'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎81] (118/1024)

Chap.VI. tffMonheur Tavernier. Si
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which the report of the Country goes, that St. Helena returning from Jer^faiem left
apiece of our Saviour’s Greffs with the Chriftiansof Cyprus, who builta.Church
there, by means of the Liberality of the fame Princeis. Afterwards ihofe of the
Town of Leucara took it from hence, and carry’d it to their Church,'where I faw
it. The piece is as big as the Palm oi a Man’s Ha rid, let in a great Crofs of Litten,
embofs’d with fevcral Figures. ^ . , ?
In the Kingdom of Cyprus that there is an i^rchbifhop, an^ three Suffragans, the
Archbifhop takes, upon him the Title of Nicofia j to which belongs with
all the Country between Nicofia and Famagofta, with the Territories of Nicofia and
ail the Villages round. He has a Houfe about a League from Nicofia, where Ae
cniefelt of his Revenue lies. Some years fince he caus'd the high Altar of the
Church to be painted and guildec!, being, a neat piece of Workman(hip. : Thus
the Archbifhop has under his Jurifdiduori all the middle part of the Wand, and
fome part toward the Eaft. The BilTops are the Bifhops of Paphos, Larneca, and'
iZtxines* „ < v 1 i}, - <
The Greeeks are very much addicted to the obfervation of their ancient Cuftoms
and Ceremonies * 7 and generally their MaifTes are very long. Upon Sundays and
Holy-days they fife between one and two of the Clock in the Morning to fing Mat-
tens. To which purpofe there is a Clerk that goes from door to door and knocks
with a Hammer, to wake the people, and then cries out with a loud voice, Chri*
'{Ham go to Church. The men and old women fail not to go as beinjg more zealous
but the maids and young women never go out of doors iti the night for fear of the
Turks. There are feven or eight Villages, the Inhabitants whereof arc Maronites,
who came from Mount Libamts, and fpeak Arabic at home, but G>^ among the
Wanders. They follow the Romijh Religion, arid have their Churches peculiar to
themfelves. - . .
, The Wand of Cyprus is no wholefom Air, being fubjeft: to thefpoil of a fort of
Locufts, that fome Summers deftroy all their Fruit and Corn During the heats
they hover in the Air, which they will darken with their number like a thick
Cloud*, but when the North Wind blo^vs, it carry’s them into the Sea, where
they perifh.
There are in Cyprus three forts of colour’d Earth, a Grey black, a Red, and a
Yellow*, of which the Venetians fetch away great quantities for their courier fort
of Painting. There’s aifo a Mine of White Alome, which is theftone call’d Dami-
antlius. J Tis thought that the Ancients had a way to fpin this Alome into a kind of
Cotton, and fo to mdke out of it a certain fort of Cloath that vf ould not confume in
the Fire, but only be the more perfe&ly whiten’d thereby. The formerly-
bury’d the dead bodies of their Kings deceas’d in Shrouds of this kind of Linen*
and then putting them into the Fire, found the bodies all reduc’d to afhes, but the
Cloth whole *, out of which they took the afhes, and carefully put them into an Urne,
which was prepared for their prefervation. , . |
When the Baftia of Cyprus has a mind to view the Fortrefsbf Emagofta, he fends
to give the Bey, who is Governour thereof, nqtice of it. For it is at the Cover-
nours choice whether he will give him admiffion or no. The Bajha Bdi-Ciorgi *
being a comely old man of above a Hundred and two years of age, fetting out of
Nicofia in his Litter with about two hundred Horfe , when he was-come withia
half a League of Famagofla, the Governour of the place fent his Lieutenant with a.
hundred Horfe to Compliment him, and to conduft him tothe Towm Immediately
they took upon them the Guard of the ‘Bajhd’s Litter, who was not permitted to take
along with him above eight or ten of his principal Officers. The Canons roar’d at
his entry, and he was-treated magnificently, but he lay not in the Town, be
ing conduced back by the fame party tothe place where they met him in the Morning.
Tlpon the third day of Qftober we fet Sail about three a Clock in the Morning with
a Weft-North-Weft Wind, and about Noon we were within.fight of Famagofla,
into which place we could by no means be admitted, by reafon of the Wars be-:
tween the Turks and Venetians. But as far as I could dife^rn a fai* off, there is no
eafie accefs to thePort, andfortheCity l couId deferyno part of it. >
The fourth by break of day we got fight of the Coaft of Syria, Cape Ganger,
arid the Golf of ^Antioch, and about Evening we arriv’d in the Rood of Alex
andre ti a, ’ T; "' * rX}