'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.' [‎460] (545/905)

460
ANCIENT NAMES OF CYPRUS. [CHAP. XIX.
Products of
Cyprus.
Names and
earliest inha
bitants.
mosques, numerous fruit gardens, and about 1500 commodious
clay-built houses, usually of one story, amongst wliicli are
displayed the flags of the different European consuls. It is
situated in the plain adjoining the salt marshes along the river
Tesio, and nearly a mile and a half from the store-houses at
the port called Salines. The population is under 6000 souls;
and the inhabitants, like those of Famagosta and other towns
in the plains, are exposed to intermittent fevers, and also oc
casionally to the plague.
The villages on the slopes of the mountains, as well as the
rest of the country, are very healthy ; and the Cypriots in
general are a fine race of people. The island, which in the
time of Edrisi contained numerous villages, cultivated fields,
woods, meadows and mines, 1 is now almost waste; in certain
places, however, the sugar-cane succeeds admirably. The
other products are fine silk, cotton, hemp, tobacco, corn,
wine, oil, opium, fine honey, turpentine, madder, pomegranates,
oranges, lemons, and other fruits; the exports of wh,ich
might be increased so as to realize the abundance existing in
the time of Strabo. 2
The ancients gave various names to the island, such as
Cerastis, 3 alluding to its numerous promontories; Cypros 4 or
Cyprus, from an indigenous shrub; it was also called Aerosa,
from its copper mines. There have been preserved some his
torical traces of the island, which are particularly interesting.
It appears, according to Eratosthenes, 5 that the Phoenicians
first visited Cyprus 17 centuries before our era, and not long
subsequently it was occupied by the Ethiopians and other
people, 6 amongst whom probably were the sons of Cethimus
and the descendants of Japhet, who, according to Josephus, 7
were its earliest possessors, and who called the island Cethima. 8
The Salaminians, led by Teucer, son of Telamon, founded
Salamis in the island about 1160 B.C. 9 This city became the
Jaubert's translation of Edrisi, p. 130, tome VI., Recueil de Voyages, &c.
8 Lib. XIV., p. 683.
4 Plin., lib. XII., c. xxvi.
6 Herod., lib. VIIL, c. 90.
8 Ibid.
8 Plin., lib, V., c. xxxv.
6 Strabo, lib. XIV., p. 684,
7 Ant., lib. I., c. vi., s. 1.
9 Tacit., lib. III., Annal., cap. 62.