against　a　search　for　antiquities　in　Cyprus　had　destroyed　the　interest
  which　would　otherwise　have　been　taken　by　travellers　in　such
  explorations。　As　I　have　before　remarked；　there　are　no　remains　to　attract
  attention　upon　the　surface；　but　all　ancient　works　are　buried　far
  beneath；　therefore　in　the　absence　of　permission　to　excavate；　the
  practical　study　of　the　past　is　impossible；　and　it　is　a　sealed　book。
  Fortunately　General　di　Cesnola　has　published　his　most　interesting
  volume；　combining　historical　sketches　of　ancient　times　with　a　minute
  description　of　the　enormous　collection　of　antiquities　which　rewarded　his
  labours　during　ten　years'　research；　so　that　if　our　government　will
  neither　explore　nor　permit　others　to　investigate；　we　have　at　least　an
  invaluable　fund　of　information　collected　by　those　whose　consular
  position　during　the　Turkish　rule　enabled　them　to　make　additions　to　our
  historical　knowledge。　Mr。　Hamilton　Lang　has　also　published　his
  experiences　of　a　long　residence　in　the　island；　during　which　his
  successful　excavations　brought　to　light　valuable　relics　of　the　past
  which　explain　more　forcibly　than　the　leaves　of　a　book　the　manners；
  customs；　and　incidents　among　the　various　races　which　have　made　up
  Cyprian　history。　General　di　Cesnola；　after　quoting　the　legend　which
  connects　the　origin　of　Salamis　with　the　arrival　of　a　colony　of　Greeks
  under　Teucer　（the　son　of　Telamon；　king　of　the　island　of　Salamis）　from
  the　Trojan　expedition；　continues；　〃Of　the　history　of　Salamis　almost
  nothing　is　known　till　we　come　to　the　time　of　the　Persian　wars；　but　from
  that　time　down　to　the　reign　of　the　Ptolemies　it　was　by　far　the　most
  conspicuous　and　flourishing　of　the　towns　of　Cyprus。〃　〃Onesius　seized　the
  government　of　Salamis　from　his　brother；　Gorgus；　and　set　up　an　obstinate
  resistance　to　the　Persian　oppression　under　which　the　island　was
  labouring；　about　500　B。C。　In　the　end　he　was　defeated　by　a　Persian　army
  and　fell　in　battle；　and　it　was　about　this　time；　if　not　in　consequence　of
  this　defeat；　that　the　dynasty　of　Teucer　was；　for　a　period；　removed　from
  the　government　of　Salamis。　As　to　the　length　of　this　period　there　is
  great　obscurity。　It　seems；　however；　to　be　certain　that　with　the　help　of
  the　Persians　a　Tyrian　named　Abdemon　had　seized　the　throne；　and　not　only
  paid　tribute　to　Persia；　but　endeavoured　to　extend　the　Persian　power　over
  the　rest　of　the　island。　To　Salamis　itself　he　invited　Phoenician
  immigrants；　and　introduced　Asiatic　tastes　and　habits。〃　Following　upon
  this　usurpation　came　the　revolt　and　the　restoration　of　the　Teucer
  dynasty；　under　Evagoras；　B。C。　374；　and　eventually　upon　the　partition　of
  the　empire　of　Alexander　the　Great　it　fell　to　the　lot　of　Antigonus；　after
  the　severe　contests　between　Demetrius　and　Menelaus。
  Like　all　ancient　sea…ports　of　importance；　Salamis　was　the　object　of
  continual　attacks；　and　by　degrees　its　prosperity　declined。　In　addition
  to　the　damage　and　loss　by　sieges；　it　was　seriously　affected　by　an
  earthquake；　and　a　portion　disappeared　beneath　the　sea。　The　sand　has
  submerged　a　large　area　of　the　ruins　which　face　the　sea；　but　General　di
  Cesnola　was　able　to　trace　the　ancient　wall　for　a　distance　of　6850　feet。
  It　is　quite　possible　that　the　earthquake　may　have　altered　the　conditions
  of　the　harbour；　which　in　former　days　was　of　considerable　importance。　It
  has　now　entirely　changed；　and　the　bay　near　the　shore　is　extremely
  shallow；　although　good　anchorage　exists　in　the　roadstead　in　ten　to
  sixteen　fathoms。
  The　high　masonry　piers　which　had　supported　the　arches　of　the　ancient
  aqueduct　from　Kythrea　looked　like　spectres　of　past　greatness　among　the
  silent　ruins；　made　doubly　desolate　by　the　miserable　aspect　of　the
  withered　plain　around　them。　A　short　distance　from　these　is　the　church　of
  St。　Barnabas；　raised　upon　the　site　where　it　is　believed　that　the　body　of
  the　Saint　was　discovered；　together　with　the　Gospel　of　St。　Matthew。　How
  the　Saint　and　the　Gospel　had　been　preserved　in　the　damp　soil　of　that
  neighbourhood　must　be　left　to　the　imagination。
  Passing　through　the　ruins　of　the　old　town　with　the　line　of　the　wall
  distinctly　visible　upon　the　sea　front；　we　shortly　arrived　at　the　spot
  where　the　river　Pedias　should　have　an　exit　to　the　sea。　No　sign　of　a
  river…bed　existed；　but　a　long　series　of　swamps；　composed　chiefly　of
  bare　mud；　would　during　wet　weather　have　made　a　considerable　detour
  necessary；　they　were　now　dry；　with　the　exception　of　two　or　three　holes
  full　of　muddy　water；　which　were　unconnected　with　any　perceptible
  channel。　A　long　stone　causeway　proved　that　occasionally　the　hardened　mud
  upon　which　we　rode　would　become　a　lake；　but　from　the　numerous　tracks　of
