‘Cyprus.’ [‎26v] (52/184)

46
CYPRUS.
Water supply.
Monte S.
Croce.
Building
materials.
Tho fort of
Larnaca.
Roadstead.
Situation.
Population
and inhabi
tants.
Description.
Larnaca is well supplied with water; it is conveyed into the
town by aqueducts, and is of good quality, and sufficient in quantity.
Should the town increase, and a further supply become necessary,
it is worthy of notice that this is one of the places where Gaudry
suggests that water might he found by artesian borings of sufficient
depth to reach the miocene beds of white marl.*
About 12 miles west of Larnaca is Monte S. Croce. 2,300 feet
above the sea ; here there is a Greek convent which is much re
sorted to in summer as a sanatarium, for the heat in the town is
frequently very great, though abated to a certain extent by the sea
and land breezes, which generally blow at regular intervals.
Building materials of various descriptions can be obtained in
the neighbourhood of Larnaca, and it is said that there is no
difficulty in transporting them to the places where they are re
quired : this subject is dealt with in Chapter IX.
The only defence possessed by Larnaca at present, is a small
and insignificant fort, built in 1625; it is situated at the extreme
west end of the Marina, on the right of the custom-house quay,
and close to the water’s edge. It is square, roomy, and has strong
walls of white masonry, it is well supplied with water, but is
perfectly useless for defence, having no earthen protection, and
could consequently be quickly demolished by the fire of heavy
naval guns. Its armament consists of eleven long 16-pounders,
green with verdigris, and caked with rust; also four field pieces
used for firing salutes. Many of the gun carriages are broken, and
all are cumbersome and rotten. Two of the guns are of English manu
facture, and bear the initials G.R. Some of the larger guns are
mounted to fire through embrasures, and others are en harbette on
the top of the fort, which is reached by a broad zig-zag slope. The
only use of this fort to us, is as a barrack, there being excellent
accommodation for about 80 men, with officers’ quarters.
The roadstead of Larnaca is described in the chapter upon the
Coast, page 67, and full particulars concerning the commerce are
given in Chapter XIIL
LIMASOL.
Limasol is situated on the south coast, in Akrotiri Bay, which
is enclosed between Capes Carrubiere and Gata, and is about
42 miles west of Larnaca.
The town contains a 'population of about 6,000 persons, of
whom about one-third, and these the poorest class, are Turks;
among the Greek population there are several wealthy merchants,
who trade in grain, and the wine of the country.
Limasol is generally considered the best situated town in
Cyprus, it is more European in its appearance than any other
place in the island, and all travellers describe it as comparatively
neat, clean, and wholesome, with tolerably well built houses of clay
and stone. Limasol has but one street; it is a long line of shops
and cafes which run parallel to the beach, and behind it are most of
* “ G-eologie de L’lle de Chypre,” by Albert Q-audry (1859) page 175. Page 16
of Captain Maurice’s translation of this work.