第 22 节
作者:双曲线      更新:2022-04-14 11:08      字数:9321
  Trichomo。 It was the first and the last venture upon native hospitality
  throughout our sojourn in Cyprus; and we in future adhered either to the
  tent or the gipsy…van。
  On the following morning we started at 8。30。 The sky was overcast; and
  in any country but this we should have expected rain。 We had now fairly
  emerged upon a district entirely different from the hateful Messaria;
  which has given Cyprus an unfortunate reputation。 We were quickly among
  thickets of scrub and low brushwood which should have teemed with game。
  My spaniels delighted in the change; and worked the bush thoroughly as
  we proceeded along the route; occasionally flushing two or three
  red…legged partridges。 Passing over the higher ground with the sea in
  view upon our right; we descended after a march of about three miles to
  the shore; where the path skirted the sea along broken rocks; against
  which in bad weather the waves would dash with sufficient violence to
  bar the road。 The white cliffs and hill…tops to our left were covered
  with dwarf…cypress; and formed a lovely foreground above the sea;
  perfectly calm beneath。 The ride was apparently short; although we had
  been in the saddle three hours; as the eye had been gratified by a
  constant change of scenery;from rocks washed by the blue water to
  hills covered with a dense foliage of evergreens; and deep sequestered
  valleys; with occasional gaps in the range of heights through which
  glimpses of the sea in rocky coves burst suddenly into view。 Some of
  these inlets were exceedingly picturesque; as reefs extended from the
  shore; overhanging cliffs having from time to time fallen in huge crags
  and formed natural breakwaters to the beach。 These narrow gaps between
  the hills were generally occupied by a streamlet in the centre; which
  had cut its way far below the level of the ground; the steep banks of
  which were fringed with oleanders; myrtles; mastic; and other
  evergreens; down to within a few yards of the breaking waves。 Nothing
  could be prettier; and upon arrival within sight of Volokalida; about a
  mile and a half distant in the extreme end of a narrow valley; I
  directed my wife to a camping…place near the village; beneath some large
  and prominent caroub…trees; while I dismounted; and with my delighted
  dogs commenced a ramble over the low woods which covered the sides and
  hill…tops to our right and left。 The walk was enjoyable; we had made
  fourteen miles from Trichomo; and upon reaching the perfectly flat
  tableland which formed the summit of the hills I had a splendid sea…view
  extending for many miles along the coast。 The first object that
  attracted my attention was a large steamer stranded in a cove about a
  mile distant。 She looked perfectly snug; but as only her lower masts
  were standing; and funnel gone; there could be no doubt of her
  misadventure。 My binocular glass quickly showed that a portion of her
  bulwarks was carried away; and as no chain was visible to an anchor; she
  was in fact a wreck。 As I made my way through the thick bushes Merry
  presently opened upon a scent; and Wise running in among the rocks;
  flushed a fine francolin partridge; which I shot。 I then got a quail and
  a hare; and had no other chances; although the appearance of the country
  would have suggested an abundance of game。 Upon nearing the seashore I
  saw that extensive sand…dunes had invaded the heights for many hundred
  yards; completely choking the vegetation and forming clumps or mounds of
  sand; topped by tufts of the shrubs that lay buried deep beneath。 I
  walked along the fatiguing ground until I reached the shore exactly
  opposite the abandoned wreck; which lay within a cove; into which she
  had evidently been run for security。
  My dogs found several hares among the clumps upon the sand…dunes; which
  gave them some exercise and amusement; but I did not obtain a shot。
  Upon my arrival at the camping…place I found my wife surrounded by a
  large crowd of women and children beneath a shady tree; all of whom had
  brought presents of eggs and bouquets of wild flowers。 It was difficult
  to persuade these good simple people that we did not require presents as
  an etiquette of introduction; they would insist upon placing their
  little offerings upon the ground; and leaving them if we declined to
  accept them。 The principal wild flowers were cyclamen; narcissus; and
  anemone。 The cyclamen completely covered the ground throughout all the
  low woods and thickets。 I could only find two varieties; the snow…white;
  with claret…coloured centre; and the rose…colour; but the blossoms were
