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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 260

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near to the sea-side, and begin at tho present town of Lernica, the site which at that time lay without the city, and it is said served for a churchyard; and some pretend that the word Lomica has some analogy with a burial place, as under ground one frequently meets with coffins, grave stones, and other sepulchral remains. The ships here anchor in a large bay, called the harbour of Saliiies, and by the Turks Doitsla. Here also are the salt-houses, and the ground everywhere is so full of saline particles that for seven miles round about one sees not a single vineyard. Near these salt-houses is a small lake, on one side of which is a house for the collector of the salt-duty, who at the time of selling the salt repairs thither; and on the other side stands the sepulchre of a certain canonized Turkish princess, to which the Mahometans perfonn pilgrimages. Nenr it is also Ά Creek chapel dedicateti to St George. In this neighbourhood are found a great variety of petrifactions. At Lernica, not far from the sea-shore, is one of the largest Greek churches on the whole island ; it is likewise of a solid streng architecture, but void of any embellishments. Here we were shewn the grave of St Lazarus, who was restored to life by Christ. His body was carried to Yenice, but, if I mistake not, I heard at Marseilles that Lazarus removed thither, and being at his second death buried there, is worshipped as the patron of that city. Not far from hence is likewise a small convent, with a church served by four Greek regulars. Near the place is the burial-place of the English merchants. Besides the private merchants living at Lernica, there are also consuls of several nations, as English, Dutch, French, nnd Venetian. The consuls here, I observed, do not nffect anything of that state and ceremony in their visits and conversation, as at Smyrna ; for I once saw the English consul very readily offer his hand to tho wife of the first dragoman of the French consul, and led her npstnirs; a civility to which a Smyrna consul wonld by no means have condescended. The English consul's house here is the best on the whole island, though the outside of it is only of clay, but nothing can be more neat, or elegantly ornamented than the inside. It has also the largest hall I saw in any part of the Levant; but, what is of much more importance, the English consul is highly respected all over the island, as jointly with his company lie advances money to the inhabitants, for getting in their several harvests, in which otherwise they wonld be at a great loss. In this both parties find their advantage, for the English do not advance their money under twenty per cent, aud receive the interest in silk, wine, cotton, corn nnd other products of the country, on all which they set their own price; whence, without wronging those gentlemen, it may be supposed that thirty per cent, is the least they make of their money, and on failure of payment at the time appointed, they may immediately seize on the debtor's effects. The French are well aware of this lucrative manner of gaining the poople's affections, and would be glad to supplant the English, but have not sufficient funds, most of thein being only factors to merchants at Marseilles. Besides this company of the English, and that of the consul, another particular English company not long ago settled at Lernica, where they built a very stately and beautiful house. But the governor animated by the people, who were continually murmuring and complaining, that the house looked more like a fort than a private house, and that they did not know what bad designs might be on foot, ordered it to be pulled down to the very ground; which, as there was a manifest jealousy between the two houses, occasioned a surmise that the people had first been bribed by the consul to make that uproar, and afterwards the governor to comply with it. Each house, however, sent an agent to Constantinople, one to make it's EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

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