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Turnham, with injunctions to keep the army in Syria J well provided with provisions. " Isaac was placed in silver fetters and taken with King Richard to Syria, where he was handed over tol the Hospitallers, since Knights of Rhodes, for safe custody, and was by them confined in the Castle oil Margat, near Tripoli, where he died shortly afterwards. " Several insurrections subsequently occurred in Cyprus, but were all suppressed by the decisive and prompt action of Robert de Turnham. " The Templars now entered into negotiations with-King Richard for the purchase of Cyprus, and they eventually obtained it from him for the sum of 100,000 j Saracenic golden besants ; it was further arranged that I 40,000 golden besants should be paid at once, and the I remainder as soon as it could be derived from the I revenues of the island. " According to a high authority, De Mas Latrie (seel VHistoire de l'Ile de Chypre, vol. ii. p. 7), the above sum would now represent about .£304,000 sterling. Richard had at once appreciated the importance of Cyprus as a base of operations that would secure a supply of provisions within two days' sail of his salient point of attack, and to which he could retreat in the event of failure. The geographical position remains the same, but unfortunately Cyprus is no longer capable of furnishing supplies for a large army, and the hay necessary for the cavalry was obliged to be imported at great cost immediately upon the British occupation in 1878. The Templars quickly became disgusted with their bargain, and after only ten months' rule, during which the island was in a state of chronic revolt, they endeavoured to persuade King Richard to cancel the agreement of purchase.

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