HISTORY ETHNOGRAPHY NATURE WINE-MAKING SITE MAP
Selected and rare materials, excerpts and observations from ancient, medieval and contemporary authors, travelers and researchers about Cyprus.
 
 
 
 
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SIR SAMUEL WHITE BAKER
CYPRUS AS I SAW IT IN 1879
page 65

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neighbourhood. I was informed in a mysteriouf whisper by a Cypriote " that this man was a notorious robber, whose occupation was gone since the arrival M the British ; " he had formed one of a gang that hai infested the mountains, and his brother had murdereof a friend of Georgi (the van-driver), and was now i l gaol at Rhodes for the capital offence. The Turk was very intelligent, and thoroughly conversant witlj the various methods of breech-loading firearms ; he examined several rifles and guns belonging to me, an i at once comprehended the mechanism, and explained!! it to the admiring crowd. When this individual leftour camp in the evening, the story that I had heard, in outline was corroborated by the driver Georgi, whS asked me to exert my influence to procure the hanging of the murderer now at Rhodes, as the Turkish] authorities would never execute a Turk for the murder of a Greek unless influenced by foreign pressure. It appeared that the Cypriote had informed against one of the gang for cattle-stealing, accordingly several members of the fraternity picked a quarrel with him at a drinking-shop one evening at Dali, and stabbed him fatally. My new acquaintance, the Turk, was not present during the fray, and I could not promise Georgi the intervention he desired. On the following morning seven natives of Dali appeared—all Greeks—accompanied by the ex-robber, whom I regarded as " a wicked man who had turned away from his wickedness, " with whose antecedentshad no concern. They had brought their guns, which were at once submitted to me for an opinion of their merits, with a vain expectation that I should pronounce them to be " English. " I was to be guided to a spot about an hour's march distant, where partridges and

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