HISTORY ETHNOGRAPHY NATURE WINE-MAKING SITE MAP
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 243

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This portion of the coast should be thoroughlyexplored by practical miners, as it is rich in minerals. I procured some fine specimens of pyrites of copper, which the natives mistook for silver ; and should a mineralogical investigation be made by the authorities, I feel sure that the metallic wealth of Cyprus will be discovered between Caravastasi and Poli-ton Krysokhus. It was late before our baggage animals appeared and when they at length arrived, Iiani's venerable camel was missing. It appeared that this worn-out old creature had been performing acrobatic feats in tumbling throughout the difficult journey, and had rolled, together with its load, down several places that had threatened its destruction. It had delayed the march several hours, as it had been many, times re-* leased from difficulties by unloading, reloading, and dividing the heavier portions of baggage among the' Other camels which received a smaller pay. A t length.j upon arriving upon the deep sand of the beach, aboutJ a mile distant, it had fallen down, and given up every-J thing except the ghost. It was a natural annoyance to the owners of the^i other camels that Iiani should be paid highly for a useless animal, while they had to carry its load divided, among them assisted by a division of the smaller weights among the servants' riding mules. The evening was passed in grumbling : everybody was in a bad humour. It was declared impossible to pitch the tent upon the sandy beach by the pool of fresh \vater, as there was no holding-ground for the tentpegs. I quickly instructed them in making faggots of tamarisk-boughs which, tied to the ropes and buried in the sand, were much more secure than pegs in the'

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