第 42 节
作者:双曲线      更新:2022-04-14 11:08      字数:9322
  required for this special department。 I myself met droves of donkeys and
  mules loaded with wood and accompanied by their owners with their
  destructive axes; all wending their way through the forest to the town
  of Morphu; which is thus supplied with fuel for baking; cooking; lime…
  burning; and all other purposes。
  It is impossible to feel amiable when passing through these desolating
  scenes; where nature; originally so beautiful; has been defaced; and the
  people; instead of deriving pleasure from natural beauties; are obtuse
  to all the surroundings; which; according to educated taste; would
  ensure appreciation。 I felt inclined to upset the donkeys; capture their
  proprietors; and 。 。 。 I could not have hung them upon the trees that
  they had defaced; for no bough had been left that would have supported
  their weight 。 。 。 and there was no rope。
  While these vindictive and statesman…likethoughts boiled within me; the
  naturally courteous people made their graceful salaams as we passed; and
  studiously conducted their heavily…laden donkeys out of the path to make
  way for our advance; that otherwise would have been effectually choked
  by the throng of bush…and…faggot…laden animals; which looked like
  〃Birnam…wood marching to Dunsinane。〃 In my heart I immediately forgave
  the poor people; I knew that the man with the axe who marched behind was
  as ignorant; and not so strong; as his donkey who carried the load。 They
  had been both subjects of a bad government; and it was not their fault
  that they were despoilers。 You might as well blame the wind for the
  destruction of venerable trees; or the locusts for devouring the crops;
  they were ungoverned; and unfortunately the instinct of uncivilised man
  is to destroy。 I shall say more upon this important subject when we
  arrive among the last remaining forests of the Troodos mountains。
  We rode onwards; always through the same wilderness of old tree…stems
  hacked; and young trees that would be hacked; at length we saw on a
  cleared space in the distance what I imagined to be a long brown rock
  lying upon the surface; but upon riding out of the path to examine this
  object I found it was a splendid trunk of a pine…tree more that two feet
  in diameter。 Why this had been spared for so many years I cannot say;
  but its size suggested reflections upon the original forests that must
  have covered the surface and have ornamented the once beautiful island
  of Cyprus; now denuded; and shorn of every natural attraction。
  I again became angry; visions of the past primaeval forests appeared
  before me; all of which had been destroyed: and as formerly we hung a
  man in England for cutting an oak sapling; I thought that the same cure
  for timber…destroying propensities might save the few remaining forests
  in this island。 While indulging in this strain of unphilanthropic
  thought we overtook another throng of wood…laden donkeys and their
  proprietors: again they smiled; courteously salaamed; and vacated the
  path for us; little knowing what my inward thoughts had been。 Of course
  I smiled; salaamed as courteously in return; and forgave them at once;
  and we proceeded on our way condemning Turkish rule; the impecuniosity
  of our own government; the miserable conditions of our present
  occupation; which rendered Cyprus neither fish; flesh; nor fowl; and
  thus by degrees I lashed myself into the worst possible frame of mind;
  until 。 。 。 we overtook another throng of polite donkeys and their
  proprietors; who salaamed and got out of our way。 Upon suddenly emerging
  from the forest upon the edge of a steep slope; we looked down upon the
  barren sand…coloured plain of Messaria。 Our guide Iiani; who had been
  asleep and awake for at least eight miles; suddenly burst out into a
  ditty; and explained that a village in the plain below was Morphu; the
  home of his wife and family。
  Even from this elevated point of view Morphu looked a long way off。 The
  sleepy Iiani was sufficiently wide awake to steer for his wife; and we
  had made a long march already。 I doubted the possibility of the loaded
  camels ascending the steep slope; which had severely tried our mules;
  and I felt sure that liani's old camel would either knock up or tumble
  down with his load; should he attempt the ascent。 It was of no use to
  reflect; and as Morphu lay before us in the now barren and sun…smitten
  plain; we touched our animals with the spur and pressed on。 Descending
  for some miles; we passed a garden of olives; that must have been
  upwards of a thousand years old; upon our right; and still inclining
