During this time an extraordinary
apathy was exhibited by Venice, which should at all hazards have
determined upon the relief of this important position. On 23rd January,
1571, the only effective expedition entered Famagousta with 1600 men,
provisions and ammunition, with a squadron commanded by the Venetian
Marc Antonius Quirini; but on the 1st August following, the provisions
and ammunition having been completely expended, it became absolutely
necessary to negotiate the terms of capitulation. A detailed description
of this interesting siege is given in the work of Richard Knolles, The
General History of the Turks, published in London in 1638.
The conditions of surrender stipulated that "The garrison should march
out with five guns and the horses of the commanders, and should be
conveyed to Candia in the ships and at the expense of the Turks; that
the inhabitants should be free to quit the town and take their property,
and that those who preferred to remain should be unmolested both as
regards their persons and their goods."*
(*Captain Savile's Cyprus, p. 22.)
General di Cesnola writes, page 39:--
"These conditions were eagerly accepted by the
treacherous Mustafa; hostages were exchanged;
Turkish vessels, as stipulated, entered the port of
Famagousta, and took on board all those who wished
to leave the island; nothing remained but the formality
of delivering the keys of the city to the victor.
"On 5th August General Bragadino, accompanied
by his lieutenants Baglioni, Martinengo, and Quirini,
went to the Turkish camp, and was politely received
by Mustafa. After the delivery of the keys, and
when General Bragadino had risen to take leave, the
vile Turk asked him for special hostages for the safe
return from Candia of the Turkish vessels which were
to convey him and his men thither; Bragadino refused
this, as not having been stipulated in the accepted
conditions of his surrender. Then Mustafa accused
him of bad faith, and of having put to death fifty
Turkish pilgrims after he had surrendered, which was
indignantly denied by Bragadino. The pasha, becoming
enraged, ordered the four Venetians to be put to death,
and in a few minutes Generals Baglioni, Martinengo,
and Quirini were executed in the presence of Bragadino,
for whom a more terrible death was reserved.
The executioner cut off his nose and ears; three times
he was made to lay his head upon the block, as if
to be beheaded, then, heavily chained, was thrown
into a dark dungeon, and left for nine days in that
miserable condition.
"On the tenth day, by order of Mustafa, Bragadino
was brought out of prison and made to carry earth
for the repair of the fortifications during several hours,
after which, more dead than alive, the heroic soldier
was tied to a stake, and, in the presence of the ferocious
Mustafa, was flayed alive. His skin, stuffed with hay,
was sent with the heads of the other three Venetians
as presents to the Sultan."
The two most important conquests of Cyprus have thus commenced from the
port of Limasol, which is destined to become of primary importance as
the great commercial representative town of this now poor island.
We remained sixteen days at Limasol, during which time we had the
pleasure of the society of Colonel and Mrs. Warren and their young
family, which we thoroughly appreciated after the exile from civilised
life and ladies since we had quitted Kyrenia and Lefkosia. The leading
officials and some Greek merchants of the town were good enough to call
frequently, and kindly afforded much information; at the same time they
did not conceal their disappointment at the terms of the occupation,
which, by draining the island of its revenue, completely paralysed the
good intentions of the English government; the best resolutions being
valueless unless supported by the necessary capital.
Although I received every politeness from the inhabitants, who appeared
to think I had some official mission, it was not difficult to trace a
general tone of complaint and dissatisfaction, which was perfectly
natural under the existing regime. Although nothing could exceed the
pains taken by Sir Garnet Wolseley and all his officials to introduce
reforms for the general welfare of the people, the task was simply
impossible where various interests were conflicting, and no HYBRID
government could at once destroy existing abuses and at the same time
establish laws suitable to all classes. This general reform required an
independent administration, untrammelled by mongrel relations with the
Turk, and equally free from the vexatious labyrinths of English
jurisprudence. I do not wish to catalogue the long list of grievances
which have been entrusted to my unwilling ears, but there are some which
are so utterly destructive to the interests of the country and the
government, that I have no hesitation in describing them.
The great trade of Limasol is wine, as the district exhibits the
industry first encouraged by the Venetians; this, as the great
money-producing cultivation, opposed to Mussulman prejudices, has been
burdened with extortionate taxation and restrictions, which have not yet
been relieved by the British administration.
CHAPTER X.
THE WINE DISTRICT OF LIMASOL.
In the fifteenth century the Cyprian vines were selected for the now
celebrated vineyards of Madeira; nothing can better exemplify the
standard of industry and consequent prosperity than the vine, when we
regard the identical plant in the hands of the Portuguese and in its
original home in Cyprus under the Turkish administration. The first
historical notice of the vine occurs when Noah, stranded upon Mount
Ararat, took advantage, upon the first subsidence of the waters, to
plant a vineyard; and, according to the curt biblical description, it
grew, produced, and the wine intoxicated the proprietor, all within a
few days.
