cyprus, as i saw it in 1879-第6节

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a　sliding　deck　formed　of　movable　planks　afforded　a　comfortable
sleeping…berth　for　a　servant。　In　the　front　a　projecting　roof　sheltered
the　driving　seat；　which　was　wide　enough　to　accommodate　four　persons。　I
had　fitted　a　pole　instead　of　shafts；　as　public　opinion　decided　against
mules；　and　it　was　agreed　that　oxen　were　steadier　and　more　powerful　for
draught　purposes。　After　a　careful　selection；　I　obtained　two　pairs　of
very　beautiful　animals；　quite　equal　in　size　to　ordinary　English　oxen；
for　which　I　paid　twelve　shillings　per　diem；　including　the　drivers　and
all　expenses　of　fodder。　I　also　engaged　the　necessary　riding　mules；　as
the　vans　were　not　intended　for　personal　travelling；　but　merely　for
luggage　and　for　a　home　at　night。　Our　servants　consisted　of　Amarn　（my
Abyssinian；　who　had　been　with　me　eight　years；　since　he　was　a　a　boy　of
nine　years　old　in　Africa）；　a　Greek　cook　named　Christo；　who　had　served　in
a　similar　capacity　upon　numerous　steamers；　and　a　young　man　named　Georgi；
of　about　twenty…one；　who　was　to　be　made　into　a　servant。　This　young
fellow　had　appeared　one　day　suddenly；　and　solicited　employment；　while　we
were　staying　at　Craddock's　Hotel；　he　was　short；　thickset；　and　possessed
a　head　of　hair　that　would　have　raised　the　envy　of　Absalom：　in　dense
tangle　it　would　have　defied　a　mane…comb。　Georgi　had　a　pleasant
expression　of　countenance　which　did　not　harmonise　with　his　exterior；　as
his　clothes　were　in　a　ragged　and　filthy　condition；　his　shoes　were　in
tatters；　and　trodden　down　at　the　heel　to　a　degree　that　resembled　boats
in　the　act　of　capsizing；　these　exposed　the　remnants　of　socks；　through
the　gaps　of　which　the　skin　of　his　feet　was　exhibited　in　anything　but
flesh…colour。　It　is　dangerous　to　pick　up　a　〃waif　and　stray；〃　as　such
objects　of　philanthropy　frequently　disappear　at　the　same　time　as　the
forks　and　spoons。　In　reply　to　my　questions；　I　discovered　that　Georgi　was
in　fact　the　〃prodigal　son；〃　he　had　not　been　leading　the　fast　life　of
that　historical　character；　but　he　had　left　his　home　in　Mersine　（on　the
coast　of　Asia　Minor）　owing　to　an　unfortunate　disagreement　with　his
father。　In　such　domestic　estrangements；　rightly　or　wrongly；　the　fathers
generally　have　the　best　of　the　situation；　and　Georgi；　having　left　a
comfortable　home　（his　father　being　what　is　called　〃well　to　do〃）；　had
taken　ship；　and；　like　many　others；　had　steered　for　Cyprus；　where　he
arrived　unknown；　and　quickly　experienced　the　desolation　of　an　utter
stranger　in　a　foreign　town。　Georgi　became　hungry；　whether　he　had　sold
his　good　clothes　to　provide　for　the　coats　of　his　stomach　I　cannot　say；
but　the　rags　in　which　he　first　appeared　to　me　were　utterly　unsaleable；
and　few　people　would　have　ventured　upon　an　engagement　with　so
disreputable　a　person。　However；　I　liked　his　face；　he　could　speak　Turkish
and　Arabic　fluently：　Greek　was　his　mother…tongue；　and　he　had　a
smattering　of　French。　I　sent　for　the　tailor；　and　had　him　measured　for　a
suit　of　clothes　to　match　those　of　Amarna　tunic；　waistcoat；
knickerbockers；　and　gaiters　of　navy…blue　serge。　In　a　few　days　Georgi　was
transformed　into　a　respectable…looking　servant；　with　his　hair　cut。

We　left　Larnaca　on　the　29th　of　January。　A　native　two…wheeled　cart
conveyed　the　tents　and　superabundant　baggage。　The　oxen　made　no
difficulty；　and　the　gipsy…van　rolled　easily　along。　An　enterprising
photographer；　having　posted　himself　in　a　certain　position　near　the
highway；　suddenly　stopped　our　party；　and　subsequently　produced　a
facsimile；　although　my　dogs；　who　were　in　movement；　came　out　with
phantom…like　shadows。　These　useful　companions　were　three　spaniels
〃Merry；〃　〃Wise；〃　and　〃Shot；〃　the　latter　had　a　broken　foreleg　through
an　accident　in　the　previous　year；　but　he　was　an　excellent　retriever；　and
could　work　slowly。　The　others　were　younger　dogs；　whose　characters　were
well　represented　by　their　names；　the　first　was　an　untiring；　determined
animal；　and　Wise　was　a　steady　hunter　that　would　face　the　worst　thorns；
and　was　a　good　retriever。

This　party　was　now　in　movement；　and　I　intended　to　make　a　preliminary
detour　from　the　Nicosia　route　to　visit　the　springs　of　Arpera；　about
eight　miles　distant；　which　supply　the　town　of　Larnaca。

