ST. NICHOLAS AND LIMASOL.
Whilst I was in Kolossin I learnt that some fine marble pillars, which
lay outside in the court-yard, had been brought from the Abbey of St.
Nicholas, which was only some few leagues off, upon the neighbouring
peninsula. Everything I heard of this interesting ruin made me more
desirous of inspecting it. Visions of European abbeys floated before my
eyes, and I determined to start at once to view this Cyprian reality.
Next morning I sent on my dragoman and horse-boy to Limasol, with
orders to try and get lodgings for me in the Franciscan cloisters,
and then rode forward with Hussein on the way to St. Nicholas. After
about an hour and a half’s hard riding, we reached the south portion
of the peninsula. The spot was a bare, open plain, and the water by
which it was surrounded, full of reeds. We had scarcely reached our
destination, than torrents of rain began to fall, and we were forced
to take shelter under a ruined wall, standing our horses in front of
us, to prevent our being literally washed away. Happily, the storm was
only of short duration, and the ground was soon dry again, and we could
continue our investigations. The little church of St. Nicholas, which
was evidently built in the fifteenth century, is in good condition, and
stands in the midst of the ruined abbey, the rectangular walls of which
surround it. On closely examining the church it was easy to trace the
solid foundations of the ancient temple, on the site of which it had
been built. Rows of broken pillars, some extending along the hinder
walls, indicated what had once been a covered walk for the monks. Over
the doorway was a huge marble tablet, on which five coats-of-arms were
chiselled. The ancient temple which preceded the abbey had evidently
been very extensive, and I could trace its foundations for some feet
beyond the cloister walls. In one corner stood what had been an altar,
and near it a very deep cistern. The old walls here, which are as hard
as iron, had been taken in large masses to form, evidently, the abbey
walls. Marble pillars lay in all directions, but I saw none as fine as
the two that had attracted my attention in the inn yard at Kolossin. No
trace of the abbey garden was left, beyond some olive-trees, the roots
of which were buried quite impartially under the ancient and mediæval
walls. A few goats were wandering about, and gave a touch of animation
to the melancholy and deserted scene. The water about this peninsula is
as rich in salt as is that near Larnaka.
I mounted a neighbouring eminence, but could see no trace of life.
Not a ship, or boat, appeared upon the bosom of the sea beyond, and I
could not help asking myself, as I descended, if this whole country was
destined to remain desolate for ever, or if we could hope that, under
a new government, it might attain fresh vitality, and again take its
place as one of the animated spots of the earth.
The road from the ruins of the temple and monastery upon the southern
peninsula, a distance of about three and a half hours’ ride, winds
around the salt marsh, and then turns towards the sea. Limasol is
more European in its appearance than any other town in Cyprus. Houses
built of clay and stone predominate here, more especially in the part
inhabited by the Turks.
Clay and wood seem, at the present day, to be the favourite building
materials of these people, and it is the same wherever they settle.
Even a small party of Turkish women that we encountered, were making a
house exactly as in Smyrna or Constantinople. When these women see a
stranger approaching at a distance, they cover themselves up, but as he
draws nearer, the pretty ones always draw their veils a little aside,
so that he may have a peep at their fresh, smiling faces. This use of
the veil appears general throughout Turkey, and was practised even
during the time of the Crusaders.
We rode through a long street, and as we approached a stately-looking
house, Hussein called my attention to a flag emblazoned with the German
eagle, which floated over the roof; with delight I recognised it,
and read the familiar inscription. I then rode on to the Franciscan
convent, where the little monk, who stood before the door, came
forward to receive me with every demonstration of joy and fatherly
welcome. Hardly had I refreshed myself with a cup of excellent coffee,
than he arose and insisted upon my following him to my chamber and
resting myself after my fatiguing journey. He afterwards came to
fetch me, in order that he might show me over the convent. From the
terrace we had a noble prospect, looking towards the mountains which,
although bare, rose grandly above the surface of the plain. Behind the
garden, we found a little sequestered churchyard. The small number of
graves, indicated that during a long period only two or three of the
brotherhood had here found their resting-place. It would seem that
these monks had been placed here, more to watch over the place, than
for any pastoral service. For the purposes of worship a new and very
beautiful church was in course of erection; the money to build this
had come from Rome, where gold is always forthcoming to build churches
with, in any part of the world where Roman Catholics are to be found.
After we had returned to the dining-hall, there entered a very smart
merchant from Tyre, who, like myself, was a guest in the convent.
This man offered me a gem that he said he had just found, for which
he asked an enormous price. He was not at all abashed when I told him
the value of the article might possibly be a couple of piastres. The
manufacture of these pretended antiquities is carried on in Smyrna,
Beyrut, and Jerusalem on an extensive scale, and appears to be very
profitable.
