On The Following Morning, We Enjoyed The Splendid View From The Covered
Balcony At The Back Of Mr. Holbeach's House, Which Showed The Richest
Foreground In Cyprus In The Dark Green Of Caroub-Forest And Gardens Of
Fruit-Trees Intermingled With Plots Of Barley Already In The Ear.
This
rich front was backed by the wall of dark limestone cliffs two miles
distant, 3000 feet elevation, with
The castles of Buffavento and St.
Hilarion perched left and right on the giddy summits of the highest
crags, which in the clear atmosphere apparently overhung our position.
We then breakfasted, took leave of our hospitable host, and rode back to
Lefkosia to inquire into the cause of the delay.
On arrival we found a string of mules just starting, as the camels that
had been engaged yesterday had never appeared. I sent off the servants
and animals, with orders to pitch the tent upon the site of the old camp
of the 42nd Highlanders, within a mile of Kyrenia; we then once more
encroached upon the kindness of Sir Garnet and Lady Wolseley for the
night. On the following morning we rode to Kyrenia, sixteen miles, and
found tents pitched in a delightful situation, and the camp swept and
arranged in perfect order. There could not have been a better site for a
military camp, as the ground was firm and sloped gradually towards the
sea, above which the elevation may have been about 120 feet. The
beautiful caroub-trees afforded a dense shade for individual tents and
for unlimited numbers of men. The ground had been well drained, and
every care had been taken to ensure the health of the troops; but in
spite of all sanitary arrangements they had suffered severely from
fever, by which, although only four had actually succumbed, and now lay
in the lonely little cemetery close to our tents, the regiment had been
demoralised, and was withdrawn from this lonely position completely
fever-smitten. I made close inquiries among the natives, and all agreed
that the past year, having been unusually wet, had been exceptionally
unhealthy, and the inhabitants had suffered almost to the same degree as
the Europeans. It was painfully clear that when the rainfall was
sufficiently plentiful to produce abundant harvests it at the same time
ensured a crop of fevers.
We remained ten days in our Kyrenia camp, and we were both sorry to
leave, as the neighbourhood is exceedingly beautiful and full of
interest; there is certainly no portion of Cyprus that can equal it in
the picturesque, or in the extreme richness of genuine forest-trees and
foliage.
The town is small and most irregular: an old Turkish graveyard forms a
boundary upon the outskirts opposite the fort, precisely similar in
position to that of Famagousta. Within 300 paces of this point are the
principal houses, mostly well built of stone and surrounded by
high-walled gardens fruitful in oranges, lemons, almonds, apricots,
figs, and the fruits commonly known throughout the island.
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