In Close
Proximity To The Sea These Elevated Posts Commanded An Extended View,
And The Approach Of An Enemy Could Be Discerned At A Distance That Would
Afford Ample Warning For Preparing A Defence.
Both St. Hilarion and
other mountain strongholds upon this range were dismantled by the
Venetian Admiral Prioli about A.D. 1490, shortly after the annexation of
the island by Venice.
The return ride down the mountain side was, if possible, more beautiful
than the ascent, as the lights and shadows were rendered acute by dark
but quickly passing clouds; occasional light mists curled round the
highest peaks like veils of gauze and then dissolved in the clear air.
These atmospherical changes intensified the colouring and brought out
the varying tints of grey and purple rocks into a strange prominence,
while every wild flower appeared to thrust itself suddenly into
observation: the purple cistus seemed magnified to the size of roses,
and a bright gleam of gold from the masses of prickly bloom now in
fullest blaze mingled with the general green surface of mastic and
arbutus. As we neared the base of the mountains the dark green rounded
tops of a forest of caroub-trees were occasionally broken by the white
bloom of sweet-scented hawthorns; and to the delight of my ear, the
first notes of the cuckoo that I had heard in Cyprus recalled the spring
of England! It is a curious arrangement of our nervous system, that a
sound so simple in itself should invest the scene with a tenfold
pleasure, and should conjure up uncalled-for recollections of places,
friends, and a life of years long past: but so it was; and for the
moment I longed to be at home. . . .
The mules and camels were ready to start on the 10th April. I had
engaged a well-known fine-looking muleteer named Katarjii Iiani, who had
contracted, for twenty-nine shillings a day, to supply the riding mules
and baggage animals sufficient for our party from Kyrenia to any portion
of the island I might wish to visit. My plan was arranged, to include a
circuit of the north and west to Baffo; thence to Limasol; by which time
the hot weather would be drawing near, and we should seek a settlement
as near the clouds as possible upon Troodos; the snow was still deep
upon the northern summit of this mountain, which formed the prominent
object in the range.
Our new muleteer Iiani was about six feet two inches high, and not being
sufficiently tall, he added nearly three inches more by enormous heels
to a pair of well-fitting high boots; these, fastened below the knee,
just showed sufficient clean grey stocking to prove that he possessed
such hose; which are luxuries seldom indulged in by the peasantry. The
boots were carefully blackened and polished, and were armed with long
spurs. His trousers were the usual roomy pattern, containing sufficient
stuff to clothe a small family of English children; above these
dark-blue bags he wore a kind of Jersey frock of thick silk fitting
tight to his figure; the junction between this purple-striped garment
and his waistband was concealed in the many windings of a long shawl
which passed several times round his centre; in this he wore a
German-silver-handled knife or dagger of pure Birmingham or Sheffield
origin.
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