vation of our Saviour, alluding to this custom in his prediction concerning the destruction of Jerusalem: "Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left."

CHAP.

II.

Mode of

Bees.

In these little cottages we found very large Curious establishments for bees, but all the honey thus keeping made is demanded by the Governor; so that an apiary is only considered as the cause of an additional tax. The manner, however, in which the honey is collected, is curious, and worthy of imitation, and it merits a particular description: the contrivance is simple, and was doubtless suggested by the more antient custom, still existing in the Crimea, of harbouring bees in cylindrical hives made from the bark of trees. They build up a wall formed entirely of earthen cylinders, each about three feet in length, placed, one above the other, horizontally, and closed at their extremities with mortar.

(2) Matt. xxiv. 41.

(3) The bee-hives of Egypt, and of Palæstine, are of the same kind. "Those of Egypt," says Hasselquist, "are made of coal-dust and clay, which being well blended together, they form of the mixture a hollow cylinder, of a span diameter, and as long as they please, from six to twelve feet: this is dried in the sun, and it becomes so hard, that it may be handled at will. I saw some thousands of these hives at a village between Damiata and Mansora." Hasselquist's Voy, and Trav. p. 236. Lond. 1766.

58

CYPRUS.

II.

CHAP. This wall is then covered with a shed, and upwards of one hundred hives may thus be maintained within a very small compass. Close Carob-tree. to this village grew the largest Carob-tree we noticed in all our travels. It is, by some, called St. John's bread-tree; the Ceratonia Siliqua of Linnæus. It was covered with fruit, the pods being then green, and it had attained the size of our largest English oaks. We could neither discover nor hear of any antiquities near this village; excepting the ruins of an old Greek church, with pictures of saints upon the walls; and one large reservoir for water, pointed out as an antient work, although probably of Venetian origin. It is still in a perfect state, lined with square blocks of stone, about twenty-five feet deep, and fifteen feet wide; being situate in a field close to the village.

Two hours before sun-rise, we again set out for Nicotia. The road lay through an open country; but high mountains were everywhere in view, as on the preceding evening. Some of these, as we drew nearer to them, exhibited very remarkable forms, standing insulated, and with flat tops, like what are usually called Table mountains. Upon our right we observed one that rose out of a fine plain, having a most

CHAP.

II.

ance of

perfectly conical form, excepting that its vertex appeared truncated parallel to its base. Upon the road we noticed distinct masses of the purest transparent selenites, or crystallized sulphat of lime, as diaphanous as the most limpid specimens from Montmartre, near Paris. It seemed as if they had been dropped by caravans passing the road; although we could learn nothing, either of the place whence they were derived, or the purpose for which they were intended. A ridge of mountains bounded all the view in front of our route: at length, at the distance of two hours and a half from Attién, we beheld the city of NICOTIA, situate Appearin the middle of one of the fine plains common NICOTIA. in this part of the island, at the base of one extremity of the mountain barrier. As we advanced towards it we were struck with the magnificence of its fortifications, which, although neglected. still remain nearly entire; surpassing, in extent and beauty, those of almost every other city. The moat is half a mile wide; it is now dry, or at best but an unwholesome Beneath the walls the bed of this moat abruptly terminates in a deep and wide fosse. The ramparts are still mounted with a few pieces of artillery. The road winds round the walls towards the gate, which had once a portcullis. We found the entrance filled with

swamp.

II.

Banishment of Prostitutes.

CHAP. beggars. The guard demands a toll from all Greeks passing through. As we rode into the town, we met a long train of women, dressed in white robes, the beautiful costume of the capital, filling the air with their lamentations. Some of them were of the middle age, but all were handsome: as they advanced, they exposed their faces and breasts to public view, tearing their hair, and weeping piteously. In the midst of the procession rode a Turk upon an ass, smoking his long pipe in the most tranquil manner, and wholly indifferent to their cries. Upon inquiring the cause of this tumult, we were told that these women were all prostitutes, whom the Governor had banished the city, and whom they were therefore conducting beyond the gates. Their dress was modelled after a very antient form, and highly elegant: it consisted entirely of fine white linen, so disposed as to veil at once the whole figure, unless when purposely cast aside; when it fell to the ground in long graceful folds.

Palace of the Eng

goman.

We went to the house of Signor Sékis, (the lish Dra- English Dragoman, as he is vulgarly called,) a rich Armenian merchant, who enjoys the English protection for transacting whatsoever business their nation may have with the Governor. His house was in all respects a palace,

displaying the highest degree of Oriental magnificence. The apartments were not only spacious, but they were adorned with studied elegance; the floors being furnished with the finest mats brought from Grand Cairo, and the divâns covered with satin, set round with embroidered cushions. The windows of the rooms, as in all Oriental houses, were near the roof, and small, although numerous, and placed close to each other. They had double casements, one being of painted glass, surrounded by carved work, as in the old Gothic palaces of England, which, perhaps, derived their original form from the East, during the Crusades. So many instances occur to confirm this opinion, that we may be liable to unnecessary repetition, by too frequent allusion to this style of building. The custom of having the floor raised in the upper part of a chamber, where the superiors sit, as in our old halls, is strictly Oriental: it is the same in the tents of the Tahtars. We were permitted to view the Charem. This always consists of a summer and a winter apartment. The first was a large square room, surrounded by a divân; the last an oblong chamber, where the diváns were placed parallel to each other, one being on either side, lengthways: at the upper extremity was the fire-place, resembling our antient English hearths.

CHAP.

II.