View PDF version of this page

άφανίσαι την ακρίδα, την φθοροποιών πλη-γην της νήσου μας. Ταντην δι προς τοις άλλοις σου ίθαυμάσαμ^ν ϋπερφνως φιλοπονηθ(ΐσαν, èri St καί τον ζηλον όπου ίλάβετ*, σνμπονοΰμΐνοι αυτήν την δυστυχή μας πατρί8α, καίτοι ήμ£ς οΰδίν άντά£ιον η-οιι/σαιτες τοΰ ά&αγάστου νποκίΐμίνον της, ον&Ι αφοσιωσα/«νοι όσον <])φ(ί\αμΐν. Έμακαρίσαμ(ν αληθώς τους γεννήσαντας Ινα τοιούτον σοφοί/ άνδρα, εοδαιμονίσαρ-Εν τους γ€ννΐ)σαντα5, σνγχαίρομςν 81 τοις μίλλονσιν άπολαϋσαι èva ήρωα κατά πάντα υμοιον τοις προγονοις ημών "Ελλησιν. ΤαΓτα cv τούτω- τα δΐ ϊτη της ΐΐησαν 6eó6tv μαθονσάλία. Έκ της Λίυκοσίας, 1806, Μαΐου 13, της Έκλαμπρότητός της, Φίλος προθυμότατος Ό ΚΥΠΡΟΥ XPYSAN0O2. KINNEIR. Jolin Mocdonald Kinneir, "Captain in tlie service of the Honourable- East India Company: Town Major of Fort St George, and Political Agent at tlie Durbar of His Highness the Nabob" »f-the Caruatic," published in London in 1818 bin Journey through Anta Minor, Armenia and Koonlixtan. He-Suited Cyprus between January 2 and 24, 1814, having travelled from Constantinople through Eastern Λ,'& Minor, and returned through "Western Asia Minor to Constantinople, and thence to Mosul and Baghdad- Our transcript is from pp. 176—196. A note on p. 185 is interesting in itself, and may be comp jarefl with the playful prophecy, written in 1847, to be found in Tauvreri, by B. Disraeli, M.P.. Book iv. Cj'1- l-" The English want Cyprus, and they will take it." It runs thus:— "The possession of Cyprns would give to England a preponderating influence in tlie Mediterrane, ail« and place at her disposal the future destinies of the Levant. Egypt and Syria would soon become h er tributaries, and she would acquire an overawing position in resjiect to Asia Minor, by which the Ροι**β might at all times be kept in check, and the encroachments of Russia, in this quarter, retarded, if nd't prevented. It would increase her commerce in a very considerable degree ; give her the distribution o. f the rich wines, silks and other produce of that line island ; the rice and sugar of Egypt, and the cottone opium and tobacco of Anatolia. It is of easy defence ; and under a liberal government would, in a veryj' short space of time, amply repay tlie charge of its own establishment, and afford the most abundant^ supplies to our fleets at a trifling expense." ^ At Latakia I hired a boat to carry us to Famagusta, in the island of Cyprus, where we* landed on the second of Jannary, 1814, after a voyage of fifteen hours. The entrance into the ' harbour is not, I should snppose, more than eighty or a hundred yards wide, defended on one1' side by a bastion of the works, and on the other by a ruined tower. This port could once0' admit vessels of a considerable draft of water ; but since tlie conquest of the Turks, sand andst rubbish have been suffered to accumulate in such a degree, that none but small vessels can. now enter it with safety. I had scarcely put my foot upon the shore, before I was beset1' by a tribe of Custom-house officers and other vagabonds, imperiously demanding backshish but, without attending to their clamours, I entered the sea-gate, and walked about a quarter" of a mile through deserted streets and decayed churches, to a small coffee-house in the'3 inhabited part of the town. Famagusta, which is said to have derived its name from Cape* Ammochostos, is situated above five miles to the S. of the ancient Salamis, now called Eski^ Famagusta, and is said to have been founded by a colony from Constantia, fortified by Guy' of Lusignan, and afterwards embellished by the Venetians. It stood a long and memorable ^ siege against Sultan Seliin, and appears to have been a fortress of considerable strength ; itslt 412 EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

View PDF version of this page