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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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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 213

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Cyprus lyeth in the Gulfe between Cilicia and Syria having /Egypt to the West, Syria to the South, Cilicia to the East, and the Pamphylia sea to the North. It hath fonre chief capes or headlands, first westward the promontory of Acanins, modernly Capo di Santo Epiphanio: to the south the promontory Plneuria, now Capo Bianco: to the east Pedasia, modernly Capo di Grseco : to the north the high foreland Cramenion, now Capo di Cormathita: these fonre are the chiefest proinuntores of the Island, and Cape di S. Andrea in the furthest point eastward toward Cilicia. Diodore and Pliny say that anciently it contained nine kingdomes, and fifteen good townes, CVrania now Selina, was built by Cyrus who subdued the nine petty kings of this isle. Nicosia is situate in the bottom or plain of Massara, and thirty four miles from Famogusta : and the town of Famognsta was formerly named Salamus. I was informed by some of sound experience here that this kingdom containeth abont eight hundred nnd forty villages, besides the six capitali towns, two whereof are nothing inferior for greatness and populosity to the towns in Candy, Sjxily or Greece. The chiefest and highest monntaines in this isle is by the Cypriots called Trohodos, it is of height eight, and uf compass forty eight miles, whereon there are a number of religious monasteries, the people whereof are called Coheres, and live under the order of S. Basil. There is abundance here of coriander seed, with inedicinable rnbarb and turpentine. Here are also mines of gold in it, of chrysocole, of calthante, of allot ne, iron and exceeding good copper. And besides these mines, there are divers precious stones found in this isle, as emeralds, diamonds, chrystall, corali red aud white, and the admirable stone amiante, whereof they make linnen cloth that mil nut burn being cast into the fire, but serveth to make it neate and white. The greatest imperfection of this isle is scarcity of water, and too innch plenty of scorching heat and sabulous grounds. The inhabitants are very civili, courteous nnd affable, and notwithstanding of their delicious and delicate fare they are much subject to melancholy, of a robust, nature and good warriuurs, if they might carry arms. It is recorded that in the time of Constantine the Great this isle was all utterly abandoned of the inhabitants, and that because it did nut rain for the space of six and thirty years. After which time, and to replant this region again, the chiefest colonies came from ^Sgypt, Judea, Syria, Cilicia, Pamphylia, Thracia and certain territories of Greece. And it is thought in the year 1108, after that Guy of Lnsingham, the last Christian king of Jerusalem, had lost the Holy Land, a number of Frenchmen stayed and inhabited here, of whom sprung the greatest race of the Cyprian gentility, and so from them are descended the greatest families of the Phoenician Sydunians, modernly Drusiaus; though ill divided and worse declined, yet they are sprung both from one originali; the distraction arising from conscience of religion, the one a Christian, the others Turks. A The three isles of Cyprus, Candy and Sicily are the only monarchall Queenes of the Mediterranean Seas: and semblable to other in fertilitie, length, breadth and circnit, save only that Candy is somewhat more narrow than the other two and also more hilly and sassinons : yet for oils and wines she is the mother of both the other. Sicily being for grain and silks the Empresse of all, and Cyprus for sugar and cotton-wooll a darling sister to both. Only Sicily being the most civil isle and nubly gentilità te, the Cypriots indifferently good, and the Candiots the most ruvid of all. The chief rivers are Teneo and Pedesco. Cyprus was first by Teucer made a kingdome, who after the Trojan war came and dwelt here: and afterwards being divided between nine pettie princes it was subdued by Cyrus the first monarch of the Medes and Persians. After the subversion of which empire this isle was given to the Ptolemies of ./Egypt, from whom Cato conquered it to the benefit of the Romans. The Dukes of Savoy were once Kings of LITHGOW.

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