  animals　the　earth　was　preferred　to　the　uneven　and　slippery　pavement　of
  the　artificial　road。　The　enormous　quantity　of　mud　brought　down　by　the
  Pedias　during　its　fitful　inundations　had　completely　obliterated　all
  signs　of　an　ordinary　river…bed；　and　the　deposit　had　produced　a　surface
  that　was　scored　in　numerous　places　by　the　rush　of　water；　without　in　any
  way　suggesting　that　we　were　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　largest　river　in
  Cyprus。　The　width　of　this　muddy　swamp　was　about　two　miles；　and
  terminated　by　a　shallow　lake　upon　our　left。　We　were　now　within　a　mile
  and　a　quarter　of　Famagousta；　and　the　ground　began　to　rise。　It　struck　me
  that　an　eminence　upon　our　right　was　superior　to　the　height　of　the　city
  walls；　and　I　rode　up　to　examine　the　position。　There　was　no　doubt　that　it
  commanded　the　lower　portion　of　the　fortress；　and　that　a　direct　shell…
  fire　could　be　plunged　into　the　rear　of　the　guns　which　protect　the
  entrance　of　the　harbour。　In　the　event　of　modifications　being　introduced
  when　restoring　the　defensive　works　of　Famagousta；　it　would　be　necessary
  to　erect　a　powerful　detached　fort　upon　this　position；　which　would　be　an
  immense　addition　to　the　defences　of　the　city；　as　it　would　enfilade　the
  approaches　upon　two　sides。
  The　walls　of　Famagousta　are　most　imposing；　they　are　constructed　of
  carefully…squared　stone　joined　with　cement　of　such　extreme　hardness　that
  the　weather　has　had　no　destructive　effect。　The　perimeter　of　the　fortress
  is　about　4000　yards；　the　shape　is　nearly　a　parallelogram。　The　fosse
  varies　in　depth　and　width；　but　the　minimum　of　the　former　is　twenty…five
  feet；　and　of　the　width　eighty　feet；　but　in　some　places　it　exceeds　one
  hundred　and　forty。　This　formidable　ditch　is　cut　out　of　the　solid　rock；
  which　is　the　usual　calcareous　sedimentary　limestone；　and　the　stone　thus
  obtained　has　been　used　in　the　construction　of　the　walls。　The　rock
  foundation　would　render　all　mining　operations　extremely　difficult。　The
  fire　from　the　ramparts　is　increased　by　cavaliers　of　great　size　and
  strength；　capable　of　mounting　numerous　heavy　guns　at　a　superior
  altitude。　The　only　entrance　from　the　land　side　is　at　the　south…west
  corner；　this　is　exceedingly　striking；　as　the　fosse　is　about　140　feet
  wide；　the　scarp　and　counter…scarp　almost　perpendicular；　being　cut　from
  the　original　rock。
  A　narrow　stone　bridge　upon　arches　spans　this　peculiar　ditch；　the
  communication　depending　upon　a　double　drawbridge　and　portcullis。
  Immediately　facing　the　entrance　outside　the　fortress　is　an　old　Turkish
  churchyard；　through　and　above　which　the　closed　masonry　aqueduct　is
  conducted　into　the　town。　Following　the　course　of　the　aqueduct　along　a
  straight　line　of　sandy　heights　which　somewhat　resemble　a　massive　railway
  embankment；　we　arrived　at　a　mosque　in　which　is　the　venerated　tomb　of　the
  Turkish　soldier　who　first　planted　the　flag　upon　the　walls　of　Famagousta
  when　captured；　in　1571；　from　the　Venetians。　This　tomb　is　in　a　small
  chamber　within　the　building　and　is　covered　with　green　silk；　embroidered；
  but　as　the　city　was　never　taken　by　assault；　and　capitulated　upon
  honourable　terms　after　a　protracted　defence；　the　fact　of　establishing
  the　Turkish　flag　upon　the　walls　after　their　evacuation　by　the　garrison
  would　hardly　have　entitled　the　standard…bearer　to　a　Victoria　Cross；
  however　he　may　have　otherwise　distinguished　himself；　which　entailed
  post…mortem　honours；　perhaps　by　skinning　alive　the　gallant　Venetian
  commandant　Bragadino；　whose　skin；　stuffed　with　straw；　was　taken　in
  triumph　to　Constantinople　hanging　at　the　yard…arm　of　the　victorious
  general's　ship。
  Quitting　the　mosque；　we　continued　along　the　aqueduct；　always　upon　the
  same　sandy　heights；　which　gradually　increased；　until　we　arrived　at　a
  position　about　200　yards　from　a　windmill。　This　formed　a　prominent　object
  at　the　back　of　the　large　village　of　Varoschia；　situated　upon　the　slope
  beneath　facing　the　sea；　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　distant。　I　selected
  the　highest　position　for　a　camp；　this　was　close　to　the　aqueduct　and
  about　600　yards　from　the　entrance　of　the　fortress。　I　counted　the
  embrasures　of　six　guns　that　could　have　been　brought　to　bear　exactly　upon
  our　tent；　but　at　the　same　time　I　remarked　that　we　commanded　the　lower
  portion　of　the　fortress；　and　could　fire　into　the　rear　of　the　batteries
  upon　the　sea…wall　within　the　water…gate　at　a　most　destructive　range。
  This　position　would　require　a　detached　fort　with　a　line　of　works　along
  the　heights　flanked　by　a　small　fort　at　the　extremity。　Three　detached
  forts　upon　as　many　points　which　now　exist　would　render　Famagousta
  impregnable；　should　the　present　works　be　repai