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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 350

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and is a fine village, bnt owes all ite beanty to the delightful gardens in the neighbourhood, the walks of which are overhung with the jasnune, the evergreen rose, and particularly by the Neri um Oleander, or rose-bay. This grows here with great luxuriance, and is remarkable for the cluster of pale crimson flowers, and forms the chief ornament of the gardens. In the fields adjoining the town, we observed the caper-bush in flower, as well as the Lycopersicon or love-apple. From the account we had received of the nnhealthiness of Cyprus we were under considerable apprehensions on onr arrival, and were cautious at first ; but such is the effect of habit, that in α short time we walked about in the middle of the day; among the natives not α creature was stirring abroad at that time, but in the morning and the cool of the evening there is a considerable bustle among them. Except the oppression produced by excessive heat, I remember no unpleasant effect from the air of the island ; in summer, however, strangers are apt to be affected by a coup de soleil, often the forerunner of fever or death. Tho fevers, of Cyprns are in general so rapid in their course, that there is little time for remission ; but in one case I saw almost an intermission, the patient walked about and said he was in perfect health ; but from the appearance of his eyes and hurried manner, it was too evident this was not the cane. Those men who died of the fever on board of the Ceres had slept all night on shore. The sick belonging to the Thisbe were landed at- Li m a so I, and kept in α tent during the ship's stay there; and though the surgeon's conduct in this instance appears to have been rash, I did not hear that any bad consequences followed it. There seemed to be no want of schools at Larnaca. In the courts of private houses I have seen the elder boys teaching the younger to read; and not from manuscript, but printed books, of these they have a considerable number, but most of those I examined related to religious subjects : they have also translations from the European languages. The chnrch of S. Lazarus at the Marina is α large heavy building ; instead of a steeple, it has merely α circular rising, or rude dome, on its roof ; the use of bells being prohibited to the Greeks by the Turks. Tho church is spacious nnd large inside, is ornamented with much carving and gilding, and bos some paintings ill-executed. A part of the building being more elevated than the rest, and separated from it by wooden lattices, is appropriated to the women; but it has no kind of ornament. From the area, or ground floor, which at the time of our visit was kept remarkably clean, a flight of steps loads to the relics nnd pictures, which are all placed in that part of the chnrch opposite to the female lattices. Our guide took care to point out the most valuable relic, the great toe of S. George, who at one time was held in great reverence on the opposite coast of Syria. The grand object, however, of our gnide's veneration was tin? tomb of S. Lazarus. It is in α vault under ground, and said by the Cypriotes to be possessed of sovereign virtue, being able, in their opinion, to restore even the dying to perfect health, if they be laid npon the tomb. In passing to this our friend cast an approving glance npon a picture of a huge saint, with a dog's head, which had the name Χριστόφορος written above it. The representation resembled extremely the common figures of Annbis. In the neighbourhood of this church is the burying ground for Protestants; and here I took notice of the tombs of several Englishmen, who had all died in the summer, when the heat is excessive. The Mahometan burying ground in this part of the island is fnll of grave-stones, but inscriptions are not common. When the body is deposited in the grave, an arch is built over it with lath and plaster, and thou covered with earth : we saw the grave open in places where this had given way. In our observations on the domestic habits of the Cypriotes, we found thein hospitable 340 EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

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