cyprus: its past, present, and future

Cyprus: its past, present, and futureAuthor(s): Cowper, B. Harris (Benjamin Harris)Source: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Collection, (1878)Published by: The University of Manchester, The John Rylands University LibraryStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/60230158 .

Accessed: 15/06/2014 15:20

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

Digitization of this work funded by the JISC Digitisation Programme.

The University of Manchester, The John Rylands University Library and are collaborating with JSTOR todigitize, preserve and extend access to Foreign and Commonwealth Office Collection.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 62.122.79.78 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 15:20:40 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=manchester

http://www.jstor.org/stable/60230158?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


-v $-t*jk&£'

tmi c o

lis last, Itecnf, tn'ul Jute.

I Jo* By B. HARRIS COWPER,

~j mm ̂ y

Late Lilitoi of " 2he fournal of^hacrrd literature", Author of 1 i^iits in £1/1 la," tit

N

THE BOOK SOCIETY, 23, PATERHOSTER ROW; L-P AND BAZAAR, SOHO SQUARE. J,

A

ONE PENNY. rrx>.

s~



C K0RMAK1TJ

C.ANDREA

CYPRUS

-^ffl



1 -w

U) $W teg

"YPRUS:

ITS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.

»0R the second time in its history the im¬ portant and interesting island of Cyprus has become subject to the dominion of

England. On the first occasion, as will here¬ after bo shown, it was acquired by force of arms, but this time it has been placed in our hands by diplomatic agency. The circumstance is one which has already awakened the attention of the civilised world, and recalled Cyprus from the political, commercial, and general obscurity in which it had lain for a long time. Forgotten it could not be by the student of ancient myth¬ ology, history, and. general literature ; nor could it be lost sight of by the archaeologist, who ever and anon has procured from Cyprus relics of antiquity wondrous in their variety and import¬ ance. To the readers of the New Testament it has always been a familiar name, because it was hero that Barnabas and Paul, with their



CYPRUS :

companion John, made a missionary tour, which extended from Salamis to Paphos. But not¬ withstanding these and other considerations the island has shrunk into comparative insignificance, and to the world at large it has long been little more than a shadow of what it once was. Its population, its industries, its products, and its veiy cities and towns in our day but feebly repre¬ sent the greater past. In all these respects it resembles too nearly other and once highly favoured regions which have fallen victims to misgovernment, oppression, and neglect. The improvements, which in some directions have doubtless taken place, are at best but hopeful in¬ dications of undeveloped resources, and promises of a fruitful recompense to enterprise and good government.

One curious fact connected with Cyprus de¬ serves to bo pointed out, and it is, that although for the last three hundred years, and at intervals before, Cyprus has been wholly subject to the Mahomedan, the profession of Christianity not only survives, but is that of by far the greater portion of the inhabitants. The restrictions and burdens which have been imposed upon them, their lack of opportunities for education and im¬ provement, their practical exclusion from the Christian world at large, and other disadvantages, have been real and most mischievous, but the

y-

a



-~f

ITS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. O

faith of Christ has lived on through them all, and refused to bow to the standard of the prophet of Mecca. In the souls of the people the Cross has been a greater power than the Crescent.

Let us, however, turn awhile from these and similar considerations, attractive as they are, and

v look ' for a few moments at the island and its history.

The situation of Cyprus is near the north eastern corner of the Mediterranean. To the east lies the coast of Syria, which is less than seventy miles away ; to the north is Asia Minor, at a distance of under sixty miles ; to the north¬ east is the great Gulf of Iskanderun; and to the south is Egypt with the Suez Canal, distant about two hundred and thirty miles, while Palestine, to the south-east, is speedily reached. It will be seen that the lands nearest to Cyprus are full of the most deeply interesting ancient and modern associations. In regard to size, the island is the third of those in the Mediterranean, yet its greatest length from east to west in a straight line is less than a hundred and fifty miles, and its greatest breadth from north to south is not much more than fifty. The eastern extremity runs out in a long narrow promontory, ending

> with Cape St. Andrew. The coast line is in many places indented and irregular, but there are no good harbours, and large ships have to lie at anchor



6 CYPRUS :

in order to receive or discharge their goods and passengers. Even this is at present practicable only at a few points, as at Zerina or Ghirne, Baffa, Salines or Marina, near Larnaka, and Limasol, to which we may add Famagusta. For the actual trade these have been found enough, but under the new conditions upon which Cyprus is entering great extensions and improvements will be needed.

