs 
of all denominations. There is hardly a Moslem 
who does not bear upon one of his fingers 
this kind of ornament. The Turkish signet is 
(l) Various substances are in use under the name of touchstone, and 
of course it has various appellations. Mineralogists have 'called it 
Lapis Lydius, Comeus trapezius, primitive basalt, basanite, (rap, schislus, 
iSlc. The substance most employed by Oriental goKlsniiths is a dark 
and very compact busult. 
VOL. IV. F 
