'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎459] (544/905)

CHAP. XIX.]
FAMAGOSTA.
459
The latter, also called Leikosia, is situated in a mountain Leikosia.
basin almost in the centre of the island, and near the site of
Letra or Leucotra. It contains a fine khan, several mosques,
one of which was formerly the fine gothic church of St.
Sophia; also the serai of the Mutesellim, once the palace of
the kings of Cyprus; and about 12,000 inhabitants, chiefly
Greeks, who are under an archbishop, the metropolitan of the
island.
The remaining sanjaks are those of the two principal ports, Famagosta.
which are situated, the one on the south-eastern and the
other on the southern coast. Famagosta, the more northern
port, occupies a part of the extensive plain of Messarea, and is
situated a little southward of the river Pedia, on the coast
opposite to Ladikiyeh, with which, and one or two other
places on the coast of Syria, it has some trade. The modern
town, like almost every other place in the island, is much
reduced, and only occupies part of the space enclosed by the
Venetian walls. The latter are remarkable in consequence
of having so successfully resisted the Turks, till this people
terminated the protracted and bloody siege of the town, in
1570, by the application of gunpowder, then probably for the
first time used in regular mining operations.
In the adjoining plain of Tamasea 1 stood Tamaseus, so Constantia.
famous in ancient times for its copper mines; 2 and a little way
northward, the second Salamis, so long the seat of a remark
able kingdom ; 3 its site is now occupied by Constantia, whose
extensive vineyards are deservedly celebrated for the most
luscious wine.
Larnika, the chief seat of commerce, is situated nearly in Lamika.
the centre of the southern coast, not far from Cape Chiti, the
Shiti of the modern Greeks, and the site of ancient Citium, 4
whose remote origin is indicated by some Phoenician inscrip
tions. Larnika contains some Greek churches, several neat
1 Ovid, Met, X., v. 644.
8 Plin., lib. V., cap. xxxv.; Strabo, lib. XIV., p. 683.
3 Plin.,lib .V., cap. xxxi. . J v t. t i, ^
4 Smith's Tbucydides, book L, p. 83, as ascertained by the celebrated
Niebuhr. „ _
3 N 2