  quite equal in size to those usually grown in our glass…houses in
  England。 We had passed through several hundred acres of open ground that
  were as white from the abundance of narcissus as an English meadow might
  be yellow from the presence of buttercups。
  Our camp was pitched upon a small level plateau of rock; in the centre
  of which was a well; cut completely through the stone from top to
  bottom。 It appeared to be about twenty…five feet deep; but was devoid of
  water and contained a considerable amount of rubbish。 The people assured
  me that a dead Greek lay beneath; as a few years ago some Turks had
  killed one of their people and thrown him into the well; they had
  concealed the body by stones and rubbish; and no further steps had been
  taken in the matter。 As a large crowd of children of both sexes were
  sitting round us doing nothing but stare; I set them to work to clear
  the surface ground from loose stones and to sweep the plateau clean with
  boughs from the wild cypress。 When this was finished I gave them a
  scramble for several handfuls of copper coins upon the cleared area; to
  impress them pleasantly upon their work of cleanliness; this new game
  became very popular; and might be introduced by the British government
  with a certainty of gaining the admiration of the Cypriotes; especially
  during the collection of taxes; the latter being an Anglo…Turkish game
  which is not yet sufficiently appreciated。
  The women were of the same type that we had seen in other districts; but
  they appeared sickly; and many of the children were extremely delicate。
  There was the usual protuberance of the abdomen to which I have before
  alluded; and I found upon examination of the children that an
  enlargement of the spleen was a chronic complaint。 This is due to
  repeated attacks of ague。 I drew the attention of the people to the so
  general mistake in this island of selecting a site for their villages in
  the most unhealthy localities。 We were now camped upon a height about
  eighty feet above the valley; which resembled a basin beneath our feet;
  the village was on the lower level of this basin; and as near the level
  of the sea as possible。 In heavy rains the valley became a temporary
  swamp; and it seemed unaccountable that human beings endowed with common
  sense should have selected the low ground instead of the immediate
  heights。 The explanation was 〃that as the village was built of
  mud…bricks; the houses had been erected as near as possible to the
  source of the material; MUD!〃 to avoid the difficulty of carriage in the
  absence of carts。
  The people were as usual dressed in cotton stuffs of home manufacture;
  and were ignorant of such a material as flannel; the children were only
  half…clad; and shivering; their food was generally raw; comprising
  olives; oil; onions; and wild vegetables; such as artichokes; wild
  mustard; and a variety of trash that in England would only be regarded
  as 〃weeds。〃 There were some pretty intelligent little girls and boys;
  some of these were chewing mastic gum; a white leathery substance which
  they gathered from incisions in the bark of this common shrub。 My wife
  found fault with the neglect of cleanliness; as their teeth; although
  even; were totally uncared for。 On the following morning they all
  assembled and exhibited a show of nice white teeth; as they had followed
  her advice and cleaned them with wood…ashes and their forefingers; in
  lieu of a toothbrush。 We saw these children again a month afterwards
  upon our return; and they ran across the fields to meet us; at once
  opening their mouths to show that they had not forgotten the lesson; and
  that their teeth were properly attended to。 I pitied all these poor
  people: they are downtrodden and miserable in mind and body。 Instead of
  squeezing them for taxes they should be supported and encouraged by
  government assistance in every manner possible。 Centuries of oppression
  and neglect in addition to a deceptive climate have rendered them the
  mere slaves of circumstances; but they exhibit a patience and stolid
  endurance which is beyond all praise; and when Cyprus shall belong
  absolutely to Great Britain; so that the Cypriotes shall feel that they
  are British subjects; they will become the most amenable and contented
  people in the Empire。
  The usual difficulty exists in passing through this island which is felt
  by most English travellers in wild countries。 The sick invariably
  assemble; believing that your medical knowledge will produce miraculous
  cures; and the lame; halt; and blind besiege you even cripples from
  their birth are brought by their hopeful mothers to receive something
  from your medicine…chest that