These Tame Creatures Are The Objects Described In Some Books
Upon Cyprus As "The Wild Oxen And Horses Of The Carpas District, The
Descendants Of Original Domestic Animals"!
The monastery of Cape St.
Andrea forms an exception to all others in being perfectly independent,
and beyond all control of bishops.
This wild country, far from all
roads, and forming the storm-washed extreme limit of the island, was
considerately out of the way of news, and the monk was absolutely
ignorant of everything that was taking place in the great outer world.
He had heard that such mischievous things as newspapers existed, but he
had never seen one, neither had that ubiquitous animal the
newspaper-correspondent ever been met with in the evergreen jungles of
Cape St. Andrea. His monastery was his world, and the poor inhabitants
who occupied the few miserable huts within sight of his church were his
vassals. Although the bell of the monastery tolled and tinkled at the
required hours, he informed me that "nobody ever attended the service,
as the people were always engaged in looking after their animals."
During the conversation a sudden idea appeared to have flashed upon him,
and starting from his seat, he went quickly to his mule, and making a
dive into the large and well-filled saddle-bags, he extracted an
enormous wine-bottle that contained about a gallon; this he triumphantly
brought to us and insisted upon our acceptance. It was in vain that we
declined the offering; the priest was obdurate, and he placed the bottle
against the entrance of the tent, which, if any one should have
unexpectedly arrived, would have presented a most convivial appearance.
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