There are two great mountainous tracts inland, the best known one being a range stretching along the northern side of the island. The highest points are about 7,000 feet above the sea. The northern slopes of these mountains are bold and rugged ; those on the south are even more so, and have been described as " presenting a deeply serrated outline, with thickly wooded steeps, diver¬ sified by precipitous masses of limestone, and deep picturesque valleys in which grow the narcissus, the anemone, and the ranunculus." The cold upon these mountains is extreme in winter, and this remark holds good of greater part of the northern coast. The mountain ranges of Cyprus are reckoned to occupy three-fifths of the surface, but it would be an error to suppose them either wholly uninhabited or wholly useless. The re¬ maining two-fifths include some plains of immense extent, more or less cultivated. We say "more or less," because it is the best phrase for describing

V



~J

ITS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. 7

the actual fact. Some parts are not capable of cultivation, while others would reward abundantly skilled labour and the outlay of capital. The island wants more inhabitants, greater enterprise and industry in those it has, and improved me¬ thods of cultivation; but when it has all these, large tracts will produce little owing to the nature of the soil, the deficiency of water, and the scorching heat of the summer sun. In favoured localities vegetation flourishes and crops are abundant, but elsewhere the plains are, at least in summer, scorched and parched and desolate. The population is not large, and we doubt whether it amounts to much above half the 200,000 which some authorities allege. Still, even now the prin¬ cipal products are numerous, including wheat, barley, splendid cotton, silk, madder, olive oil, wine, carobs or locust-pods, hemp, wool, pitch, tobacco, silk, salt, fine timber, and various fruits and wines. The salt is said to amount to 198,000 cwts. annually, and the wines to 1,246,000 gallons, of which last a considerable quantity is brought to this country. The chief trade is, however, with Marseilles, Leghorn, Trieste, and Syria. The imports are principally British goods, which are taken from Beyrout, Smyrna, Constantinople, and other ports, mostly those of the Mediterranean.

The natural history of Cyprus is full of interest, and a recent authority says : " To the sportsman



8 CYPRUS :

it offers a wide and untrodden field. Its hills and valleys are described as swarming with hares, partridges, francolins, bustards, and quails; in the winter, woodcocks, snipe, and wild duck are found in abundance ; mufflons, or wild sheep, and wild boars are to be had at Cape St. Epiphanius, the district around which, called the forest of Acama, is uncultivated."

Of its mineral resources it is difficult to speak with certainty, but in ancient days it was famous for this kind of wealth, and produced copper and tin in plenty, besides gold, silver, marble, and quite a variety of precious stones. "We may be sure that all these cannot have been exhausted. Iron and coal are also said to exist, and we there¬ fore may expect startling results to follow the explorations which, under British auspices, are inevitable. It was stated some years ago that the working of the deposits of copper was prohibited by the Turks, in accordance with then indiscreet and ruinous policy.

The roads of the island are few, and the towns and villages are anything but models of architec¬ ture and convenience. The ruins of buildings of afar superior class are scattered'over the land, but the lessons they teach are not laid to heart, and the people are content to live in mean and squalid homes, with a few of the conveniences and fewer of the comforts of civilised society.



ITS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. V

Ignorant, superstitious, and in many cases indo- ""^ lent, their social condition is bad. The women

are, of course, fond of ornament and show, but both men and women are, as a rule, sadly de¬ graded and in need of enlightenment, and of that impulse to self-improvement which good govern¬ ment and its accompanying agencies can alone

y impart. Hitherto they have not been encouraged but discouraged, and this is as true of the Turkish part of the population as of the Christian. On the whole, they seem to resemble very much the people who are scattered over the various pro¬ vinces of Asia Minor. Let us hope that brighter days are about to dawn upon both ; in the mean¬ time there are myriads of broad acres which were once waving with golden grain, and might do so again ; there are pestilential areas which once were centres of health, and might be such again ; and there are untold treasures underground, which once were a source of ample revenue, and might be so again. A people which neglects these things, and pulls down ancient mansions, palaces, and temples for constructing huts, and making lime out of the materials, is wofully de¬ generated, and should as soon as possible be lifted from its low estate. This observation ap-

\ plies-with no less force to the Turks than to the Greeks.

