cyprus, as i saw it in 1879-第41部分

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ups　and　downs；　which　reminded　me　forcibly　of　the　coast　of　South　Devon
between　Torquay　and　Dawlish。　The　difference　lay　in　the　rocks；　which　were
all　plutonic；　and　in　the　scenery　upon　our　left；　which　was　a　wild　and
confused　mass　of　mountains；　scarred　by　deep　and　dark　ravines；　while　the
more　distant　summits　exhibited　the　still…existing　pine…forests；　these
had　disappeared　from　the　slopes　which　faced　the　coast；　and　had　afforded
facilities　for　exportation。　We　halted　in　a　deep　glen　between　exceedingly
steep　hills；　through　which　a　torrent…bed　had　cut　its　course　directly　to
the　sea。　In　this　secluded　spot；　far　from　all　villages　or　inhabitants；　we
arranged　to　encamp　upon　a　flat　and　inviting　plot　of　turf；　which　in
Cyprus　is　rarely　met　with。　Some　tolerable　elms　and　other　trees　formed　a
dense　shade　in　a　deep　and　narrow　portion　of　the　glen　beneath　the
over…hanging　cliffs；　and　a　beautiful　spring　of　water　issued　from　the
rock；　received　in　a　stone　cistern　beneath。　An　arch　of　masonry　inclosed
the　spring；　which　some　kind　person　had　thus　carefully　arranged　for　the
public　good；　this　was　richly　clothed　with　maiden…hair　ferns。　The　surplus
water；　after　overflowing　the　stone　basin；　formed　a　faint　stream；　which
trickled　over　the　rocks　between　cliffs　only　a　few　feet　apart；　until　it
emerged　from　this　narrow　cleft　and　joined　the　sea。　I　walked　down　this
natural　alley　to　the　beach　and　bathed；　to　the　astonishment　of　my　guide
Iiani　and　another　Cypriote；　who　rushed　to　the　top　of　the　cliff　as　though
they　thought　I　contemplated　suicide；　these　people　having　a　natural
horror　of　cold　water。　The　name　of　this　secluded　glen　was　Symboli。

On　the　following　morning　we　started　for　Polis；　fourteen　miles　by　an　easy
route　along　the　coast。　The　mountains　upon　our　left　were　very
precipitous；　and　exhibited　the　same　character　of　complete　wilderness
which　had　marked　them　for　the　last　two　marches；　the　only　difference
apparent　was　an　increase　in　the　remaining　pines；　which　fairly　clothed
their　summits　and　ravines。　The　sea　was　perfectly　calm；　and　for　the　first
time　during　our　stay　in　Cyprus　we　observed　many　shoals　of　fish　playing
upon　the　surface　close　to　the　beach。　Two　cormorants　were　in　the　bay；　and
I　made　some　fortunate　shots；　killing　one　with　the　rifle　at　upwards　of
200　yards；　and　disabling　the　other　at　about　250。　There　appeared　to　be
more　signs　of　game　in　this　part　of　the　country；　as　the　cock　francolins
were　crowing　in　many　directions　throughout　our　route；　until　we　arrived
at　Polis；　or；　in　full；　〃Poli…ton…Krysokhus。〃

