New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
CrsNOLA IN CYPRUS


co,,~,l 4; goeuola's report Of his famous dlscoN-
cries follows directly upon that of Dr. Schneniann'
7, comes FIRST i'm The order of time, aud Was hISt pre-
Mood. I'm. the English publisher we Gh"eIS'"nu'
del.ved IFS publication in order that The TWO "oiAs
,oici+ apnear simultaneously. This was an uhi'''-
.ssary e1pcdient for each work has us own Sep,.'-
ate Inherent interest. and each has been awate" pS
thc uubhc with equal lmpadcnce. If schli'inahH
solisrt mas the advantage OF dramatic character
Ccsnoia on the other hand. has given ms hN'h'r
and more picturesque narrative His lahoTs EXTENDED
,,r carlv the whole surface of island 100 miles
in lengh by about thirty in greatest breadth, ana
were continued for nearly ten years. In zeal, pa
t;cpcc aid intelligence tlerciorc-cspeclaliy when
Nc consider that he was compelled 10 rely wholly
mon MI, private means-he has proved himself Sc
ond TO no other archaeological explorer.
General di Cesnola fought sailantly for the Union
during the war; and at ITS close, In the beginning OF
April. 1863. was appointed Consul to Cyprus by
President Lincoln. Accompanied by his wife, an
American lady, he reached Larnaca, the chief COM
mcrcal port of the island, on Christmas Day OF that
year There was no hotel OF any kind in The place
but the strangers were Hospitality received by the
other foreign cousuls, who contributed the
necessary furniture when tOerablc dwell
ing had been found for them, Only few
wears before the ancient sites Of Cyprus had been
examined by a French Archaeological Mission,
which had found next to nothing; there was, ap-
parently, no announcement for the explorer; but
Larnaca stands upon the site of the ancient CItium,
and General On CcSnola, having plenty Of time on
his hands, began 90 cropc, in q random way, among
the folmless heaps of ruin. Little by little the OBJ
iects or fragments Of objects began to assume an
important character. Alabaster vases and curious
archaic pottery came TO light, then the PhGnician
sareophagus OF white marble which IS now IN the
Metropolitan Museum, and another Of the Roman
period. This success, at point where none was
expected, gave the explorer that stimulus which
finally led to his marvellous discoveries He pro
cured from Coustantnople the trman. OF permit TO
excavate under certain conditions, and yentured his
private means in the undertaking.
Ia the Autumn Of 1866 lucky chance came 10
his aid. In seeking country residence for his
family he was struck with the pleasant appearance
of a small house in a garden Of orange and lemon
trees on the outskirts Of the village OF Dali, tie
ancient Idalium. The proprietor was willing TO let
the place during the hot season, aud the Cesnola
family. on taking possession, adopted the habits OF
the people living aud sleeping in the open air
undcr the spreading branches Of two great walnut
trees the boughs of which served instead OF closets
for their china, plate linen. and clothing, suspended
20 them in baskets. A cordial acquaintance with
the native population followed, leading TO IN
formation and the production Of some ancient vases
which set the explorer TO work on the site OF the
ancient necropolis lie leased thirty of land,
employed q number Of wOrkmen, and in the course
of three years opened no less than 10000 tombs!
There proved to be two. distinct strata of burial
chambers in the same soil-the upper Of which was
Greek the lower Phdnican. The most Of these
chambers were excavated in the EARTH and had con-
tanned three bodies, together with funeral vases and
other objects, weapons or ornaments of the dead.
In thousands Of instances the earth had caved in,
crushing to atoms everything the tombs had con-
tanned; but there were great many where only
fine dust had sfted through the porous soil, filling
the chambers, and so completely preserving the
that they came to light with all then hrst
brillianCy OF color and perfection Of form.
We have no space to describe infinitely the objects
discovered. The collection Of pottery is both very
large and very remarkable in its character, lncud-
ing pure Egyptian. Assyran, and Greek types or all
three combined. Short inscriptions, both III the
Phpuician and Cypriote characters, were also
found together with lamps bronze bowls, golden
rings and chains and a great number Of vessels OF
glass so exquisitcly iudescent that some Of them
,eem 10 have been cut from solid Honduras orals
They now constitute of the rarest treasures OF
the Cesnola collection. These wonderful dlscOv-
eries produced great excitement among the people
of the neighborho0d and set other amateur OK
plOrers 70 work. Mr. Lang, the English Consul
was the only one Of them. however. who was sue
eessfnl He found the remains Of "a temple, among
the debris Of which was a bngual inscription. in
the PhGnican aud Cypriote alphabetS. This has
given modern philoogists the key to the ancient
C-Puote dialect.
Only a few miles from Dali is the modern village
of Athieno, near which there the mounds of an
ancient city which has been identified as GOlgos.
General hi CesnOla sent some men to dig there in
1867 and was rewarded by the discovery OF that
beautiful aud apparently very ancient sarcophagus,
which is now in orr museum. Early III 1870 his
Daotc woTkmcn. who were idle, asked leave to dig
again 1T Golgos About week atterwdrd, mes
senger came in great haste to Larnaca, with the
news that a colossal stone head and many other
pieces ~ sculpture had been found The General
was obliged 10 attend a meeting OF the Consular
corps that evening, and scnt word that he would be
at Golgos the following morning. During the even
ing however two other messengers arrived with
news that the peasants were carrying of Of the
exhumed objects, snd that the police of the place
had claimed the sculptures IN the name of tho Sui
tan The General, tncIeupon started at midnight
what followed must be given in his words
A shor, distance from Larnscs. several rid
tng at rapid pace. whom stOppcd, believing they
other for but found that some OF them
aud that oihcrs were muieecrs employed occasionally
Consus and who had come 90 give them, also,
soeague. Lsd risen and were actually in tie saddle
whe they learn that tho American Consul proha
by b. trst time already On The spot when they pri-
dcntly disfobed agdn nv mug sl-l In NCnIe 20 re-
toward Aghios PAoiio5 where arrived IN less than all
hour.
All AthienO bivcuscked The dcsertike plain Of
AghioE PHOTOS the moon not yet risen, and large
IRE. were Ht al uintIent points throwing Iauthsus
shadows men moved about gerly cesucuiatng aud
cOnversing. The light falling upon their swSrtby faces
and parttcoloed dress them the appearance OF q
band Of brg3uds which In some measure they were