The population of Cyprus is about 200,000, of which number more than
three-fourths belong to the Greek Church; nevertheless the minority of
Turks completely dominated prior to the British occupation. Although the
Cypriote is, as I have described, courteous, gentle, and affectionate in
his domestic circle, he is at the same time cunning and addicted to
petty larceny, and in all your dealings with these apparently easy-going
people you must exercise the same acuteness that is so absolutely
necessary in England. There are few great crimes in proportion to the
population, nor do we ever hear of such atrocities as those classes of
murders which so frequently blacken the page of our modern history.
Homicide is more common than actual murder, and is often the result of a
sudden quarrel where knives are drawn, and a fatal stab in passion
constitutes the offence. Sheep-stealing is the prevalent crime, and is
carried on with an amount of hardihood that can only be accounted for
from the difficulty of proof. The flocks of goats, &c., roam over the
wild and uninhabited area of the high mountains and frequently stray
from the shepherd and are lost for two or three nights; by the time they
are recovered a certain number may be missing, and it is hardly possible
to discover the thief, as the animals have been driven to a great
distance. Tracking would be out of the question over the rocky surface,
where every small plot of naked soil is trodden into countless footmarks
by the innumerable goats which browse upon the mountain slopes. At night
the flocks are generally herded within a circle protected by a fence of
thorny bushes; sometimes these folds are invaded by thieves during the
darkness, and a considerable number are driven off. As the locality
would be generally distant from the principal town, and the shepherd
cannot forsake his flock for several days to prosecute, the thieves
frequently escape, and this immunity encourages them to further
depredations. During my residence within the precincts of the monastery,
the fold upon the hill within a quarter of a mile of the establishment
was thus robbed, and the thieves were never discovered.
The police or zaphtiehs are generally too far from these wild localities
to be of any service, and they are at present too few for the proper
supervision of the island. A plan is I believe in contemplation to
extend this body upon a scale that will render the force efficient as a
gendarmerie, which would to a considerable degree relieve the necessity
for a permanent European military force. There can be no better soldier
than the Turk under British officers. The Christians in Cyprus have an
objection to this service, and there is no reason why a military force
to combine the duties of police should not be organised, that would be
thoroughly acclimatised, and would at the same time be maintained for
less than half the expense of English troops. There is nothing to fear
from the Turkish population in Cyprus, and they would willingly enlist
in our service, and could always be depended upon in case of necessity.
The force already organised is an admirable nucleus, and could be
rapidly increased; each man finds his own horse and receives two
shillings a day inclusive; his clothes and arms being provided by the
government. For service in the trying climate of Cyprus the Turk is
pre-eminent. I do not see any need for the presence of British troops in
this island. The fortresses are all dismantled, the natives are
peaceful, and the extremely low price of wine and spirits is terribly
adverse to the sanitary condition of the English soldier. The staunch
sobriety of the Turk, his extreme hardihood, which enables him to endure
great fatigue upon the most simple fare, and his amenity to discipline,
together with an instinctive knowledge of arms and a natural capacity
for a military profession, render him a valuable material for our
requirements in organising a defensive force in Cyprus. Should it be
determined that a certain number of British troops shall be retained,
they can be spared unnecessary exposure, and retire to the mountain
sanatorium during the summer months.
The wages of both artisans and ordinary labourers have risen
considerably since the British occupation, as might have been expected.
Skilled masons and carpenters can now command from 3 shillings 6 pence
to 5 shillings per diem, who formerly could earn a maximum of 3
shillings. Ordinary masons for building walls can even now be obtained
for 2 shillings 6 pence and 3 shillings, and agricultural labourers
receive 1 shilling. It is probable that should extensive government
improvements be undertaken, or large contracts be made by private
individuals for public works, the rate will rise from one shilling to
eighteen pence, as the demand for labour shall increase. Should schools
be established and education become general throughout the island, the
result will probably be exhibited by a corresponding advance in wages,
as individuals will estimate their value at a higher rate. At present
there is no organised system of education for the peasantry, and the few
schools are confined to Nicosia, Larnaca, Limasol, Baffo, and Morphu,
all of which are supported by original grants, voluntary contributions,
the payments of pupils, and by certain sums annually provided by the
bishops and monasteries.
The rate of wages should in all countries bear a just proportion to the
price of food, and should the habits of the Cypriotes remain unchanged,
and their diet retain its simple character, there is no reason to
anticipate a rate that would eventually exceed 10 shillings or 11
shillings a week. If we determine upon low wages, we must keep down the
price of food. The Turkish administration had peculiar municipal laws
upon this subject which are still in force in some localities, but have
been abrogated in Limasol. I have already mentioned that the price of
meat was fixed at a certain sum per oke, so that good and bad sold at
the same figure, and resulted in the inferior qualities being sent to
market, while the best never appeared.
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