In　every　country　where　I　have　travelled　I　have　observed　a　human　weakness
among　the　population　on　the　question　of　〃game；〃　there　is　a　universal
tendency　to　exaggeration；　but　the　locality　of　superabundance　is　always
distant　from　the　narrator。　As　you　proceed　the　game　recedes；　and　you　are
informed　that　〃at　about　two　days'　march　you　will　find　even　more　than　you
require。〃　Upon　arrival　at　the　wished…for　spot　you　are　told　that
〃formerly　there　was　a　large　quantity；　but　that　times　and　seasons　have
changed；　that　about　three　marches　in　your　front　will　bring　you　to　a
hunter's　paradise；〃　&c。　As　Cyprus　was　an　island　of　only　140　miles　in
length；　there　would　be　a　limit　to　these　boundless　descriptions；　but　I
had　already　heard　enough　to　assure　me　that　the　usual　want　of　veracity
upon　this　subject　was　present　in　the　accounts　I　had　received。　The
newspaper　correspondents　had　just　contributed　ridiculous　reports　to
their　several　employers。　Because　the　market　of　Larnaca　was　well　supplied
with　woodcocks；　red…legged　partridges；　and　hares；　at　low　prices；　these
overworked　gentlemen　of　the　pen　rushed　to　a　conclusion　that　the　island
teemed　with　game：　forgetful　of　the　fact　that　every　Cypriote　has　a　gun；
and　that　numbers　were　shooting　for　the　consumption　of　the　few。　Larnaca
was　the　common　centre　towards　which　all　gravitated。　As　the　rate　of　wages
was　only　one　shilling　a　day；　it　may　be　imagined　that　sport　afforded　an
equally　remunerative　employment；　and　game　was　forwarded　from　all
distances　to　be　hawked　about　the　public　thoroughfares。　The　fact　is；　that
game　is　very　scarce　throughout　Cyprus；　and　the　books　that　have　been
written　upon　this　country　are　certainly　not　the　productions　of
sportsmen。

I　had　read　in　no　mean　authority　that　〃the　surface　of　the　ground　was
covered　with　heather〃positively　there　is　no　such　plant　in　Cyprus　as
heath　or　heather。　As　we　passed　the　outskirts　of　Larnaca；　we　were
introduced　to　the　misery　of　the　plain　of　Messaria；　the　so…called　heather
is　a　low　thorny　bush　about　twelve　inches　high；　which　at　a　distance　has
some　resemblance　to　the　plant　in　question。　Brown　is　the　prevailing
colour　in　this　portion　of　the　island；　and　the　aspect　was　not　cheerful　as
we　slowly　marched　along　the　native　track　or　highway　towards　Arpera；
carefully　avoiding　the　new　government　macadamised　road。

It　is　a　melancholy　neighbourhood。　A　few　graves　that　had　been　robbed　were
open；　forming　pitfalls　for　the　unwary；　other　yawning　holes　had
discovered　ancient　tombs　by　the　soakage　of　a　recent　heavy　shower；　which
had　washed　in　the　roof　and　exposed　the　cavity。　We　passed　a　small　mosque
where　there　is　the　tomb　of　a　saint　many　feet　below　the　level　of　the
surface；　and　we　shortly　came　in　view　of　the　salt　lake　about　a　mile　and
three…quarters　from　the　town　of　Larnaca。　We　halted　about　two　miles　from
the　town　upon　the　high　ground　to　admire　the　aqueduct　which　crosses　the
valley　from　the　village　of　Cheflik　Pacha。　This　is　a　very　important　work。
The　masonry　is　about　thirty…six　feet　above　the　lowest　portion　of　the
valley；　which　it　spans　in　thirty…two　arches；　covering　a　distance　of
about　four　hundred　and　twenty　yards　from　height　to　height。　The　water
flows　in　an　open　canal　of　cement　along　the　surface；　but　upon　the　ground
level　it　is　protected　by　a　covering　of　stone　and　lime；　until　it　reaches
the　town　of　Larnaca。　A　stream　of　fresh　water　flows　through　the　valley
beneath　the　arches　of　the　aqueduct；　at　a　right　angle；　and　is
artificially　separated　from　the　salt　lake　below　by　means　of　a　dyke　of
earth　which　conducts　it　direct　to　the　sea。　This　was　rendered　necessary
by　the　floods　of　the　rainy　seasons；　which　carried　so　large　a　volume　of
fresh　water　into　the　lake　as　to　resist　the　power　of　evaporation　during
the　summer　months。　The　salt　lakes　of　Larnaca　are　several　miles　in
extent；　and　are　computed　by　the　late　British　consul；　Mr。　Watkins；　to
possess　a　productive　power　of　20；000；000　okes　（2　3/4　lbs。）　per　annum。　M。
Gaudry；　in　his　clever　work　upon　Cyprus；　attributes　the　formation　of　salt
to　the　fact　of　the　sea…water　percolating　through　the　sand；　and　thus
filling　the　lake；this　theory　is　disputed；　and　I　incline　to　the　native
belief；　〃that　the　salt　lies　within　the　soil；　and　is　taken　into　solution
by　the　water；　which　deposits　the　same　amount　upon　the　dry　surface　when
exhausted　by　evaporation。〃　In　support　of　this　opinion；　I　adduce　a　proof
in　the　fact　of　the　small　freshwater　stream　which　flows　from　the　higher
ground　through　the　arches　of　the　aqueduct；　depositing　salt　as　its
surface　contracts　during　the　dry　season。

A　strong　efflorescence　of　true　chloride　of　sodium　is　left　upon　the　sides
of　its　bed　and　upon　the　bottom　as　the　water　becomes　exhausted；　this　must
be　the　salt　which　the　fresh　water　has　robbed　from　the　soil　of　the　valley
through　which　it　flows。　In　many　portions　of　Cyprus　I　have　observed；　a
few　days　after　a　heavy　shower；　a　considerable　amount　of　salt　upon　the
surface。　I　know　many　instances　of　fresh…water　lakes　being　divided　from
the　sea　by　only　a　few　yards　of　sandy　beach；　and　I　do　not　accept　as　fact
that　salt　water