Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1878-11-09
THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS.
Interesting Facts and Traditions Concern.
ing its Early History.

THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS.
Interesting Facts and Traditions Concern.
ing its Early History.
From the New York SUM-
The attempt of the camel-driver Cal
cocerus to make himself King of Cyprus,
and thus revive the ancient independent
position of the island A. d. 334, was
frustrated, and the aspirant layed alive.
At this period and during the first CEN
turies of Byzantine rule many circum-
stances conduced to the animation of
trade and vehement cultivation of the
fertile soil. Cyprus was long regarded
as harbor of refuge not only by the in
habitants of the war harried Asiatic
mainland, but by the Victims of relig
ious persecution everywhere. The in
PRODUCTION of the silk-worm was an i'm
portant factor of the islands prosperity.
In the year 557 A. d., two monks brought
from India quantity of silk-worm's
eggs, which the Emperor Justinian or
dered to be distributed in various prov
inces. Nowhere, however, did their
| culture succeed as we'll as in Cyprus,
and in very short time the southern
slopes were covered with mulberry trees,
and silk factories were established.
During the early Byzantine epoch the
management of the island was intrusted
to the joint care of military and civil
Governors. But there was a growing
tendency to combine these functions in
the hands of a satrap, who, after the
reign of Phocas "a. ID. 610), bore the III
tie of Duke. Such supreme Governor
would naturally aim to make the success.
sion hereditary in his family, and would
often for time succeed result
which presently tempted him to declare
complete independence. Fer the most
part, however, his independence only
lasted until the Imperial forces could be
got together. The numerous attempts
on the part of the Arabs to acquire
Cyprus, which began soon after Mo-
hammed's death, were sometimes tenn
porarily successful, and had, in one in
stance, substantial results. Under the
Omyiad Caliphate the island was thrice
taken and recovered. Far more incl
sive was the impress made by Arabian
civilization under the Abassids, for
Haroun Elraschid. conquered Cyprus in
803, and his successors held it until S64.
From this date until 119l the Dukedom
of Cyprus was commonly assigned by
way of appanage to some member of
the ruling dynasty at Byzantium, who
not seldom took advantage of the weak
ness or necessities of the Empire to
throw off the yoke, but these revolts were
never fortunate. Cyprus now became
a frequent hating place for the crusad-
ers on their way eastward, and more
than one leader of these expeditions
here found a grave. Among them was
Guelph, fourth Duke of Bavaria, who
about the year HOO died in Cyprus. A
little later the same fate befel Eric, the
first King of Denmark, and in 114S
Amadeus, Count of Savoy, an ances-
tor of the present King of Italy, was
laid in Cypriote ground.
We come now to the conquest OF
Cyprus by an English King. We have
arrived at the end of the twelfth GEN.
tury, when, for the fourth time, the
Western Continent has massed its forces
to do battle against the East. For a
century the coast of Asia, opposite to
Cyprus, from Cilicia to Egypt, has been
Z. recovered to Christendom and fashion
ed into a feudal kingdom, whose seat is
at Jerusalem, and whose supports are
the principalities of Tripoli, Odessa and
Antioch, and the lordships of Cesarea
Beyrut, Sldon, and Tyre. In this quar-
ter Cyprus alone remains under the By
zantine yoke, being ruled in 1190 by
Isaac Comnenos, fated to be the last By
zantine Duke, a man of such notoriou.
cruelty that his suzerain, the Greel
Emperor, had more than once beer
driven to demonstrate with his vassal
1t happens presently that Richard, Kins
of England, touching at Cyprus on hi
way to the Holy Land, learns that SOM
; of his soldiers, shipwrecked on the coast
have been robbed by the subjects o
!, Comnenos, and that his sister and Ber
, engaria, his betrothed bride, have beel
insulted by the Duke. Richard land
troops near Amethus, takes that cit
withou. much difficulty, and RACES it t.
the ground. A few days later the En-
: glish and the Cypriotes meetin battle o.
: the plains of Mesaoria, where tn
latter are defeated and tn
!, Duke made prisoner. The Gree
i Prince is loaded with silver chains
solemnly deposed from his dignity, an
sent into captivity. Cyprus is sold b
the conqueror to the Knights Templal
y but these soldiers of the Cross use
) their appanage with so little discretio
K and self.restraint that in complianc
with the prayers of the natives the En-
glish King resumed his rights to the j:
n land. But he could not stay to COVER
v it, and sold it once more for 100, 900 du
o cats to Guy of Lusignan who had jus
}. lost his kingdom of Jerusalem at th
hands of Saladin, and who now, in 119;
founded the new Latin kingdom of Cy
u prus, destined to endure 800 years.
J Cyprus once more had her own Kins
u and it seemed that by a single strok,
!, order and peace were restored to the i
. land Baronial castles, abbeys wit
u stately halls, and fair gothic cathedra
u sprang up in all directions, the slopes
. the hills were covered with vineyard
10 \; and orchards, while the fields were SOW
u with corn and profitable vegetable
Rich salt-works, a great expansion give
% to the silk aud cotton industries, and
Of trade that spread all over the Medite
i ranern infused life into the whole cou
Il try. Famagusta and Limasol resum,
i'd their places as large seaports. II