Cyprus, As I Saw It In 1879 By Sir Samuel White Baker





















































 -  When people had wished
to build a new house, they had taken up a few stones to make a
foundation - Page 53
Cyprus, As I Saw It In 1879 By Sir Samuel White Baker - Page 53 of 524 - First - Home

Enter page number    Previous Next

Number of Words to Display Per Page: 250 500 1000

When People Had Wished To Build A New House, They Had Taken Up A Few Stones To Make A Foundation; The Street Was A Series Of Pitfalls Filled With Mud And Filth, Including Miniature Ponds Of Manure-Coloured Water.

The surface appeared impassable; the projecting water-spouts from the low roofs stuck out like the gnarled boughs of trees.

Here was a pretty mess!--all because Georgi's wife was in town. It was impossible for anything larger than a perambulator to turn, and as the springs yielded to the uneven ground, the van bumped against the walls of the houses and threatened destruction. "Halt!" was the only word, and as the drag-shoe was on the wheel, we stopped. At this moment of difficulty a priest and some old women appeared with earthen vessels smoking with burning olive leaves; they immediately passed the smoke beneath the nostrils of the oxen, then around the van, and lastly ourselves. At the same time some good young women threw orange-flower water over my wife and myself from pretty glass vases with narrow necks as a sign of welcome. The incense of the priests was supposed to avert the "evil-eye" from the gipsy van and our party. I felt much obliged for the good intention, but I did not mind the "evil eye" so much as the water-spouts. In my experience of travelling I never met with such kind and courteous people as the inhabitants of Cyprus. The Dali population had already blocked the narrow streets from curiosity at our arrival, and soon understanding the cause of our dilemma, they mounted the housetops and tore off the obstructing water-spouts; where these projections were too strong, they sawed them off close to the eaves.

Enter page number   Previous Next
Page 53 of 524
Words from 14153 to 14445 of 143016


Previous 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 Next

More links: First 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200
 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300
 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
 410 420 430 440 450 460 470 480 490 500
 510 520 Last

Display Words Per Page: 250 500 1000

 
Africa (29)
Asia (27)
Europe (59)
North America (58)
Oceania (24)
South America (8)
 

List of Travel Books RSS Feeds

Africa Travel Books RSS Feed

Asia Travel Books RSS Feed

Europe Travel Books RSS Feed

North America Travel Books RSS Feed

Oceania Travel Books RSS Feed

South America Travel Books RSS Feed

Copyright © 2005 - 2022 Travel Books Online