It appears to be certain that on the whole the



10 oypkus:

climate is healthy, and the soil naturally fertile. As regards the former, it has been stated, on con- ^" sular authority, that the diseases which prevail, both with respect to their frequency and their character, do not relatively reach three-fifths of the amount of disease in Europe generally. There are seasons and places in which malaria, fever, and other evils are more or less prevalent, "V. but not to such an extent as to deprive the island of its reputation for general salubrity. Besides, some of the least healthy places are such in con¬ sequence of chronic neglect of sanitary pre¬ cautions.

As regards fertility, the ancient reputation of Cyprus was such that the classical writers of Greece and Rome alike speak of it. On this point, however, enough has perhaps been said to prove that even now much is done, and more might be accomplished. It is true that locusts are a plague which ever and anon devastated large districts, and that drought destroys some of the smiling harvests. These things are known ; but as respects drought especially, a proper system of irrigation and storage of water would often mitigate its results.

Before touching upon some other points which must not be overlooked, we may turn to the past fi records of the island, which are singularly curious and instructive, and which run far back into




remote antiquity. The mountain tops, which are —/ visible from the adjacent continent, would early

tempt the adventurous, and lead to the colonisa¬ tion of Cyprus. But who the first settlers were we know not; no chronicle records their name, their nation, or their age. The relics of succes¬ sive races are abundant, and form one long chain,

_)f stretching back from recent days through genera¬ tions long dead, but still to be identified, till forms of art are reached which are rude and strange, and therefore standing alone. These are thought to be traces of the earliest denizens of the island, and next to them the Phoenicians may be placed. To these last C3'prus is supposed to have been subject at a very early date, and, indeed, great authorities consider that the word Chittim is in some cases solely applicable to this island. Now Chittim is first mentioned in Genesis chap. x. ver. 4, where the English Bibles, it is true, have Kittim ; but it is the same word in the Hebrew original. Later on Chittim is referred to in the prophecy of Balaam in the book of Numbers, chap. xxiv. ver. 24, " Ships shall come from the coast of Chittim." The existence of a city called Citium on the southern coast is fre¬ quently alluded to by ancient writers; and its

_^4. tombs and ruins have yielded the most extra- ' ordinary results in the shape of antiquities. There

seems to be no question that Citium stood between



12 Cyprus:

the modern town of Larnaka and its port Marina or Salines. A writer in Smith's " Dictionary V- of Greek and Roman Geography" says: "The date of this, probably the most ancient city in the island, is not known ; but there can be no doubt that it was originally Phoenician, and con¬ nected with the Chittim of the Scriptures." These old Phoenicians were the great merchants of the -^ Eastern world, and founded colonies wherever they saw that they could enrich themselves. They are the Canaanites of the Bible, and to them Tyre and Sidon and many other wealthy cities belonged.

The Greeks follow the Phoenicians, we are not able to say when, but very early, because the island is referred to in the oldest Greek literature, and even Homer was well acquainted with it. On its shores the Greek mythologists placed the cradle, so to speak, of the goddess Venus. The worship of this deity long prevailed and was practised, but was associated with the foulest abuses and excesses. The Greeks adopted this form of so-called religion from the Phoenicians, whose gross abominations in connection with their Baalim and their Ashtaroth are so often referred to with condemnation in the Old Testa¬ ment. The Greeks, while they copied the 1 idolatries, encroached upon the commerce of the Phoenicians, and occupied the land. But the




\

Egyptians also coveted the island, and obtained possession "of it, as may be learned from Herodotus, and it is believed that they sent colonists from Africa. Subsequently the Egyp¬ tians had to retire before the Persians, and to them Cyprus remained subject, wholly or par¬ tially, silently or rebelliously, as the case might be, until the days of Alexander the Great. It is not possible here to enter into details, but it is worth noting that to this varied succession of masters we owe the discovery of (among other things) inscriptions in Phoenician, Egyptian, Cuneiform, and Greek.

On the death of the Macedonian Alexander, his empire was divided, and Cyprus was allotted to Ptolemy of Egypt, but his claim was contested by Demetrius, who in 300 b.c. obtained possession of the island, though not for long, as he was ousted, and it remained in the hands of the Egyptian kings. The oft-repeated struggles for Cyprus were due to the temptations offered by its timber and its mines. Many ambitious rulers had the men, but they neither had the ships nor the money, and here was an island that could supply them with both.

