Cyprus: Historical and DescriptiveLöher, Franz von
History
Cyprus: Historical and Descriptive
Löher, Franz von
Cyprus -- Description and travel; Cyprus -- History
When we left Amathus, our road lay over a barren mountainous tract,
entirely destitute of every charm, but as we reached Cape Karubieh, a
scene of great beauty opened up from the left to our view. Before us
lay a little town, looking as fresh and bright as if but quite recently
built, with houses that appeared much more stately and substantial than
any I had yet seen in Cyprus. To our surprise these attractive-looking
residences were closed and untenanted, and not a human creature was
to be seen, except a solitary negro at a small inn where we got a
cup of coffee. I afterwards learnt that the inhabitants of Karubieh,
which number about one thousand only, return to their homes in August.
At this season many ships anchor here to take in large cargoes of
fruit for Trieste, Marseilles, Smyrna, Odessa, and St. Petersburg.
The fields, from which all this superabundant harvest is produced,
cover all the declivities of the sea-shore from Limasol to Mazotos.
The once despised carob-tree (Ceratonia siliqua) is now much esteemed,
and the fruit, which was formerly only used either as food for cattle,
or occasionally eaten during seasons of fasting, has become of great
value. Of late years it has been discovered that the fruit is highly
valuable for the making of excellent brandy, and the tree is therefore
cultivated throughout this district with the utmost assiduity. About
April the branches are lopped off; numerous shoots from fruitful trees
are grafted on the trunks, and in a very short space of time the tree
is covered with succulent pods. I mention this interesting fact, to
prove of what this once fertile island is capable, when its products
receive the necessary attention. In this instance, as in many others,
gold is literally lying on the ground in Cyprus, ready to be picked up
by those who have enterprise and energy.
Our road from Cape Karubieh presented nothing of interest. The
mountains gradually receded inland, and the eye found nothing to
relieve the monotony of the bare expanse of coast, until at length our
further progress in a direct line was stopped by a rocky promontory,
which projected far into the sea. We were now obliged to turn inland,
and soon reached higher ground, from whence we once more obtained a
good view of the purple and deep blue mountains, and could see their
tints gradually deepen under the shadow of approaching night. It was
late before we reached Mazotos, and I at once endeavoured to obtain
a lodging, in the house of some well-to-do farmer, from whom I might
hope to learn many interesting particulars concerning the manners and
customs of the people. As we entered the town, I observed a court-yard
leading from a stable to a small house within. At the left-hand side
was a flight of stone steps, conducting to an upper chamber, which, it
being harvest time, was now filled with corn.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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