This　place　was　formerly　important　as　one　of　the　principal　mineral
centres　of　the　island；　and　the　large　accumulations　of　scoriae　in　several
mounds　near　the　coast　prove　that　mining　operations　were　conducted　upon
an　extensive　scale。　A　concession　had　recently　been　granted　to　a　small
private　company　for　the　working　of　copper　in　this　neighbourhood；　and
should　the　existence　of　metallic　wealth　be　proved　there　can　be　no　doubt
that　capital　will　be　embarked　in　mining　enterprises；　and　the　locality
will　recover　its　former　importance。　On　the　other　hand；　all　mining
adventures　should　be　conducted　with　the　greatest　caution。　A　common　error
is　committed　by　sanguine　speculators　in　following　the　footsteps　of　the
ancients；　upon　the　supposition　that　because　in　former　ages　a　locality
was　productive；　it　should　remain　in　the　same　profitable　condition。
Nothing　can　be　more　erroneous；　it　is　generally　poor　gleaning　after　the
Phoenicians。　The　bronze　of　those　extraordinary　miners　and　metallurgists
was　renowned　above　all　other　qualities；　they　worked　the　copper…mines　of
Cyprus　and　the　tin…mines　of　Cornwall；　but　the　expenses　of　working　a　mine
in　those　days　bore　no　comparison　with　the　outlay　of　modern　times。　Slaves
were　employed　as　a　general　rule：　forced　labour　was　obtainable；　and　the
general　conditions　of　the　labour…market　were　utterly　at　variance　with
those　of　the　present　day。　The　ancient　miners　would　seldom　have　abandoned
their　veins　of　ore　until　they　were　completely　exhausted；　and　the　vast
heaps　of　scoriae　which　now　mark　the　sites　of　their　operations　may　be　the
remains　of　works　that　were　deserted　as　worn　out　and　unproductive。　It　is
true　that　traces　of　copper　are　visible　in　many　places　throughout　the
metamorphous　rocks；　and　the　greenstone　from　Soli　to　Poli…ton…Krysokhus；
but　it　remains　to　be　proved　whether　the　metal　exists　in　sufficient
quantities　to　be　profitably　worked。　It　is　generally　believed　that　zinc
was　formerly　produced　at　Soli；　where　vestiges　of　ancient　mining
operations　are　to　be　seen　upon　the　surface；　but　for　many　centuries　the
works　have　been　abandoned。

A　very　careful　scientific　examination　of　the　island　has　been　made　by
various　explorersM。　Gaudry；　Unger；　and　Kotschy：　their　reports　are　not
encouraging；　but　at　the　same　time　it　must　be　allowed　that　they　were　not
practical　miners。　The　work　of　M。　Gaudry　must　always　be　accepted　as　a
most　valuable　authority　upon　the　geology；　mineralogy；　and　general
agricultural　resources　of　Cyprus；　but　it　will　be　remarked　by　all
practical　men　that　the　explorations　of　the　country　have　been
superficial；　no　money　has　been　expended；　and　is　it　to　be　supposed　that
the　surface　of　the　earth　will　spontaneously　reveal　the　secrets　of　the
interior？

Under　the　present　administration　it　is　quite　impossible　to　say　too　much
in　praise　of　the　energy　and　painstaking　devotion　to　the　interests　of
Great　Britain　and　to　those　of　this　island　by　the　High　Commissioner　and
every　officer；　from　the　commissioners　of　districts　to　the　subordinate
officials；　but　according　to　the　terms　of　the　Convention　with　the　Porte
the　island　is　as　completely　denuded　of　money　as　the　summits　of　the
cretaceous　hills　have　been　denuded　of　soil　by　the　destructive　agency　of
weather。　It　is　painful　to　an　English　traveller；　whose　life　may　have　been
passed　in　practical　development；　to　survey　the　country　as　it　now　is；　to
reflect　upon　what　it　has　been；　and　to　see　that　even　under　the　auspicious
reputation　of　an　English　occupation　nothing　can　be　done　to　awaken
resources　that　have　so　long　lain　dormant。　Money　is　wantedmoney　must
be　had。　Without　an　expenditure　of　capital；　riches　may　exist；　but　they
will　remain　buried　in　obscurity。

A　responsible　official　would　reply〃We　will　give　you　a　concession；　we
will　give　you　every　possible　encouragement。〃　The　capitalist　will　ask　one
simple　question；　〃Is　Cyprus　a　portion　of　the　British　Empire　upon　which　I
can　depend；　or　is　it　a　swallow's　nest　of　a　political　season；　to　be
abandoned　when　the　party…schemes　have　flown？〃

Any　number　of　questions　may　be　asked　at　the　present　moment；　but　in　the
absence　of　all　definite　information　no　capitalist　will　embark　in　any
enterprise　in　Cyprus；　which　may　be　ultimately　abandoned　like　Corfu；　and
the　value　of　all　property　would　be　reduced　to　a　ruinous　degree。

