Many little villages were dotted
about the mountain sides with groves of olives and other fruit-trees,
which appeared to be in danger from the impending cliffs, huge masses
having fallen and rolled to various distances at the bottom. The country
reminded me of the prettiest portions of South Italy.
At eight miles from Kyrenia we arrived at the thriving town of Karava,
built upon the mountain slope and watered by powerful streams diverted
into artificial channels from the parent bed. The large population of
this neighbourhood is principally engaged in the production of silk, for
which the locality has long been famous. Every garden that surrounded
the houses was rich in mulberry-trees, together with oranges and lemons
and the luxuriant foliage of the almond. We rode along steep paved lanes
within the town, through which the water was rushing in refreshing
streams, until we at length reached the precipitous edge of the ravine,
which in the rainy season becomes an important torrent. Although some
flour-mills are worked, I observed a terrible waste of water-power,
which might be turned to account for machinery. I heard the usual excuse
for this neglect, "The people have no money!"
We had ridden fast, and were far ahead of the baggage animals; we
accordingly halted to lunch beneath a shady caroub-tree near the edge of
the ravine, about fifty feet below. A French game-bag, with net and
numerous pockets, always contained our meals, which consisted of a cold
fowl, some eggs boiled hard, and a loaf of native brown bread or
biscuits. This was luncheon and breakfast, as we never indulged in more
than two meals a day, merely taking a cup of cafe au lait, or cocoa, in
the early morning, and our lunch or breakfast at any hour that
travelling made convenient. This depended upon the attraction of some
pretty spot or wide-spreading tree that suggested a halt.
We now remounted and rode to Lapithus, a mile and a half distant, and,
avoiding the town, selected a camping-place on the flat ground within
300 yards of the sea.
There was little difference between Lapithus and Karava. A succession of
mountain streams nourished the higher grounds, and having fertilised the
gardens and plots of cereals, were subsequently led into the fields
below.
Lapithus has been celebrated from an ancient date in like manner with
Kythrea, owing to the unfailing supply of water from its
mountain-springs, and, under the Ptolemies, B.C. 295, it became one of
the four provinces into which Cyprus was divided. Lapithus, north;
Amathus, south; Salamis, east; Paphos (now Baffo), west.
On the following morning our muleteer Iiani, having indulged in
cigarettes and sleep, was not ready to start at the proper hour, neither
were the animals forth-coming.
