The earth on the
summit, he commenced a scramble over loose stones, large rocks, and
occasional slippery grass, holding on to the now numerous dwarf-cypress,
until we reached a narrow saddle of the peak, over which a man could sit
astride and look down to the right and left into the depth below. It was
necessary to cross this saddle for about ten or twelve feet to gain the
wider pathway formed by the natural rock, which was terminated after a
few yards by the castle tower. This, as may be imagined, was built upon
the verge, and formed an artificial peak to the precipices upon all
sides. The view was superb, as it commanded a panorama of mountains,
valleys, the sea, precipices, and all that could make a perfect
landscape.
Sitting down to rest upon the solid rock upon the left of this castle
entrance, I observed that it was composed of white marble. The exterior
had a greyish coating from the action of the weather, but this could be
scraped off with a knife, which exposed the white marble beneath. I
remarked that the cement of the masonry was mixed with small fragments
of the same material, and subsequently I discovered blocks of this
substance in the immediate neighbourhood of Kyrenia.
There was a peculiarity in the walls and towers of the fortress of St.
Hilarion: the stones were of such small dimensions that few exceeded
forty or fifty pounds in weight, except those which formed the principal
halls or other buildings upon the secure plateaux within the outer
works. The masons had apparently depended upon the extreme tenacity and
hardness of their cement, which bound the mass into a solid block. Upon
a close examination I discovered the reason. As the towers and many of
the walls were built upon the extreme edge of various precipices, it
would have been impossible to have erected a scaffolding on the outside,
in the absence of which it would have been difficult to have raised
heavy weights; the builders were therefore obliged to limit the size of
stones to the power of individuals, who would be obliged to supply the
material by the simple handing of single stones as the work proceeded.
By this crude system the mason would stand upon his own wall and receive
the stones as his work grew in height.
The origin and date of this interesting fortress are uncertain, but it
is known that, like other eagle-nests upon this craggy range, it formed
a place of refuge to some of the Latin kings of Cyprus. As in ancient
times the port of Kyrenia had been an object of frequent attacks, the
lofty fortresses of St. Hilarion and Buffavento offered immediate
asylums in the event of a retreat from the invaded harbour. In close
proximity to the sea these elevated posts commanded an extended view,
and the approach of an enemy could be discerned at a distance that would
afford ample warning for preparing a defence. Both St. Hilarion and
other mountain strongholds upon this range were dismantled by the
Venetian Admiral Prioli about A.D. 1490, shortly after the annexation of
the island by Venice.
The return ride down the mountain side was, if possible, more beautiful
than the ascent, as the lights and shadows were rendered acute by dark
but quickly passing clouds; occasional light mists curled round the
highest peaks like veils of gauze and then dissolved in the clear air.
These atmospherical changes intensified the colouring and brought out
the varying tints of grey and purple rocks into a strange prominence,
while every wild flower appeared to thrust itself suddenly into
observation: the purple cistus seemed magnified to the size of roses,
and a bright gleam of gold from the masses of prickly bloom now in
fullest blaze mingled with the general green surface of mastic and
arbutus. As we neared the base of the mountains the dark green rounded
tops of a forest of caroub-trees were occasionally broken by the white
bloom of sweet-scented hawthorns; and to the delight of my ear, the
first notes of the cuckoo that I had heard in Cyprus recalled the spring
of England! It is a curious arrangement of our nervous system, that a
sound so simple in itself should invest the scene with a tenfold
pleasure, and should conjure up uncalled-for recollections of places,
friends, and a life of years long past: but so it was; and for the
moment I longed to be at home. . . .
The mules and camels were ready to start on the 10th April. I had
engaged a well-known fine-looking muleteer named Katarjii Iiani, who had
contracted, for twenty-nine shillings a day, to supply the riding mules
and baggage animals sufficient for our party from Kyrenia to any portion
of the island I might wish to visit. My plan was arranged, to include a
circuit of the north and west to Baffo; thence to Limasol; by which time
the hot weather would be drawing near, and we should seek a settlement
as near the clouds as possible upon Troodos; the snow was still deep
upon the northern summit of this mountain, which formed the prominent
object in the range.
Our new muleteer Iiani was about six feet two inches high, and not being
sufficiently tall, he added nearly three inches more by enormous heels
to a pair of well-fitting high boots; these, fastened below the knee,
just showed sufficient clean grey stocking to prove that he possessed
such hose; which are luxuries seldom indulged in by the peasantry. The
boots were carefully blackened and polished, and were armed with long
spurs.
