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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 305 View PDF version of this page DRUMMOXI).
29Ó
Four Hony arches adorn the front; there are five little windows above, iu the right wing, two only iu the other, and there is neither letter, figure, or ornament upon any part of it. Among the mountains I found many broken fusts where I saw no vestige of building; aud at some distance from this place, in my way to Lefoa, I observed, near an headland, two small perpendicular rocks in the sea, about which the natives tell the following stoiy. A brother and sister beiug enamoured of each other, fled hither from some neighbouring part of the country, in order to indulge their guilty passion; but just as they arose from the sea, in which they were bathing, they were changed into these rocks, by the offended deity; and their piteous moanings are often heard to this day. Probably the inhabitants of this corner of the island have heard some confused story of the Propetides, from which they have derived this fable.
After baring endured much fatigue through the day Τ arrived at night at Lefca, having passed what is called its port, and a river which I take to be the Satrachns. The port, I presume, is the ancient town of that name, or the port of Solos, for it is surrounded by many foundations of houses: the tomi is prettily situated abont an hour from the port, a variety of gardens, the meanders of the river that wind about it on the south, and the adjacent grounds, that lie in the form of a theatre, concur in beautifying the scene. In the morning I crossed the river Cunara, and entered a deep gut between the mountains, which are covered with large pines or pitch-fir, and of these they make a considerable quantity of tar, pitch, and rosin : the river oue must often cross, ascending and descending precipices which are frightful to the view ; but the mules are generally so sure-footed, that the danger is not great. I have no where seen a more surprising prospect than that which presents itself to the eye, from the top of a mountain near the river Gambo; the numerous hills around rise either in the form of sugar-loaves or sharp wedges ; some are covered with tall pines, and others with small firs, interchangeably; but the most agreeable view is where the verdure is more diversified, and these verdant pyramids afford great variety; such as prodigious sycamores or platanes, a name we borrow from the Greeks who call them πλάτανοι ; καροιητη, or the locust, which name they have from the Italians, for καραζηα is the proper Greek word ; σχλιθρον, which I take to be our elm; σοφιλια, a tall thorn; very large «optSia, or walnuts; almonds ; which have two names, μγ/Βαλλα or αθασια ; π^κστια, a kind of alder, the leaves of which shine like a green orange, the backs of them, when young, are yellow ; but as they grow old, they turn brown: άν&ρονκλια, winch I do not remember to have seen in Europe; the leaf is pretty broad; it bears a small fruit in clusters, and annually changes the bark, which is extremely thin and smooth ; the old is of a fine red colour, but the new coat is white : ζηζηφια has a narrow leaf, aud bears a small fruit not larger than a cherry, but of the apple species. There was a great number of others, which I cannot name; bnt the whole was sweetly wild and agreeable.
About an hoar from Gambo were the first vineyards I had seen in those parts ; a circumstance that surprized me not a little ; for nature almost every where affords proper grounds for this purpose. From hence, for a considerable way, I travelled through a lane of natural perfumes, such as roses, the first honey-suckles I had ever seen in this country, and a great number of other fragrant plants and shrubs. On my airi val at the famous Madonna di Chekka, I was received with great courtesy by the papa, who among them is not much inferior to a bishop in point of dignity. The convent is well ornamented in their way ; but uone of the particulars are worth mentioning, except that the architect has forgot to make an entry to the church from the west : yet no body bad perceived this deficiency until I took notice of it, and then they were greatly surprized, because it is such an uncommon omission;
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