And now the German consular agent appeared with his cavass, dragoman,
and staff of officers, to greet me on my arrival, and when they
departed, Hussien marched after them, and thus they paraded about
the town, and through the bazaar. People are very fond of show and
parade of this description, a passion doubtless derived from the
customs of the Romans and Byzantines. The German resident in Limasol
seemed somewhat disappointed because we had passed his house without
calling, and urgently insisted on my accompanying him home, where,
he said, everything had been prepared for my reception. The little
priest, however, had laid an embargo on my person, and declared that
such an affront should not be offered to his convent. The Italian
consul also paid me a visit, and also the master of the Greek school,
and I was highly amused, knowing, as I did, that all these pressing
invitations were given with the full knowledge that the next steamer
for Constantinople left Larnaka in three days, and that there was no
chance of my waiting a whole week for the next. I then in company with
the Greek schoolmaster, took a walk through the town, and inspected the
bazaar, the schools, and the church. In the higher school there were
about twenty scholars, in the lower upwards of a hundred; their number
increases rapidly from one half year to another. Behind the school I
noticed a column, the capital of which was very handsome, and which
I was told had been brought from the monastery of St. Nicholas. The
interior of the town has a very European appearance; it is, indeed,
principally modern, and has been built—a good augury for Cyprus—in
consequence of the increased export of wines grown in the country.
Limasol at the present day contains about six thousand inhabitants,
of whom one-third, and these the poorest, are Turks. Among the Greek
population there are already several well-to-do merchants, who trade in
flax and wool.
In the evening, a visit to our consular agent enabled me to observe the
domestic economy of the Cyprians, in a Greek house of some pretensions.
The agent himself is a young man of polished address and very engaging
manners, the mistress of the house charmingly beautiful. There was also
a lady whose bright and sparkling eyes gleamed with intelligence and
persevering energy. Her family belonged to the oldest nobility of the
island, and yet had not been resident there for more than a century and
a half. Under Turkish rule families do not easily attain to nobility
or distinction. It may also be remarked that of late years the higher
Turkish officials, who came from Constantinople, were seldom people of
such refined manners as their predecessors. How can it be otherwise,
seeing that money is now the only key whereby admission to office can
be obtained? Even the multitude of green-turbaned descendants of the
Prophet, are quickly disappearing. In China they manage better. After
the imperial family, ranks that of Kung-fu-tso (Confucius), and there
are about ten thousand living descendants of the sage—but it is only
the real lineal head of the family, the Prince Kung, who is benefited
by the renown of his ancestry. In Turkey, on the contrary, the
canker-worm has been long devouring the whole ancestral tree, root and
branch. The curse of the country is, that dignity and work are thought
to be incompatible with each other, and the descendants of the Prophet
consider themselves too illustrious to do anything.
About ten o’clock we sat down to table, and our first glass was
dedicated to our country’s noble flag, which waved above the roof of
the house. At this time, however, there were few Germans in Limasol,
and during the whole year but two or three German vessels had cast
anchor in the roadstead.
I am, however, pretty well convinced that a good trade might be
established here, even if the cargoes consisted entirely of wine. The
conversation turned principally on the population and revenue, and I
succeeded in making a few additions to my knowledge concerning the
statistics of the country. As regards the population of Cyprus, I
was told that the Turks numbered about 200,000, and Greeks 100,000.
An European observer, who was long a resident here, reckoned 100,000
Greeks, 40,000 Turks, and 1000 Maronites and Roman Catholics; most
probably, however, if we estimate the total at 150,000, of whom about
a third are Turks, we should not be far from the truth.
Equally at variance with each other were the accounts that I received
concerning the revenue, although my questions were only put to persons
who, _ex officio_, were able at least to give approximate information.
The revenue derived from the customs and taxes, was estimated by one at
thirty-five millions of piastres, by another at thirty millions, and by
a third at twenty-four millions; the figures set down in the following
Table are, however, probably nearer the mark:
piastres
Tithes upon all income 7,000,000
” ” land 400,000
Land tax (tolls upon product) 5,000,000
Military taxes upon Christians 550,000
Head money upon sheep 700,000
Weighing taxes upon sales 300,000
Customs upon salt 1,500,000
” ” wines 1,000,000
” exported silk 200,000
” fish 20,000
——————————
Total 16,670,000
Truly, for a country so large, so luxurious, and so rich (when
we consider the small value of the piastre), this is but a sorry
income. From this, moreover, must be deducted the cost of the
mosques, Mohammedan schools, and other similar institutions, which
even in Cyprus are distributed over a considerable portion of the
island. These are placed under the superintendence of the Mohammedan
priesthood, and there is a proverb which says, “Sooner will the eyes
of the dead shed tears, than priests give up money.” In Cyprus it
is well understood that, of all these taxes, not above two or three
millions of piastres find their way to Constantinople; nay, that the
inhabitants have, in addition to these imposts, to pay considerable
sums to the Turkish officials to keep them in a good humour. Moreover,
the Turks are constantly obliged to bribe one another, in order to keep
themselves in office, and to maintain the dignity of their position.
The sums expended upon roads, bridges, and public buildings, are of
very trifling amount. Even the cost of the military establishment is
exceedingly small. The population is too weak and too lazy to require
much of a garrison, and the Turks come willingly from other places, to
fulfil the military duties in so quiet a spot.