cyprus, as i saw it in 1879-第25章

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presently　opened　upon　a　scent；　and　Wise　running　in　among　the　rocks；
flushed　a　fine　francolin　partridge；　which　I　shot。　I　then　got　a　quail　and
a　hare；　and　had　no　other　chances；　although　the　appearance　of　the　country
would　have　suggested　an　abundance　of　game。　Upon　nearing　the　seashore　I
saw　that　extensive　sand…dunes　had　invaded　the　heights　for　many　hundred
yards；　completely　choking　the　vegetation　and　forming　clumps　or　mounds　of
sand；　topped　by　tufts　of　the　shrubs　that　lay　buried　deep　beneath。　I
walked　along　the　fatiguing　ground　until　I　reached　the　shore　exactly
opposite　the　abandoned　wreck；　which　lay　within　a　cove；　into　which　she
had　evidently　been　run　for　security。

My　dogs　found　several　hares　among　the　clumps　upon　the　sand…dunes；　which
gave　them　some　exercise　and　amusement；　but　I　did　not　obtain　a　shot。

Upon　my　arrival　at　the　camping…place　I　found　my　wife　surrounded　by　a
large　crowd　of　women　and　children　beneath　a　shady　tree；　all　of　whom　had
brought　presents　of　eggs　and　bouquets　of　wild　flowers。　It　was　difficult
to　persuade　these　good　simple　people　that　we　did　not　require　presents　as
an　etiquette　of　introduction；　they　would　insist　upon　placing　their
little　offerings　upon　the　ground；　and　leaving　them　if　we　declined　to
accept　them。　The　principal　wild　flowers　were　cyclamen；　narcissus；　and
anemone。　The　cyclamen　completely　covered　the　ground　throughout　all　the
low　woods　and　thickets。　I　could　only　find　two　varieties；　the　snow…white；
with　claret…coloured　centre；　and　the　rose…colour；　but　the　blossoms　were
quite　equal　in　size　to　those　usually　grown　in　our　glass…houses　in
England。　We　had　passed　through　several　hundred　acres　of　open　ground　that
were　as　white　from　the　abundance　of　narcissus　as　an　English　meadow　might
be　yellow　from　the　presence　of　buttercups。

Our　camp　was　pitched　upon　a　small　level　plateau　of　rock；　in　the　centre
of　which　was　a　well；　cut　completely　through　the　stone　from　top　to
bottom。　It　appeared　to　be　about　twenty…five　feet　deep；　but　was　devoid　of
water　and　contained　a　considerable　amount　of　rubbish。　The　people　assured
me　that　a　dead　Greek　lay　beneath；　as　a　few　years　ago　some　Turks　had
killed　one　of　their　people　and　thrown　him　into　the　well；　they　had
concealed　the　body　by　stones　and　rubbish；　and　no　further　steps　had　been
taken　in　the　matter。　As　a　large　crowd　of　children　of　both　sexes　were
sitting　round　us　doing　nothing　but　stare；　I　set　them　to　work　to　clear
the　surface　ground　from　loose　stones　and　to　sweep　the　plateau　clean　with
boughs　from　the　wild　cypress。　When　this　was　finished　I　gave　them　a
scramble　for　several　handfuls　of　copper　coins　upon　the　cleared　area；　to
impress　them　pleasantly　upon　their　work　of　cleanliness；　this　new　game
became　very　popular；　and　might　be　introduced　by　the　British　government
with　a　certainty　of　gaining　the　admiration　of　the　Cypriotes；　especially
during　the　collection　of　taxes；　the　latter　being　an　Anglo…Turkish　game
which　is　not　yet　sufficiently　appreciated。

The　women　were　of　the　same　type　that　we　had　seen　in　other　districts；　but
they　appeared　sickly；　and　many　of　the　children　were　extremely　delicate。
There　was　the　usual　protuberance　of　the　abdomen　to　which　I　have　before
alluded；　and　I　found　upon　examination　of　the　children　that　an
enlargement　of　the　spleen　was　a　chronic　complaint。　This　is　due　to
repeated　attacks　of　ague。　I　drew　the　attention　of　the　people　to　the　so
general　mistake　in　this　island　of　selecting　a　site　for　their　villages　in
the　most　unhealthy　localities。　We　were　now　camped　upon　a　height　about
eighty　feet　above　the　valley；　which　resembled　a　basin　beneath　our　feet；
the　village　was　on　the　lower　level　of　this　basin；　and　as　near　the　level
of　the　sea　as　possible。　In　heavy　rains　the　valley　became　a　temporary
swamp；　and　it　seemed　unaccountable　that　human　beings　endowed　with　common
sense　should　have　selected　the　low　ground　instead　of　the　immediate
heights。　The　explanation　was　〃that　as　the　village　was　built　of
mud…bricks；　the　houses　had　been　erected　as　near　as　possible　to　the
source　of　the　material；　MUD！〃　to　avoid　the　difficulty　of　carriage　in　the
absence　of　carts。