The Ptolemies were lords of Cyprus for two hundred years, when it was made an independent kingdom, which held together only about half a century, and was terminated by the interference



14 cyprus :

of Rome. Thirty years after its annexation by the Romans it was made an imperial province, v and from B.C. 22 it was governed by a pro-consul who resided at Paphos. This was the arrange¬ ment in force when Paul and Barnabas went thither, as recorded in Acts xiii., at which time also Jews formed an important part of the popu¬ lation, but lost their credit there in the reign of v Hadrian; nor did they ever recover it. An old author, speaking of the Cypriots a century and three-quarters ago, says: "The inhabitants are civil to all strangers except the Jews, whom they hate mortally, suffer none of them to enter the island, and if any of them be cast ashore by ship¬ wreck they immediately put them to death, because in the reign of Hadrian the Jews from Egypt and other countries entered this island under one Alexander, their captain, and slew 240,000 of the inhabitants, and were not driven out without great bloodshed by Lucius, the emperor's lieute¬ nant."

"When the Roman empire was divided, Cyprus naturally came under the Byzantine or Constan¬ tinople emperors, and they retained it for about three centuries, only transferring the capital from Paphos to Salamis. The invasion of the Saracens in a.d. 648 effected a great change, for the \ Saracen general compelled the Greek rulers to & share the revenues with him. To a period long




prior to this must be referred the vast numbers * of antiques, and particularly engraved precious

stones, which are regarded as indicative of wealth, luxury, and refinement. Henceforth, whatever of wealth and luxury might remain, refinement was scarcely to be looked for. Cyprus never was remarkable from a literary point of view, and it

Jr gave but few great men to the world. To philo- ' sophy it gave Zeno; to the apostolic band it contributed Barnabas ; and to the Christian fathers it added Epiphanius, who was Bishop of Salamis in the fourth century.

We come now to the last thousand years of Cyprian history. Early in the ninth century the Saracens took complete possession of the island, but it was subsequently restored to the Greeks, and they held it until 1191, when it came into the hands of the King of England, Richard I., the great crusading warrior. As this event is one of con¬ siderable interest at the present moment it may be narrated nearly in the words of one of our historians.

Richard had a large fleet on its way to the Holy Land, but a sudden storm drove part of the ships ashore at Cyprus. The island was then in the hands of one Isaac Comnenus, who had

L assumed the sovereignty and the title of emperor. ^ His harsh rule had made his subjects anxious for an opportunity to get rid of him, and the storm



16 Cyprus:

which cast the English ships on their coast was the ill wind which blew them good. Instead of succouring the shipwrecked men, Isaac threw into prison such as he caught and confiscated their property. There was one ship which had certain princesses on board; it was not wrecked, but it wished to enter the harbour for shelter, which this unfeeling man refused to permit. The fleet collected again when the storm was past, and Richard, being informed of Isaac's brutality, vowed revenge ; and as his demand for the liborty of the captives was refused, a descent was made upon the island. The attack was furious, and the Cyprian king was forced to retire; but his city of Limisso, or Limasol, was taken, and he and his only daughter were made prisoners. He escaped a few days later, but his people would not harbour him, and he was compelled to give himself up. He besought Richard not to put him in irons, so the English king had him bound with silver fetters.

The conquest of the whole island was now un¬ dertaken, and was easily accomplished, as the inhabitants made little or no resistance, and sub¬ mitted to the English as their deliverers. Richard confirmed them in all their ancient privileges, but handed over the sovereignty to the Knights Templars for a pecuniary consideration. The new masters did not prove good rulers, and



[(

\ ITS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUIURE. 17

while Richard remained in Cyprus, Guy, or Guido of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, came there to implore the protection of the English monarch against the Sultan. As the oppression of the Templars had driven the people to revolt, they were dispossessed, and in 1192 the island was banded over by Richard to Guy, with the title of

„/fc" King of Cyprus. The Lusignan family occupied the throne for nearly three hundred years, during which the little kingdom was generally in a flourishing condition. In 1458 John III. of Lusignan died, leaving the throne to his daughter Charlotte, who married a son of a Duke of Savoy. She was crowned in 1460, but was expelled by her illegitimate brother James, who married the wealthy daughter of a Venetian merchant. James died in 1473, and so did an infant son born soon after, whereupon the Venetians persuaded the queen to abdicate, and the island passed into their hands. Meanwhile the other queen, Charlotte, bequeathed her claims to the Duke of Savoy, and from that time the dukes of Savoy added to their titles that of Kings of Cyprus and Jerusalem.

