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copper, liiarcasite, brass and iron, rock alum, pitch, resin, sulphur and nitre, aud again the seed which gives a red dye, the stone called amianthus, coral, emeralds, veined emeralds, crystal, diamonds and other precious stones. There are no great rivers in the island, only torrents and brooks. There is a «mall stream pretty close to Nicosia, iu which is a great quantity of jasper, with its well-known virtue of staunching blood. The little vine-birds are found in numbers; they are only really delicious on the spot, but are sent abroad pickled. The grapes and the lentisc-seed which they eat make them extremely fat. There is so much cotton that the inhabitants not only have enough for their clothes and for household use, but they supply also Italy aud other countries. It is in fact the chief source of revenue. They draw also a large sum from a white salt which they win from a fine salt-pan filled by fresh water aud the rain. Thin is quite ten miles round, and it is a wonderful thing to see this white expanse which seems covered with snow. In the middle is a well which never congeals, though the rest of the salt-late is congealed. This is connected with the legend of S. Lazarus who came to this place. One sees too whole fields which nature has sown with capers; they grow without cultivation, and everyone can gather as much as they like. The sheep are very good to eat. They are large and fat, with prodigious tails, not longer than that of our breed, but at least half a foot broad, and so fat that it looks round. It hangs behind and beats against the creatures' sides as they walk. The goats have pendulous ears, three fingers broad. Their horns are not quite as long as those of our goats, and the forepart of the head is shorter. What gives them more grace and fire is that they have a tuft in the middle of the forehead. One thing in my experience here will appear hardly credible, that 1 never met with a horse, mule or ass in this kingdom or in the Levant which shook its rider while at a trot. Men ride without saddle, stirrups, spurs or bridle, the halter is enough and a small pack on the animal's back. In short we may say that this island abounds in everything and is delightful. Before it fell under the Turk living was luxurious, loose aud notons). Of old time it produced men of renown who were useful to their fellows and famous for their knowledge and piety, to wit Asclepiades the historian, Solon, one of the seven sages of Greece, Evagoras, Cleoboulos, Zenon of Cition, founder of the Stoic sect, Apollonius the physician, Xenophon the historian, S. Barnabas and Mark his cousin, Epaphroditus, Paulus Sergius, Titus, Nicauor, Epiphanios, Spiridion, Theodores, Hilarion, John the Almoner, Nemesius, Didymus and many others. The kingdom has from all time had a variety of masters. It would be tedious to relate all its vicissitudes. Selim, the Sultan of the Turks, seized it in 1570 with an army of 200,000 men. Bnt we have talked enough of Cyprus, let us pass on to Syria. 1«4 EXCERPTA CYPRIA

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