The　people　were　as　usual　dressed　in　cotton　stuffs　of　home　manufacture；
and　were　ignorant　of　such　a　material　as　flannel；　the　children　were　only
half…clad；　and　shivering；　their　food　was　generally　raw；　comprising
olives；　oil；　onions；　and　wild　vegetables；　such　as　artichokes；　wild
mustard；　and　a　variety　of　trash　that　in　England　would　only　be　regarded
as　〃weeds。〃　There　were　some　pretty　intelligent　little　girls　and　boys；
some　of　these　were　chewing　mastic　gum；　a　white　leathery　substance　which
they　gathered　from　incisions　in　the　bark　of　this　common　shrub。　My　wife
found　fault　with　the　neglect　of　cleanliness；　as　their　teeth；　although
even；　were　totally　uncared　for。　On　the　following　morning　they　all
assembled　and　exhibited　a　show　of　nice　white　teeth；　as　they　had　followed
her　advice　and　cleaned　them　with　wood…ashes　and　their　forefingers；　in
lieu　of　a　toothbrush。　We　saw　these　children　again　a　month　afterwards
upon　our　return；　and　they　ran　across　the　fields　to　meet　us；　at　once
opening　their　mouths　to　show　that　they　had　not　forgotten　the　lesson；　and
that　their　teeth　were　properly　attended　to。　I　pitied　all　these　poor
people：　they　are　downtrodden　and　miserable　in　mind　and　body。　Instead　of
squeezing　them　for　taxes　they　should　be　supported　and　encouraged　by
government　assistance　in　every　manner　possible。　Centuries　of　oppression
and　neglect　in　addition　to　a　deceptive　climate　have　rendered　them　the
mere　slaves　of　circumstances；　but　they　exhibit　a　patience　and　stolid
endurance　which　is　beyond　all　praise；　and　when　Cyprus　shall　belong
absolutely　to　Great　Britain；　so　that　the　Cypriotes　shall　feel　that　they
are　British　subjects；　they　will　become　the　most　amenable　and　contented
people　in　the　Empire。

The　usual　difficulty　exists　in　passing　through　this　island　which　is　felt
by　most　English　travellers　in　wild　countries。　The　sick　invariably
assemble；　believing　that　your　medical　knowledge　will　produce　miraculous
cures；　and　the　lame；　halt；　and　blind　besiege　you　even　cripples　from
their　birth　are　brought　by　their　hopeful　mothers　to　receive　something
from　your　medicine…chest　that　will　restore　them　to　strength。　It　was　in
vain　that　I　explained　to　these　afflicted　people　that　spleen…disease
required　a　long　course　of　medicine；　and　could　not　be　cured　in　a　day。　It
was　equally　in　vain　that　I　assured　them　that　raw　vegetables　were
unwholesome　for　children；　and　that　sea…bathing　was　invigorating　to　the
system：　they　hated　bathing；　so　did　the　children；　and　they　liked　raw
vegetables。　I　was　obliged　to　give　them　some　trifle　which　could　neither
do　harm　nor　good；　and　they　went　away　contented。

I　now　discovered　from　the　head…men　of　the　village　the　cause　of　the　wreck
which　was　lying　in　the　bay。　An　Austrian　steamer　was　conveying　1200
Circassians　from　Constantinople　to　some　port　on　the　coast　of　Asia　Minor；
when　the　wild　horde　of　emigrants　mutinied　and　threatened　to　murder　the
chief　officers。　The　captain　accordingly　ran　the　vessel　ashore　upon　this
coast；　having　ordered　the　engineer　to　blow　up　the　boilers。

A　great　number　of　the　mutineers　perished　in　the　attempt　to　land；　but　the
captain　and　officers　were　hospitably　received　by　the　people　of
Volokalida　and　forwarded　to　Famagousta。　The　vessel　was　pierced　amidships
by　a　rock　that　had　completely　impaled　her；　otherwise　she　might　have　been
saved　and　repaired。

We　left　this　village　on　March　4th；　a　heavy　but　welcome　shower　on　the
preceding　day　having　laid　the　dust　and　freshened　the　vegetation。　The
route　lay　through　a　hilly　and　rocky　country　covered　with　the　usual
evergreens。　We　quickly　lost　our　way　and　arrived　at　a　complete　cul…de…sac
in　the　corner　of　a　narrow　swampy　valley。　Retracing　our　steps　we　met　two
men　mounted　on　donkeys；　who　with　extreme　civility　turned　from　their　own
direction　and　became　our　guides。　We　passed　over　a　hill　of　solid
crystallised　gypsum；　which　sparkled　in　the　sun　like　glass；　and　after　a
march　of　about　ten　miles　through　a　lovely　country　we　ascended　to　the
plateau　of　Lithrankomi　and　halted　at　the　monastery。　The　priest　was　an
agreeable；　well…mannered　man；　and　as　rain　had　begun　to　fall　he　insisted
upon　our　ac