The Venetians held possession for almost a century, when, in 1570, the Sultan sent a power¬ ful force to invade the island. After a long resist-

^k ance and terrible slaughter, Cyprus surrendered to the Turks in August, 1571, and they have continued to be its masters until now, when they



18 cypeus:

are superseded by the British. A more sickening and disreputable story than that of the capitula- ~r tion in 1571 can scarcely be met with. Told in its mildest form it amounts to this : during the war the Turks had taken Lefkosia, or Nikosia, by storm, and massacred 24,000 people. They then laid siege to Famagusta, which was long and gallantly defended by the Proveditor- General -^ Marcantonio Bragadino. At length, in the year and month already named, driven by despair, and as a last resource, the Venetians agreed to cap¬ itulate, on condition of being sent safe home. Mustapha, the Pasha, signed the paper to this effect; but when the officers took him the keys, he had them all put to death except Bragadino, whom, some days later, he had led naked into the public square of Famagusta and flayed alive. The brave Venetian expired under the torture, which he bore with the constancy of a hero. His skin was stuffed with straw, and hung up as a trophy to the yard-arm of the ship in which his brutal tormentor sailed to Constantinople. So ended the centuries of really European rule over Cyprus. No wonder that, with this tragedy and the Pope-blessed Spanish Armada in their memo¬ ries, our old forefathers had in the Prayer-Book a hymn with these two lines :— Jh- " Preserve us, Lord, by Thy dear word,

Prom Turk and Pope defend us Lord."




The subsequent history of Cyprus is simply parallel to that of other provinces under the same strange rule.

Not many years after the Turks took the island, one writer says : " It is now marvellously fertile, and most prolific in all things for the use of men ; for besides store of oil and wheat and other crops, it produces the most excellent and generous wine, which keeps for eighty years, and in its old age turns white from black, and becomes odoriferous and very sweet." The same author says : " It has only one port which ships can enter, near the city of Famagusta, though it formerly had many others, which are now filled up through the violence of the sea." He describes the popula¬ tion as very mixed, and says that those who live away from the cities are of five classes, the lowest of whom are in the most abject condition, no better than slaves, and laden with taxes and all sorts of burdens.

A few years later the traveller Sandys gives us a good many details respecting the island, which he says groans under the yoke of the infidels, as he calls the Turks, adding, " But it is for the most part inhabited by jGj^eiftas^who have not long since attempted Jw*z unfoOTjmMe insurrec¬ tion." /C

"'

If space permitted^interesfemg extracts might be made from a succession,-*^ works byJiravellers



20 Cyprus:

who have visited Cyprus. For example, the account of Dr. E. D. Clarke, who went there early in the present century, contains many im¬ portant details. The sum of it is that plenty and want, splendour and misery, fertility and barrenness, healthiness and siekness, were all to be found side by side. A still more recent au¬ thority says : " Living is unusually cheap ; the finest fowls that England could produce would here fetch scarcely one shilling apiece, and a fat lamb may be bought for three shillings; a quartern loaf costs about l^d.; and servants' wages vary from £3 to £5 per annum." The people generally seem to have submitted to their hard lot, and only occasionally have provoked san¬ guinary reprisals. One such instance occurred in 1822, when twenty-five thousand Greeks were massacred.

Dr. Robinson the American traveller, who visited Larnaka in 1857, says: " This is now the chief place of commerce on the island, and the residence of the foreign consuls. The Marina, or port, is at the landing-place ; while the smaller but more aristocratic village, where the consuls reside, is a mile or more from the shore. The place is unhealthy. The houses are mean, and the surrounding country poor."

They say that some fifteen centuries or more ago Cyprus wp.s desolated by a drought which lasted

<

>



^


thirty years ; and there is reason to fear that this its ancient plague will be a source of trouble in time to come. Within the last ten years drought has caused immense suffering, and remedies against it will have to be devised and applied. The lessons which have been learned from the recent great Indian famine will not be lost, and steps will be taken for the storage of water, and the irrigation of the land, wherever it may be needed. Many a field which is now desert once rejoiced and blossomed with abundant harvests, and under the fostering care of a good and strong government may do so again.

