After A Ride Of Two Hours And A Half We Arrived At Caravastasi, And
Halted In A Very Stony Field
At the back of the village, beneath an old
caroub-tree that had grown thick and shady by the merciless
Hacking of
its taller boughs, which had reduced it to a pollard. The village of
Caravastasi consists only of eight or ten houses, but is rendered
important by a Custom-house. It is situated on the most inland point of
Morphu Bay, and is slightly sheltered on the west by a promontory, which
forms a neat little cove for the protection of small vessels; but it is
completely open due north. Nothing would be easier than to construct a
small harbour, by extending a pier or breakwater from the end of the
promontory in the required direction; and the present unimportant
village would become only second in importance to Kyrenia.
The positions of ancient sea-port ruins attest the value that attached
to certain geographical points in former days, and although the vessels
of those periods may have been much inferior to ships of modern times,
they were sufficiently large for the commerce of the country and for the
capabilities of the harbours. The trade of Cyprus will always be carried
by vessels from twenty to one hundred and fifty tons, and there should
be no difficulty in providing shelter for ships of this small draught of
water. The ruins of Soli, on the west of the present village of
Caravastasi, prove that the Athenians, who founded the original city,
were thoroughly cognizant of the value of a position which is the only
spot upon the whole northern coast of Cyprus that will afford shelter or
a landing-place, excepting the harbour of Kyrenia.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 243 of 524
Words from 66188 to 66481
of 143016
