The Shrubs Were Vividly Green, And Formed So Dense A
Crest That Several Partridges Which I Shot Remained Sticking In The
Bushes As They Fell.
I never saw such myrtles as those which occupied
the ravines, through which it was quite impossible to force a way.
The
principal young trees were Pinus maritima, dwarf-cypress, mastic,
caroub, arbutus, myrtle, and wild olive. The name Cupressus horizontalis
has been given to the dwarf-cypress, but in my opinion it is not
descriptive of the tree: a cypress of this species, if uninjured, will
grow perfectly straight in the central stem for a height of twenty feet
without spreading horizontally. It is probable that the misnomer has
been bestowed in ignorance of the fact that an uninjured tree is seldom
met with, and that nearly every cypress has been mutilated for the sake
of the strong tough leader, which, with one branch attached, will form
the one-fluked anchor required for the roofs of native dwellings already
described. In the absence of its leader the tree extends laterally, and
becomes a Cupressus horizontalis. The wood of this species is extremely
dense and hard, and when cut it emits a resinous and aromatic scent; it
is of an oily nature, and extremely inflammable. The grain is so close
that, when dry, it somewhat resembles lignum vitae (though of lighter
colour), and would form a valuable material for the turner. There are
two varieties of cypress in this island; the second has been erroneously
called a "cedar" by some travellers, and by others "juniper." This tree
is generally met with, at altitudes varying from three to six thousand
feet, upon the Troodos range; it seldom exceeds a height of thirty feet,
but attains a girth of six or even seven. The wood is by no means hard,
and possesses a powerful fragrance, closely resembling that of cedar (or
of cedar and sandal-wood combined), which may have given rise to the
error named. It splits with facility, and the peculiar grain and
brownish-red colour, combined with the aroma, would render it valuable
for the cabinet-maker in constructing the insides of drawers, as insects
are believed to dislike the smell. The foliage of this species exactly
resembles that of the Cupressus horizontalis. The cedar may possibly
have existed at a former period and have been destroyed, but I should be
inclined to doubt the theory, as it would surely have been succeeded by
a younger growth from the cones, that must have rooted in the ground
like all those conifers which still would flourish were they spared by
the Cypriote's axe. The native name for the cypress is Kypreses, which
closely resembles the name of the island according to their
pronunciation Kypris. The chittim-wood of Scripture, which was so much
esteemed, may have been the highly aromatic cypress to which I have
alluded.
After a ramble of many hours down to the monastery upon the rocky shore,
along the point, and then returning through the woods over the highest
portions of the promontory, I reached our camp, which commanded a view
of the entire southern coast with its innumerable rocky coves far beyond
telescopic distance.
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