The numerous ports of which we have heard may some of them be re-opened again, and the ships of Chittim may once more become numerous. The ancient harbours, partly encumbered with the ruins of buildings which once stood near them, and partly choked by accumulations of drift washed in by the sea, may be dredged, cleared, deepened, and otherwise improved. Ancient roads which are now mere tracks may be restored, and new ones added, for the convenient conveyance of the produce of the soiL Thus and in other ways, as by the introduction of better modes of cultivation, and the encouragement of native in¬ dustry, the material condition of the inhabitants may become very different from what it is. Taxa¬ tion there must be, and government is necessary,



22 Cyprus:

but when these are in accordance with the prin¬ ciples recognised in our own country, the people will not regard them with hostility. Slavery and serfdom, under every name and in every form, must cease, as Antichristian, and when the Cypriots recognise the fact that they are free, they will feel a new impulse to a higher and better life.

The necessity for such measures as have bsen indicated cannot be proved more conclusively than by the following extract from one of the daily papers. It will open the eyes of many to the actual condition of things, and to the reforms which are inevitable under British rule : " Acting Consul Riddell reported two years ago that he had no public works to record as either begun or ended at Cyprus. The shipping ports continued in the same state of neglect and dilapidation as was depicted in a previous year's report. Vizierial orders to provincial governors had not been want¬ ing, enjoining the construction of roads, quays, jetties, &c, but no funds were provided or set apart for these purposes, and in the financial con¬ dition of Turkey it was vain to expect expenditure on any useful public works, there being an endless pressure for money and a continual drain of every available penny from the provincial treasuries. The net revenue of Cyprus in the financial year ending in March, 1876, was computed at over 20,000,000 pias, all of which was drained from

^




the island to help imperial necessities at the capital. The promulgation of the recent firman of reforms had in no way attracted the confidence or enthusiasm of the people, and it would probably, like its numerous predecessors, remain practically a dead letter. The consul added that it might reasonably be doubted whether the provincial governors and local courts were sufficiently intelli¬ gent to put in force or to comprehend its pro¬ visions, and that some of its enactments were so much at variance with Mahomedan ethics that they could hardly be expected to be enforced or recognised by consistent Mahomedans. Early in last year Acting Consul Pierides reported again that no public works had been undertaken, and the want of bridges, roads, and jetties was seriously felt. Nothing was expended to improve the means of communication between the interior and the shipping ports. The firman about reforms, read in Cyprus after the accession of Sultan Murad, remained a dead letter, and but little hope was placed in the working of the Constitution. The local tribunals still refused to admit Christian evidence in cases in which Mussulmans are con¬ cerned. The vexations of the Zaptiehs in the villages for the exaction of taxes had not at all ceased, and little protection was secured to the inhabitants of the rural districts. The English sovereign was at 157 pias. The issue of cainie, or



24 cyprus:

paper money, would further raise the prices of coins to the manifest prejudice of commerce, and T would give rise to many disputes in the settle¬ ment of old debts. The year's imports and ex¬ ports of Cyprus are estimated in Mr. Riddell's report as amounting together to about £450,000 sterling."

This extract shows plainly what needs to be "^ done, what a helpless government that is which is now superseded, and that we must be prepared for a large expenditure in carrying out the neces¬ sary reforms and improvements.

Of the importance of Cyprus as a military station, little need here be said. Taken in con¬ nection with Gibraltar in the west of the Mediter¬ ranean, and Malta in the centre, it forms one of a series of strong places which will give to Britain a preponderance of power in every direction. It will directly command the entrance to the Suez Canal, the coasts of Palestine and Syria, and the southern provinces of Asia Minor. Even more than this might be said, if our present concern were not rather with the island itself.

It has been suggested that Cyprus is likely to prove a field for emigration, and a gentleman who says he has lived there for many years offers some good advice on the subject. He states that the winter is short and cold, the summer long and hot, but not oppressively so on account of

>



ITS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTUKE. 25^

the sweet Mediterranean breezes, which make the evenings particularly cool; and, he adds, people of regular habits will find it Hot only free from sickness, but beneficial if they do not indulge too freely in the beautiful fruit which grows nearly wild in every part of the island. " The English farmer will reap a good harvest, with moderate toil and careful study of the seasons ; labour is cheap and plentiful, but the natives, like most Orientals, are lazy and want looking after." After enu¬ merating the chief vegetable and mineral re¬ sources of the island the writer observes that the buildings are not worth mentioning, but with English builders and cheap and plentiful materials villages will soon grow into towns. The inhabit¬ ants are good-natured, honest, quiet, and hos¬ pitable ; the principal language is Greek, Turkish and Italian being spoken by the upper classes only.

