The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-08-17 00:00:00

INTERESTING DETAILS RESPECTING
CYPRUS

The Standard of Wednesday publishes a telegram (from
their Special Correspondent at Larnaca) giving a summary
of the result of the investigations which have been instituted
in regard to the present geographical, topographical, and
social condition of the Island of Cyprus :

There are 220,000 people in Cyprus, three-fourths
of whom are Christians. In Nicosia the Moslems are
in the majority, und are fanatical, but the Christians
are in a great majority everywhere else.
The inhabitants generally are peacefully disposed,
lazy, tolerant to strangers, fond of pleasure, and some-
what addicted to intemperance, but robbery and
murder are unknown among them.
Midsummer is the worst season of the year for
health. Tile rural districts are, however, nearly free
from fever.

The Turkish soldiers in Cyprus number 500 ; besides
which there are also 275 zaptiehs, or Turkish police-
men.

Nicosia is protected by ramparts, which are armed
with forty ancient cannon, capable of no very great
defensive operations. Famagusta is surrounded by
walls of some strength, but they stand in need of a
proper armament. Baffo and Larnaca are weakly pro-
tected from the sea. Kyussia can be made a formid-
able stronghold. Limasol and Famagusta are the only
ports where the landing of troops can be easily accom-
plished.
At Larnaca there is no rainfall during ten months
of the year, but when the rains set in they are more
like torrents sweeping down from the far-away
mountains than what Western Europeans are accus-
tomed to. These torrent beds are perfectly dry during
the two summer months.

There are three aqueducts, which usually contain
good water.
About one-fourth of the land has been cultivated.
The land in the north is mostly held by peasant pro-
prietors, but a few of the estates reach to as great an
extent as three thousand acres. The ordinary crop.
bearing ground fetches £.3 an acre, and the cotton-
producing ground £lO.
The exports exceed the imports by considerably
over £200,000. A large trade is done in wool and
locust beans, which are extensively imported to
Austria and Russia. The cotton grown in Cyprus is
from American seed and is excellent, and the trade in
cotton is being gradually developed. Some trade is
also done in tobacco and ix madder, but the cultiva-
tion of these articles wants encouragement. Copper
and splendid asbestos are to be found near Baffo, and
amber and copperas near Larnaca.
There are salt lakes in the Island of great extent,
and very lucrative; they are Government property.
Turkey drew over £200,000 yearly profit out of the
Island, but the sources from which this sum came can
be easily so managed as to produce half a million ster-
ling, and the Island be benefitted in the process.
The revenue of the Island is derived principally
from agricultural tithes, duties on wine and stamps, a
sheep tax, and a salt monopoly.
The administration of the several local Councils
and Law Courts has been exercised by Moslems and
Christians, all of whom have been elected by the
people. The Administrators who were found existing
have been allowed to. continue their functions under
the control of a British Court of Appeal.
At Nicosia the Christians are in the enjoyment of
civil and religious freedom. One Archbishop and
three Bishops of the Greek Church were elected by the
people, and their position and dignity were respected
by the Turkish Government.