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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 335

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BlBTHOUl». 325 SIBTHOBP. LEAKE. HUME. BESTINI. BBOAVNE. In 1818 and 1820 the Iter. Robert Walpole, M.A., edited from the manuscript journals of various English travellers a series of papers relating to the nearer East. He proposed to collect Information "of an original kind, and drawn from authentic sources," of more importance, and in greater variety "than we can expect to find in the work of any individual." From his two volumes, entitled respectively Memoirs relating to European and Asiatic Turkey, 4to, London, 1818, and Travels in various countries in the East, 4to, London, 1820, we reprint so much as deals with Cyprus of the observations of five writers. A. Dr J. Sibthorp, the editor of the Flora Graca, and founder of a professorship of Rural Economy at Oxford, died 1796, tet 88. He visited Cyprus in 1787, and collected notes and lists concerning the natural history of the island. He gave the Limueau aud Romaic names of the Birds, Quadrupeds and Fishes which came under his notice, to which wo. have added tho modern popular names, as supplied to us by a Cypriot sportsman. Our extracts are taken from pp. 77—88 and 255—270 of Mr Walpole's earlier volume, and pp. 18—27 of the Travels in the East. B. Lient. Colonel W. M. Leake, a well-known student of Greek topography and antiquities, born 1777, died I860, wan in Cyprus in 1800, crossing from Kyrenia to Nicosia and Larnaca, and bock again. His account of Iiis brief visit is extracted from Walpole, Travels, pp. 248—248. C. Dr Hume was in Cyprus in July, 1801. We reprint from Walpole, Travels, pp. 248—248, his impressions of lus visit, and from the Memoirs, pp. 258, 254, a list of plants collected at Larnaca and LimassoL D. The Abate Domenico Sestini was a cousin of Giovanni Mariti, known by bis Tra reis through the Island of Cyprus, Lucca. 1780, who inserted in his anonymous Viaggio da Gerusalemme per le eoste delta Soria, 2 vols. 8vo, Livorno, 1787, vol. n. pp. 238—235, α list of plants observed by Sestini between famagusta and Larnaca in January and February, 1782. r William George Browne, of Oriel College, Oxford, an Orientalist of repute, born in London, 1768, and murdered between Tabriz and Teheran in 1813, was at Larnaca at the end of August, 1802. A very brief note is copied from the Travels, p. 140. A. March 14,1787. At four in the afternoon we sailed from the port of Constantinople in the Bethlehem, a V enetiuu merchant ship, bound for Cyprus ; the weather stormy ; the wind north, with snow.... April 3. Early in the morning we hud a very distant view of Cyprus. Our sailors caught a small species of lark, the Alauda spinoletta of L., which probably lighted upon our vessel in its passage. We were becalmed in sight of Cyprus the whole of the next day. We shot the Charadrius spinosus flying near our ship ; this singular bird Linnaius makes mention of, as an inhabitant of Egypt: Wheler saw it in Greece. We caught also two species of Motacilla, the sylvia and trochilns of Linnams. 9 April 8. We anchored in the bay of Larnaka in Cyprus; the consul being absent, we engaged lodgings at the house of Sr. Natali, an Italian, pleasantly situated on the beach at the Salines. April 9. I walked out to botanise, aloug the Eastern Coast, and returned by Livadia : crops of corn had been much hurt by hail and a severe winter; the orange groves or gardens were quite destroyed. April 10, 11. I staid at home that my painter might have time to design the plants collected in my walk to Livadia, and several birds that were shot by a Chasseur whom we had employed as a guide. Our situation at the Salines was one of the most favourable in the island for the botanist and ornithologist. Several little pools inviteli a number of Grolla? to its neighbourhood. Near Larnaka was one of considerable extent, and tho salt lake was scarcely

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