The inauguration of a new era will be sure to attract tourists and tempoiary visitors, who will come to spend money, and whose numbers will increase in proportion to the increase of good accommodation and the conveniences of travel. Perhaps not one of the regions traversed by St. Paul and evangelised in the Apostolic age has been so little visited in our day as Cyprus. This has been due to causes which will now cease to operate, and when steamers call frequently and regularly, and suitable arrangements have been



-t

26 Cyprus:

made, there will certainly be an influx of Christian pilgrims of the most intelligent class.

It has been said that there are 60,000 Greeks in Cyprus, but—and this introduces another phase of the subject—what are the existing agencies for their proper instruction The clergy participate in the general poverty and depression, and do i not, or rather cannot make suitable efforts to ^ provide schools for their people. Educational efforts have been made on a small scale and under European auspices, but our philanthropy will have to carry on this work on a wider scale. The Turks, who are said to amount to 25,000, will also need to be aided in the same direction; nor can even the few thousands of Arabs and fellahs be overlooked. To do more than point to educa¬ tion as one of the great wants which will have to be met is not possible here, but our survey would have been very incomplete without it.

If the people of Cyprus want ordinary educa¬ tion, they want help in yet more important mat¬ ters. Two-thirds of them are nominally of the Christian faith, but under what conditions The ruins of ancient churches are found in the land, and tell of a time when a powerful ecclesiastical organisation was everywhere predominant. Even \ now the modest sanctuary exists, and the or- <m~" dinances of the Gospel are observed. The minister of our religion, according to his light, is



+

j »jm: ITS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURES,' 27

still among the people. And yet much is "Wanting. Where shall we find Christianity in its simplicity and beauty Are the people well taught in the faith they profess and do they possess the Scriptures in their own tongue or if they do, how many can read them There is a fine field here for enterprise. Missionaries might go among them and seek to revive spiritual religion; tract societies could send useful evangelical publica¬ tions, and Bible societies would be able to cir¬ culate the Book of Books. Of course it will be necessary to acquire fuller information, and zealous men will have to go and spy out the land. But this need not cause much delay, and ere long at least as much may be attempted for the ancient Christian Churches of Cyprus as is done for the Aimenians, Nestorians, Copts, and other Oriental communities. For the leligious affairs of the Mussulmans, and for their schools, special provision has been made by the recent agreement, but it does not appear that Christian effort in that direction will be needless or pro¬ hibited. The whole island will now certainly be open to the Gospel more fully and completely than it has been for many centuries.

We have reserved till now a few indications respecting the principal places which can be most easily visited in Cypius. The order iollowed is that of a French guide-book for travellers in the



23 cyprus :

Levant. And here be it noted that several of the towns have two or more names, and that these names are spelt in different ways. This being understood, let us suppose the visitor to land on the north coast at Zerina, which the Italians call Cerina, and the Turks Ghirne; this is a small town with a bad harbour and old Venetian fortifications. Near it are plantations of oranges, lemons, olives, dates, and other fruit-trees; but, as elsewhere, uncultivated tracts are in the neighbourhood. By an inland route Lefkosia, or Nikosia, can be reached in six hours. This stands in a great plain, and is the capital of the island. It was once a wealthy place, but is now in a dilapidated condition. A strong wall surrounds it, and it contains a fine old church which the Turks have adopted for a mosque, although in it the kings of Cyprus were crowned and buried. There is also a palace for the pasha. From hence Larnaka may be reached in eight hours. It stands at some distance from the sea, and near it is what the Italians call Marina. Neither of them is attractive, though the port is the one most frequented, and consuls and merchants have made it their residence. The citadel is ruined, the land is waste, with the exception of a few gardens, and water is scarce. It is said not to be healthy, and subject to dangerous fevers. The remains of the ancient city of Citium are near at hand.

