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is also a convent of five or six Franciscans of the Holy Land; and Nicosia is also the seat of an Archbishop. „ifeieiently a very great contest happened in this island abont jurisdiction : the Arch-bishop pretended to be independent of any patriarch, whereas the Patriarchs of Antioch and Alexandria no less violently insisted that this church was subordinate to them. The pretentions of the three contending parties were laid before the Grecian Emperor at Constantinople for his decision. In the meantime an affair happened which occasioned a great deril of talk. The monks of a certain convent, whether in building or repairing it, by accident found a coffin, and in it a body with a leaden plate on it, signifying that in this coffin was deposited the body of the apostle St Barnabas. About the neck of the Saint was also a chain fastened to a leaden box, whieh was found to contain an Arabic copy of St Matthew's Gospel, written by St Barnabas himself on parchment. The clergy of Cyprus very dexterously availed themselves of this discovery, sending to the Emperor Zeno both the sacred relicks and the manuscript ; with which present that devout prince was so pleased that he gave a charter to the church of Cyprus, declaring it independent of any patriarch. Fainagusta, the ancient Salamis, afterwards called Coustantia, is the only good harbour in all the island : it is spaoions and semicircular, the air, however, is unhealthy. The town which lies at the north end of the bay, is not very large, and chiefly inhabited by Turkish soldiery. Its fortifications the Turks keep in no manner of repair, as if the bravery of their soldiers would supply every other defect. Under the Emperor Trajan this town was entirely destroyed by the Jews, and another time under Heraclins. The Greeks here, as at Bhodes, are not permitted to live in the town, aud the shops which they have in it. must be all locked up at sun-set, and everyone retires to their dwellings. Here arc no suburbs but the houses lie abont half a mile from the town, in the open country, with everyone it's garden, which here makes a veiy luxurious appearance. No Frank or Greek is allowed to come into the town on horseback, which is one of the chief reasons which induced the Franks not to settle here. The Christians had a very beautiful church, but it is now turned into a mosque. The neighbouring country is veiy low, and everywhere one sees large open plains, on which grows a root yielding a very beautiful red dye. The greatest naval resort to it is. of French tartans putting in here to refit. Baffe, thought to stand near the ancient Paphos, if not that veiy place, is at present a small town, or rather village, on the declivity of a mountain, some miles from the sea; at the shore is a castle for defending the road, and round it one observes several ruins. The Baffe plain is of a considerable extent, stretching itself along the sea, nearly to the white cliff so called on account of it's colour, which discovers itself at a considerable distance at sea. Cerines anciently Ceraunia, lying opposite to the country of Caramania, is a bishoprick, bnt the harbour fit only for small craft., and without any defence, the walls, and other works, lying in ruins; and without any prospect of being put in a state of defence, unless a great change should happen in the maxims of the Turkish government. Lamica, the fonrth bishoprick of the island, lies in a large plain, about a mile from the sea; this is properly the trading town of the Franks, who have settled here preferably to Fainagusta, the air being a little more healthy; yet it has the appearance rather of a village than a city, the houses being veiy low, and only of dried clay, except those of the Franks, which are something higher, and of more convenience within. The ruins and foundations of the walls of this ancient city, as likewise the remains of the moats, sufficiently show it to have been formerly of veiy great extent, the walls reaohing HEYMAN. 249

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