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Selected and rare materials, excerpts and observations from ancient, medieval and contemporary authors, travelers and researchers about Cyprus.
 
 
 
 
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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 246

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VAX ΒΚΓΥΝ. Cornelia van Brnyn, a Dutchman, nature of the Hague, left that city on October 1.1674. Hin travels covered many parts of Asia Minor, the islands and cities of the Levant, Egypt, Syria, and Palestine. On April 19.1683, he arrived at Larnaca from Alexandretta. and wandered about Cyprus until Slay 26. when he left for Smyrna and Venice. There be resided nearly eight years, returning to the Hague on March 10. 1698. His voyages, in Dutch, were published at Delft in 1698, translated into French, and '* done into English by W. T.," London. 1702. The extracts, hero translated afresh, are from pp. 873—388 of the fine folio edition printed by G. Cavelier, Paris. 1714. On the morning of Easter Day, April lb, 1683, we saw the island of Cyprus. After mid-day the wind freshened, and in the evening we were abreast of Cnpe S. André. The I9th we saw Fainagusta, and sailing briskly past Cape della Greca or S. Nappa, about three in the afternoon we anchored before Salina. 1 lauded and went to Lamica or Larnacho, about a mile inland. There we Went straight to the house of'Balthasar Sevan, the French Consul, charged also with the Consulates of England and Holland. I made ready at once to see the island, and hiring two mules, with a man who knew the country, left Larniea at daybreak, April 22. Two hours later we arrived at the town of I'iela, where we found the remains of a large building, anil four small churches in the old style; a stream runs from the neighbouring mountains aud supplies the town perennially with water. Beyond Piela we passed several other towns and villages, and some small churches uf no importance, aud about noon we reached a village Spigliutissa, where I was to stay, close tu Fainagusta. In the afternoon 1 went with two Greeks to see the outside of Fainagusta, but as 1 got too near the Turks shouted to me from the walls to retire. 1 had to obey, and turning down to the seashore sat down on a little eminence to sketch the city as earefully as possible. The next morning I returned to the city, which 1 had been unable to examine from the landside on the previous day. Nearly a third of it races the sea, and the eircuit must be quite half a league. It has two gates, fine on the landside, another looking seawards. The ramparts, which are nearly perfect, are surrounded by a dry ditch, of considerable depth and cnt in the rock. They are said to have been built after the fashion of those of Rhodes, but are very far behind them in beanty and magnificence. 'Hie mosque called S. Sophia seems very fine: it must indeed be as grand as its reputation. The pointed tower which crowns the building is highly ornamental. On the left of it is another mosque whose dome makes it very conspic nous. One can see the holes left by the cannon balls : half the church was destroyed in the siege. The harbour lies along the walls of the fort. Its entrance is so narrow that vessels are obliged to take in their anchors, and galleys their oars. The Turks guard the city so jealously that no stranger is allowed to set foot in it, except perhaps when his Consul comes to salute the Pasha, who visits it occasionally with his galleys. Even the Greek inhabitants of the island dare not approach the ramparts, or if caught they run the risk of being forced to become Musalinans. There are five villages round the city, some of them pleasantly situateti among trees. There is mach silk, and the trees are chiefly the white mulberry which give fuud to the silk-worms. The yield is about eight thousand okes, or twenty thousand Dutch pounds. Ou returning to Spigliotissa I was taken to see a subterranean church of the same name. EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

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