T




-y- A long day's journey to the east brings us to Famagusta, near which stood the Salamis of the New Testament, afterwards also called Constantia. Its fortifications are ruinous, and its harbour small and poor, only admitting vessels of inferior capacity.

fa At an almost equal distance to the west of Lamaka is Limasol, the ancient Nemosia, now a wretched place at some distance from the sea, but with a somewhat convenient harbour. Limasol, or Limisso, as it is also called, is particularly in¬ teresting to Englishmen, because there Richard I. celebrated his marriage with the famous Berengaria of Navarre, whom he had proclaimed Queen of England and of Cyprus.

The south-western promontory of the island is called Cape Gatti, or Cats; because it is said that the monks of the Middle Ages kept vast numbers of cats there for the destruction of snakes. To the north-west of this is Baffa, on a bay of the same name. The port is unsheltered and unsafe, and the town is wretchedly built. The name Baffa is a corruption of Paphos, where there was a celebrated temple of Venus. Special interest attaches to it as the scene of St. Paul's

^± miracle, wrought upon Elymas the sorcerer, and w of the conversion of Sergius Paulus, the Roman

pro-consul. Here also Saul of Tarsus appears first to have been called Paul.



30 oyprus:

At the close of the Venetian rule there were in Cyprus 860 towns and villages, but some years since they were reduced to 610, more than half of which did not consist of thirty dwellings each. Of the 610, the Greeks inhabited 515, the Turks 89, and the Maronites from Syria 6. The island is divided into dioceses, viz., that of the Arch¬ bishop, or Nikosia, and the bishoprics of Larnaka, Zerina, Baffa, and Limasol. The Archbishop is not dependent upon any patriarch; he wears purple, he carries a cane surmounted by a golden ball, always uses red ink for his signature, and a seal bearing a two-headed imperial eagle. He is nominated directly by the Porte, but the bishops are chosen by their chapters. The Archbishop's privileges date from a.d. 475. The clergy are of various orders, including monks, who are called caloyers. These last are unmarried, but the papas or clergy proper are "mostly married and miserable, and have to work for the support of their families." One writer says : " I have often found them in the villages, keeping swine, weaving cotton, or making shoes." Their education is wholly neglected, for any man can become a priest or papa provided he can read the service books fluently.

We come back again, therefore, to the claim of Cyprus upon Christian zeal and philanthropy, and we cannot doubt that a good work will be under-

t




taken in its favour. The authority of Britain has been proclaimed there and gladly welcomed by the people, who do not regard us as merely a nation of warriors. They will expect us to culti¬ vate the arts of peace, to encourage industry and commerce, to promote their temporal well-being in many ways ; but we must do more, we must raise them morally and intellectually, and above all must promote their spiritual interests by all the agencies suited to the case. Thus, and only thus, will the possession of Cyprus be an honour to us and a blessing to its long oppressed and neglected population.

But we are only stewards ; the island belongs to Christ, and it is through the instrumentality of His people that it will be wholly won to Him, and that the sure word of prophecy will be accomplished which declares, " The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts." That such a consummation is certain we are assured, for the kingdoms of all the world are already His, and we rejoice to know that " His name shall endure for ever: His name shall be continued as long as the sun : and men shall be blessed in Him : all nations shall call Him blessed." Ps. lxxii. 10, 17.



Just published, PRICE ONE PENNY. THE LIFE OF CHRIST.

'

Compiled from FLEETWOOD'S weU known work. "With a Preface by the Lord Bishop of Ripon. It contains 192 pages, four woodcutsj / complete m coloured wrapper. The demand being great, orders will be executed in the rotation in which they are lecerved. V

Works Uniform with " Cyprus." A New Revised Edition. ->Prtce Onk Penny.

CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE Its 'Wonderful History and Instructive Lessons.

With Five Illustrations.

Price One Penny, with Portrait and Map. H. M. STANLEY,

The African Explorer, 'HIS LIFE AND LABOURS.

BY FREDERIC T. GAMMON.

Price One Penny. j THE TELEPHONE:

A VOICE FOR THE MILLION. With a Preface by Professor Graham Bell, the

Inventor of the "Telephone."

Price Twofevck. THE LIFE OF LUTHER.

BY A. L. 0. E. With a Preface by the Earl op Shaptksbury.

It contains 9G pages, in stiff1 covers, and Four Engravings.

LONDON: THE BOOK SOCIETY, 28, PATERNOSTER RO"W;

AND BAZAAR, SOHO SQUARE.



cyprus: its past, present, and future

Documents