Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/113
which the report of the Country goes, that St. Helena returning from Jerusalem left a piece of our Saviour's Cross with the Christians of Cyprus, who built a Church there, by means of the Liberality of the same Princess. Afterwards those of the Town of Leucara took it from hence, and carry'd it to their Church, where I saw it. The piece is as big as the Palm of a Man's Hand, set in a great Cross of Latten, emboss'd with several Figures.
In the Kingdom of Cyprus there is an Archbishop and three Suffragans. The Arch-bishop takes upon him the Title of Nicosia; to which Famagosta belongs with all the Country between Nicosia and Famagosta, with the Territories of Nicosia and all the Villages round. He has a House about a League from Nicosia, where the chiefest of his Revenue lies. Some years since he caus'd the high Altar of the Church to be painted and guilded, being a neat piece of Workmanship. Thus the Arch-bishop has under his Jurisdiction all the middle part of the Island, and some part toward the East. The Bishops are the Bishops of Paphos, Larneca, and Cerines.
The Greeks are very much addicted to the observation of their ancient Customs and Ceremonies; and generally their Masses are very long. Upon Sundays and Holy-days they rise between one and two of the Clock in the Morning to Sing Mattins. To which purpose there is a Clerk that goes from door to door and knocks with a Hammer, to wake the people, and then cries out with a loud voice, Christians go to Church. The men and old women fail not to go as being more zealous; but the maids and young women never go out of doors in the night for fear of the Turks. There are seven or eight Villages, the Inhabitants whereof are Maronites, who came from Mount Libanus, and speak Arabic at home, but Greek among the Islanders. They follow the Romish Religion, and have their Churches peculiar to themselves.
The Island of Cyprus is no wholesom Air, being subject to the spoyl of a sort of Locusts, that some Summers destroy all their Fruit and Corn. During the heats they hover in the Air, which they will dark'n with their number like a thick Cloud; but when the North Wind blows, it carry's them into the Sea, where they perish.
There are in Cyprus three sorts of colour'd Earth, a Grey-black, a Red, and a Yellow; of which the Venetians fetch away great quantities for their courser sort of Painting. There's also a Mine of White Alome, which is the stone call'd Damiantlius. 'Tis thought that the Ancients had a way to spin this Alome into a kind of Cotton, and so to make out of it a certain sort of Cloth that would not consume in the Fire, but only be the more perfectly whiten'd thereby. The Indians formerly bury'd the dead bodies of their Kings deceas'd in Shrouds of this kind of Linnen, and then putting them into the Fire, found the bodies all reduc'd to ashes, but the Cloth whole; out of which they took the ashes, and carefully put them into an Vrne, which was prepar'd for their preservation.
When the Basha of Cyprus has a mind to view the Fortress of Famagosta, he sends to give the Bey, who is Governour thereof, notice of it. For it is at the Governours choice whether he will give him admission or no. The Basha Hali-Giorgi, being a comely old man of above a hundred and two years of age, setting out of Nicosia in his Litter with about two hundred Horse, when he was come within half a League of Famagosta, the Governour of the place sent his Lieutenant with a hundred Horse to Compliment him, and to conduct him to the Town. Immediately they took upon them the Guard of the Basha's Litter, who was not permitted to take along with him above eight or ten of his principal Officers. The Cannons roar'd at his entry, and he was treated magnificently, but he lay not in the Town, being conducted back by the same party to the place where they met him in the Morning.
Upon the third day of October we set Sail about three a Clock in the Morning with a West-North-West Wind, and about Noon we were within sight of Famagosta, into which place we could by no means be admitted, by reason of the Wars between the Turks and Venetians. But as far as I could discern a far off, there is no easie access to the Port, and for the City I could descry no part of it.
The fourth, by break of day we got sight of the Coast of Syria, Cape Canger, and the Golf of Antioch, and about Evening we arriv'd in the Road of Alexandretta.
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