The　mining　interests　of　Cyprus　must　remain　for　the　most　part　undeveloped
until　some　satisfactory　change　shall　be　effected　in　the　tenure　of　the
island　that　will　establish　confidence。

Polis　was　a　straggling　place　situated　upon　either　side　of　a　river；
through　the　bed　of　which　a　very　reduced　stream　was　flowing　about　three
inches　in　depth。　A　flat　valley　lay　between　the　heights；　both　of　which
were　occupied　by　numerous　houses　and　narrow　lanes；　while　the　rich　soil
of　the　low　ground；　irrigated　by　the　water　of　the　river　withdrawn　by
artificial　channels；　exhibited　splendid　crops　of　wheat　and　barley。
Groves　of　very　ancient　olive…trees　existed　in　the　valley；　and　we　halted
beneath　the　first　oak…trees　that　I　had　seen　in　Cyprus。　These　were　wide…
spreading；　although　not　high；　and　I　measured　the　girth　of　one　solid
stemeighteen　feet。

We　had　hardly　off…saddled；　when　crowds　of　women　and　children　collected
from　all　quarters；　with　a　few　men；　to　stare　at　the　new…comers；　not　at　ME
personally；　but　at　my　wife。　They　were；　if　possible；　more　filthy　than　the
average　of　Cyprian　women；　and　a　great　proportion　of　the　children　were
marked　with　recent　attacks　of　small…pox。　I　regretted　that　I　had　not　a
supply　of　crackers　to　throw　amongst　and　disperse　the　crowd　that　daily
pestered　us；　any　lady　that　in　future　may　travel　through　Cyprus　should
have　a　portmanteau　full　of　such　simple　fireworks。　It　was　in　vain　to
explain　that　the　people　were　a　nuisance　if　too　near：　when　driven　to　a
moderate　distance；　they　would　advance　shyly；　by　degrees；　two　or　three
children　would　come　forward　and　sit　down　a　few　paces　in　front　of　the
main　body；　after　a　few　minutes　several　others　would　overstep　this
frontier　and　sit　down　five　or　six　yards　in　advance　of　the　last　comers；
and　by　this　silent　system　of　skirmishing　we　were　always　surrounded　in
twenty　minutes　after　the　original　crowd　had　been　dispersed。　I　did　not
mind　them　so　long　as　they　were　not　in　personal　contact；　and　were　free
from　recent　small…pox；　but　some　of　the　red…pitted　faces　were　full　of
warning。

There　was　nothing　of　interest　to　detain　us　at　Polis；　and　we　started
early　upon　the　19th　April　towards　Baffo。　The　valley　through　which　the
river　Aspropotamo　had　deposited　a　layer　of　fertile　alluvium　divided　the
mountain　range；　leaving　the　plutonic　rocks　to　the　east；　and　on　the
western　side　we　ascended　a　steep　path　over　cretaceous　limestone；　broken
and　disturbed　at　intervals　by　the　protrusion　of　eruptive　rocks。　As　we
increased　our　altitude　we　looked　down　upon　a　picturesque　view　of　the　bay
of　Krysokhus；　with　two　sails　upon　its　blue　waters　beneath　the　dark
cliffs　of　the　western　shore。　The　ancient　Marium　or　Arsinoe　showed　no
vestiges　except　in　the　modern　village　of　Polis；　which；　from　the
distance；　looked　better　than　the　reality；　as　the　foliage　of　numerous
trees　shadowing　the　terrace…built　houses　upon　either　side　the　rich　green
valley；　backed　by　the　lofty　range　of　pine…covered　mountains；　completed　a
lovely　landscape。

An　hour　had　passed；　but　still　we　ascended；　the　path　was　as　usual　rugged；
and　we　already　looked　down　upon　the　sea　and　valley　at　least　2000　feet
beneath。　I　had　serious　misgivings　concerning　the　camels　and　their　loads。
General　di　Cesnola　had　examined　the　whole　of　this　country　in　his　search
for　antiquities；　but　the　neighbourhood　of　the　ancient　Arsinoe；　where
much　had　been　expected；　was　almost　unproductive。

The　path　still　rose；　until　at　length　we　arrived　upon　an　exte