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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 334 View PDF version of this page Saturday, July 4. We set apart this day to view the town, which consists of regular streets and tine houses, belonging to the Consuls aud merchants of different nations, aud to the principal Greeks. Few of the Turks live in tho town. It is by no means healthily situated, being surrounded by low lands and salt marshes, which considerably infect the air; these added to the heat of the climate in the summer season subject the inhabitants to continual fevers, that cany numbers of them off. Most part of the inhabitants of the island are Greeks, the lower class of whom are generally employed in tilling land, and dressing the vineyards. The island produces great quantities of grapes from which excellent wine is made and sent to all parts of Europe. Great quantities of cotton are likewise cultivated here, which appears of a much finer quality than any I have ever seen in India. In short, the soil is exceedingly luxuriant, and the farmers would be immensely rich but for the heavy taxes levied by the Porte, and the rapaciousness of the Turkish governors, who are continually plundering them till they have reduced them to a state of wretched poverty. Our time, for about ten days, was spent in one continued scene of gaiety and amusement, at the different villas of the European gentlemen; but we now began to find our healths much impaired by the unwholesomeness of the climate, aud every one of-ns were seized with α violent fever, which had such an effect on the head as to render us almost distracted. The doctors'advising α change of air, we removed to a country house belonging to the Venetian Consul, ten miles from Lamica, where we remained a few days, when, finding ourselves getting worse, we were obliged to return to the tomi for assistance. Every medical attempt to establish our health proving fruitless, it became necessary for us to leave the island as fast as possible, but a French frigate coming into the harbour we were obliged to be very cautious about the mode of our departure, for fear of being made prisoners. We agreed with the captain of α Sclavonian vessel, bound to Venice, for the cabin of his ship, for which we were to pay sixty pounds sterling, which though exorbitant we joyfully gave. The French frigate sailing the next day for Acria, we shipped on board a proper quantity of provisions, and taking leave of onr good and gênerons friends who had shown so much civility during our stay on the island, on the 22nd in the evening we embarked on board the vessel, in very infirm states of health, and early the next morning sailed out of the harbour. Our situation on board was truly deplorable. We found a very dirty vessel, and so crowded with cotton bales upon deck that we had not room to move ourselves ; and to complete our misfortune the captain and crew spoke a language we did not understand.
The island of Cypms is situated un the most easterly part of the Mediterranean, sixty miles south of the coast of Caramania, and thirty west of Syria: and is supposed to have taken its name from the great number of Cyprus trees growing in the country. Its circumference is abont 250 miles. The air of this country is for the most part hot and there are but few springs or livers in the island, so that if the rains do not fall plentifully at the nsnal seasons, the inhabitants are much distressed by the scarcity of water. Ancient tradition says the whole island was consecrated to Venus, and she is represented by tho poets as taking a particular pleasure in visiting this country, and to have holden her court there. Be this as it may ; very few of her representatives are there to be found at present. This island was conquered by Richard I., king of England, on his way to the Holy Land. The trade is considerable ; their chief commodities, besides wine, are oil, cotton, salt, silk, and turpentine.
For some days past nothing particular has transpired. On the 28th we found we had completely weathered the island, and lost sight of land.
EXCERPTA CYPRIA.
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