СНАР.

II.

coarse.

differ from the manner of printing cottons in
England : excepting in the fashion of the wooden
blocks, which are here exceedingly rude and

The secret of the dye would be a
valuable discovery; as the colours, instead of
fading, when the cloth is washed with soap,
become more splendid. Mariti says, it is a
mixture composed of the root of the Boia and
ox's blood'.

Antiquities obtained in

Our success in collecting gems was so great, the Bazar. that the number of our acquisitions in Nicotia

exceeded the total of what we had been able to
procure since our departure from Constantinople.
We found also silver medals of Antoninus Pius,
Severus, Faustina, and of the Ptolemies. The
bronze were all of late date, and almost all
after the time of Constantine. We also made
diligent inquiry concerning the Yeny Madem

crystal. Some detached and very indifferent Polished specimens of crystallized quartz were shewn to Cyprus. us, by the name of Baffa STONES ; but the

inhabitants were unable to polish even these.
All the stones found in the island, capable of
being polished, are sent to Grand Caïro for this
purpose. This fact, while it serves to shew the
wretched state of the arts in Cyprus, also

(1) Mariti's Travels, vol. 1. p. 102. Lond. 1791.

CHAP.

II.

g cottons of the woda sly rude and would be a

instead ď with sa

found in
Nicotia.

avs, it is a de Boia and

conveys a proof of their flourishing state in the
present capital of Egypt, beyond the notions
usually entertained of that remote city. Among Antient
our intaglios were numerous representations and fema
symbols of Isis, of Ceres, and of Venus; a very
beautiful gem representing Mercury leaning upon
a sepulchral stélé" ; of Anubis, kneeling with the
dove upon his left hand' ; and one of very dimi-
nutive form, but of exquisite beauty, meriting
a more particular description : it is a carbuncle,
or highly transparent garnet. The subject en-
graven represents a colossal statue, whose two
arms extended touch the extremity of the stone.
Before this figure is seen a person kneeling, in
the act of worshipping the idol. This corre-
sponds with the descriptions given of the statue
of Jupiter Serapis at Alexandria, whose two
hands touched the sides of the temple ; and

as so great

= in Nicoties been able to sistantinople

. minus Pius mies

. The almost all also made ny

Madem 1 indifferent

shewn to ; but the

ren they capable of iro for this o shew the

(2) The learned antiquary will perceive the classical accu racy observed
by the Antients in such representations. The subjects displayed upon
their pictured vases, sculptured marbles, medals, and gems, were not
the result of any idle fancy or momentary caprice. Copious as the
sources were whence all their varied imagery was derived, its exhibi-
tion was nevertheless circumscribed by canons. Mercury is pourtrayed
reclining upon a stélé; thereby typifying his office of conducting the
soul after death.

(3) “ Per columbam verò aërem intelligit Horapollo, lib. i. rationem
ibidem dat quod adeò sinceræ et puræ naturæ sit, ut à nullo contagioso
aëre, quemadmodum cætera animalia, infici possit.” Kircher dip.
Egypt. tom. III. p. 291.
“Alba Palæstino sancta columba Syro."

Tibullus, Lib. i. El. 7. vers. 18.

al

II.

CHAP. it is probable that this gem was intended to

preserve a memorial of the image. It has no
resemblance to the appearance of any Grecian
Deity ; the calathus, or rather the pileus, upon
its head, is like that seen upon Indian or
Chinese idols.

Camels.