  downwards; through ground cultivated with cereals completely withered by
  the drought; we at length arrived at the broad but perfectly dry bed of
  the river。 Crossing this; we steered for a grove of ancient olive…trees;
  which I at once selected for a camping…place; on the outskirts of the
  town。 We were now twenty…three miles from Lapithus; and I felt sure that
  our baggage animals would not arrive till nightfall。
  As we sat beneath one of these grand old olive…trees alone; Iiani having
  taken his mules to his home; and probably at the same time having
  advertised our arrival; throngs of women and children approached to
  salaam and to stare。 I always travelled with binocular glasses slung
  across my back; and these were admirable stare…repellers; it was only
  necessary to direct them upon the curious crowd; and the most prominent
  individuals acknowledged their power by first looking shy and conscious;
  and then confusedly laughing and retreating to the rear。
  We had arrived at 2。20 P。M。; and we waited beneath the olive…trees until
  8 P。M。; when the advance camels at length came in after dark。 It was
  9。30 before the tents were pitched and the camp arranged。 The great
  delay had been occasioned by Iiani's old camel; which had; as I had
  expected; rolled down the steep bill with its load; and having nearly
  killed itself; had mortally wounded the sacred copper kettle; which
  every traveller knows is one of his Penates; or household gods; to
  which he clings with reverence and affection。 This beautiful object had
  lost its plump and well…rounded figure; and had been crushed into a
  museum…shaped antiquity that would have puzzled the most experienced
  archaeologist。 Metal water…jugs upon which the camel had rolled had
  been reduced to the shape of soup…plates; and a general destruction of
  indispensable utensils had inflicted a loss more than equal to the value
  of Iiani's animal。
  The following morning (12th April) exhibited the extraordinary change of
  climate between the northern and southern sides of the Carpas
  mountain…range。 The average temperature of the week had been at 7 A。M。
  57。5 degrees F; 3 P。M。 66。5 degrees。 At Morphu the thermometer at 7 A。M。
  showed 62 degrees; and at 3 P。M。 83 degrees! It was precisely the same
  on the following day。
  It was a distressing contrast to the beautiful Kyrenia and the
  interesting north coast to have exchanged the green trees and rippling
  streams for the arid and desolate aspect of the Messaria。 The town of
  Morphu has no special interest; like all others; it consists of houses
  constructed of sun…baked bricks of clay and broken straw; with
  flat…topped roofs of the same materials。 There are fruitful gardens
  irrigated by water…wheels; and formerly the extremely rich sandy loam of
  the valley produced madder…roots of excellent quality; which added
  materially to the value of the land。 This industry having been
  completely eclipsed by the alizarine dye; Morphu has to depend upon silk
  and cereals for its agricultural wealth。 The population is composed
  almost entirely of Greeks。 There is a monastery and a large school。
  I rode to the bay; about four miles and a half distant; passing many
  villages; which; as we neared the sea; were in the midst of magnificent
  crops of barley and wheat; resulting from artificial irrigation by the
  water that percolates beneath the sandy bed of the dry river at a
  certain level; which has been led into numerous channels before it can
  reach the natural exit at its mouth。 It must be exceedingly unhealthy;
  as; for several square miles upon the sea margin; the country is an
  expanse of marsh and bulrushes; abounding with snipe during the winter
  months。 On 13th April I walked over the greater portion of this locality
  with my three spaniels; but the snipe had departed; and we did not move
  a bird。
  On the right side of Morphu Bay to the east; by Kormachiti; there are
  extensive sand…dunes; forming deep drifts; which extend for several
  miles inland at the foot of the hill…range that we had descended。 These
  exhibit the prevailing wind (north)。 Many people upon observing
  sand…dunes attribute the most distant limit of the sand to the extreme
  violence of the wind; but this is not the case。 It is the steady
  prevalence of moderately strong winds that causes the extension of
  sand…drifts。 The wind of to…day deposits the sand at a certain distance
  from the shore。 The wind to…morrow starts the accumulated sand from that
  depot to form a new deposit about equidistant; and thus by slow degrees
  the dunes are formed by a succession of mounds; conveyed onwards by an
  unchanging force; but the maximum power of a gale would be unable to
  carry thousan