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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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SIR SAMUEL WHITE BAKER
CYPRUS AS I SAW IT IN 1879
page 316

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the hands of the dragomans (interpreters), of whose character they spoke in terms which it is to be hoped were highly exaggerated. The'people begged me to ride over to the locality, to see with my own eyes the position of affairs ; which I arranged to do sine die, 'and after advising them to exercise a temporary patience, I got rid of the deputation without suggest ing " that under the existing agrarian dispute they should let their farms to some enterprising Irish tenants from Tipperary. " I mention this incident, which is one of many others upon the same subject, to exhibit the complications that have always arisen from the contention upon water-rights, that will require some special legislation. . . . Th e weather was becoming warm at Limasol, the thermometer ranging from 700 at 7 A.M. to 83° at 3 P.M. There was a trouble in the water-supply, as that for drinking purposes had to be conveyed by donkeys from a distance of three or four miles. The market in the town, although well arranged externally, was governed by peculiarly restrictive municipal regulations ; the price of meat and several other articles being fixed at a common standard ! According to this absurd rule inferior mutton would fetch an equal price with the best quality : the natural consequence ensued, that only inferior meat was introduced, to the exclusion of all other. The supply of fish was extremely irregular, and they were generally small and dear. Upon some occasions we purchased good red mullet, also a larger fish of the bass species ; but there were only a few fishermen, who required an opposition to induce activity and moderate prices. Their nets were made of exceedingly fine twine, and

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