In the evening we mounted our mules, and again returned to Attién. Our good friend Signor Sékis had laden an ass with all sorts of provisions for our journey ; but we would only accept a basket of his fine apricots. These he said were nothing in comparison with the apricots he received annually from Famagosta, yet they were the largest we had ever seen. We met caravans of camels in our way to Attién, marching according to the order always observed in the East : that is to say, in a line, one after the other; the whole caravan being preceded by an ass, with a bell about its neck. Camels never seem to seek the shade : when left to repose, they kneel down, exposed to the hottest beams of the sun. Trees, however, are rarely seen in this part of the island, excepting along the channels formed by torrents, where a magnificent species of Rhododendron is seen flourishing among the loose stones, and growing to a very extraordinary size : we believed it to be the Rhododendron Ponticum of Pallas. The

! was intended 1 image. It has no

II.

e of

any Grecia

: the pileus

, upe

upon Indiana

inhabitants relate, that, eastward of Nicotia,

Nicotia, CHAP. towards Baffa, the country being more mountainous, is also well covered with wood'. The Rivers of

the Island. rivers of Cyprus are dry during the summer months. Sudden rain swells them into torrents. Some rain fell during the second night we passed at Attién; and in our way thither we had to ride for a quarter of a mile through water reaching above the knees of our mules.

I our mules, and Our good friend ; with all sorts of ut we would only cots. These be arison with the from Famagosta

had ever seen. in our way to the order alwars

to say, in a line

. caravan being about its neck shade: when exposed to the s, howerer, are land, excepting

(1) The List of Plants found during this visit to Cyprus, is reserved
for an Appendix. We shall only mention here three new-discovered
species.
1. A non-descript, tall, branchy, strong-thorned, species of Ononis.

This we have called ONONIS MACROCANTHA. Ononis caule suffru-
tescente ramisque spinosis, foliis superioribus solitariis obovatis
glandulosis apice dentatis ; fioribus solitariis pedunculatis-Caulis
ramosissimus, flexuosus, deorsum hirsutus. Rami valde spinosi,
acuti, crassi, rigidi, supra glabri. Spine foliate, validæ, florifere,
subbine. Folia petiolata lineas tres longa, inferiora non vidi.
Pedunculi breves. Calyces glanduliferi corolla breviores, basin

versus pilosi.
II. A non-descript species of Euphorbia. This we have called

EUPHORBIA MALACHOPHYLLA. Euphorbia dichotoma, foliis
ovatis, acute denticulatis, hirsutis mollibus ; pedunculis solitariis
unifloris, petalis laciniatis–Planta annua magnitudine E. scordi-
foliæ, tota hirsuta. Folia exacte orata, lineas octo ad duodecim
longa, mucrone innocuo terminata, basin versus integerrima.

Petioli foliis ter breviores. Flores è dichotomiis pedunculati parvi.
III. A non-descript species of Centaurea, or Star Thistle. This we have

called CENTAUREA MONACANTHA. Centaurea divaricata, calycis
foliolis integris spind simplicissima terminatis, glabris ; foliis su-
perioribus spinoso-denticulatis, lanceolato-oblongis ; inferioribus
dentato-pinnatifiis, scabris – Plata humilis ramosissima; rami
divaricati, dichotomi. Capitula sessilia, Calycis foliolis arcte im-
bricatis glabris margine scarrosis. Spinæ patula validissime.

orrents, where

ndron is seen s, and growing believed it to Pallas. The

CHAP.

II.

th

were

In the morning, two hours before sun-rise, we
set out for Larneca ; and having to cross a stone
bridge of four arches, found it shaking so
violently with the impetuosity of the torrent
of water, that we feared it would fall. The
antient Cypriots pretended, that their Paphian
altars, although exposed to the atmosphere,

never wetted by rain : probably they
would not have escaped drenching during the
showers which had caused this inundation: the
peasants said, that for thirteen years they had
not known so great a flood. We reached
Larneca at eight o'clock, and were on board the
Ceres before ten. Captain Russel's fever had
much increased. The apricots we brought for
him seemed to afford a temporary refreshment to
his parched lips and palate, but were ultimately
rather injurious than salutary. The symptoms
of his melancholy fate became daily more ap-
parent, to the great grief of every individual of
his crew.

During our absence, the English Consul had been kindly endeavouring to procure for us other relics from the interesting vestiges of Citium. Before we left the island, he obtained, from one of the inhabitants, a small, but thick,

oblong silver medal of the city; considered, Phænician from its appearance, as older than the foundation

4

Antient

Medal.