The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-12-06
The French in Cyprus.

Although Cyprus offers such excellent in
ducements for any one with little capital
and some knowledge of farming, as far as |
could learn none of the so.called French |
colony on the island have ever turned their |
attention to cultivation of the land. They |
prefer being what they term dams les gtdires
in business, as we would call it. This,
however, is a natural peculiarity. A French
man does not mind how many hours day
he devotes TO his Office or counting house,
but unless he was born an agricultural la
borer he dslikes beyond measure outdoor
| work of all kinds. With Englishmen it is
exactly the reverse. They hate and detest
confinement but are always ready to under
take anything that gives them exercise in
the open air. | venture to say that if an
English or quasiEnglish colony existed in
Cyprus we should find that nine out of ten
of those who composed it would turn their
attention to farming and would prefer a
comparatively small income earned out of
doors to a much larger one made at the
desk. Not that les dtdires of our Cypriote
friends appear to confne them much to their
Offices. They take life very easy. To,begin
with the business of the islanu, so far as
the French colony is concerned, does not
take much time to get over except at certain
seasons. 1t consists simply in making ad-
vances of money 10 the agricultural CLASSES,
and more particularly to those who own
mulberry plantations, and who feed cocoon.
or silkworms for the French market. The
security OF the money thus advanced
: has only one risk to run, that of bad season.
q and when that happens the account is car
red over to the following year. But when
visited this island those who lent the cult
q vators money, realized, what between the in
, terest upon the advance, (which is never
-, less than u, and often Is and "a per cent
per annum), the commission of sending til
cocoons to Marseilles, and the commssio
~ of selling them there, about thirty per cen
II per annum on their capital. And yet strang
te say, those who borrow seem to fouris
in almost as much as those who lend.
:. There is not much ostensibe wealth in tt
island in fact, hardly any at all. But, q
the other hand there is very little actu
# poverty, and commercial failures are,
q were, when | was in Cyprus-almost III
known. The native trading commun
ID consists of Moslems, Jews and Christian
ID OF these European merchant can near
10 always believe the first upon his simp
word, the two latter he can rarely credit
h. oath, and the harder they swear the mo
in cetain one may be that they are stating VIII
q; is not the case. 1t is curious to note he
as throughout the east from Constantinople
ne Alexandria, every French or English m,
ne chant of any experience will tell the sal
re exact tale in this respect. The Moslem W
he is not in any way connected with the &C
IS, ernment is truthful and in every way to
trusted-his word is as good as his GA
in The native Christians. on the other han
economize the truth with almost as mu
he care as they do their own money. So q
per cent. when purchasing or selling bi
''' of exchange,or to obtain goods trife chei
~ er than the price that is asked, an caste
-" christian will say anything, swear anythil
''e deny what he has affirmed five minutes
.. forehand, and not seem at all aware that
W. is doing anything wrong. And yet the "
'"' man who, when making bargain with J
whether it be for few trinkets, such
,on travellers purchase to keep as memor
,tb of the place, or whether it be for hundl
n.o bales of cotton-will, as the French s
'lie like tooth-drawer," will do anythil
submit to any loss rather than become ba
rupt and when he receives visitors in
own house, do so with kindly courtesy VIII
- Englishmen of all classes might with 6,
reason, envy.-7empie Bar.