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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 395 View PDF version of this page inaccurately, or partially, who should state that female beauty was rare in Germany, although common in England; that it exists more frequently in Russia than in France; in Finland, than in Sweden; iu Italy, than in Greece; that the Irish women are handsomer than the Spanish ; although learned antiquaries would assure us that both were originally of Pelasgian origin.
The gardens of Larneca are very beautiful, and constitute the only source of delight the women of the place seem to possess. They are, however, no ornament to the town, being inclosed by high walls. Almost every house baa its garden ; the shade and verdure thus afforded is a delightful contrast to the glare of a white and dusty soil, everywhere observed around, lu thefce gaitlens we noticed two sorts of jasmine, one common in European countries, and the other derived from Syria ; the double-blossomed pomegranate, a most beautiful shrub; also lemons, oranges, plums, and apricots. The Phaseobie Camcalla, kept in the green-houses of the Seraglio gardens at Constantinople, flourished here in the open air. They had also the Arbutus Andrachue, growing to au enormous size.
ΛΥΘ left Larneca in the evening, and found a very good road to Nicotia; travelling principally over plains, by a gradual and almost imperceptible ascent, towards the north-west. Mountains appeared in the distant scenery, on almost every side. The soil everywhere exhibited a white marly clay, said to be exceedingly rich in its nature, although neglected. The Greeks are so oppressed by their Tnrkish masters, that they dare not cultivate the land ; the harvest would instantly be taken from them if they did. Their whole ahn seems to be, to scrape together barely sufficient, in the course of the whole year, to pay their tax to the Governor. Tlie omission of this is punished by torturo, or by death; and in cases of their inability to supply the impost, the inhabitants fly from the island. So many emigrations of this sort happen during the year, that the population of all Cyprus rarely exceeds sixty thousand perrons; a number formerly insufficient to have peopled one of its towns. The Governor resides at Nicotia. His appointment is annual; and as it is obtained by purchase, the highest bidder succeeds; each striving, after Iiis arrival, to surpass his predecessor in the enormity of his exactions. From this terrible oppression the Consuls and a few other families aro free, in consequence of protection granted by their respective nations. Over such a barren tract of land, altogether desolate, and destitute even of the ineauot herbage, our journey was neither amusing nor profitable. It might have suggested reflections to a moral philosopher, thus viewing the horrid consequences of barbarian power; but when a traveller is exposed to tlie burning beams of an Eastern sun, mounted on a sorry mule dislocating bis very loins, fatigued, and breathing hot pestilential vapours, he will feel little disposition to moralize. AVe rejoiced indeed, when, in a wide plain, we came in view of the little huts where we were to pass part of the night, previous to four more hours of similar penance.
The venerable pair with whom we rested in the village of Attien were the parents of our mule-drivers, and owners of the mules. They made us welcome to their homely supper, by placing two planks across a couple of benches and setting thereon boiled pumpkins, eggs, and some wine of the island iu a hollow gourd. 1 observed npon the ground the sort of stones used for grinding corn, called quem» in Scotland, common also in Lapland, and in all parts of Palestine. These aro the priimeval mills of the world ; and they aro still found in all corn countries, where mde and antient customs have not been liable to those changes introduced by refinement. The employment of grinding with these mills is confined solely to females ; and the practice illustrates the observation of onr Saviour alluding to this custom in His prediction concerning the day of judgment : " Two women shall be grinding at the mill ; the one shall be takeu, and the other left."
CLARK Κ.
385
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