The　Cypriote　well…sinker　is　wonderfully　clever　in　discovering　springs；
  and　I　have　already　described　the　method　of　multiplying　the　water…power
  of　one　source　by　securing　and　concentrating　the　neighbouring　sources。
  This　work　only　requires　money；　and　the　inhabitants；　without　further
  assistance　than　loans　secured　by　a　water…rate　upon　the　district；　will
  rapidly　develop　the　natural　supply。　There　should　be　a　special　commission
  appointed；　in　each　of　the　six　districts　of　Cyprus；　to　investigate　and
  report　officially　upon　this　subject。　In　forming　the　commission；　care
  should　be　taken　that　the　native　element　should　predominate；　and　that　no
  enthusiastic　English　engineer；　blooming　with　new　schemes；　should　thrust
  into　shadow　the　Cyprian　intelligence　upon　the　working　of　their　own
  systems。　If　I　were　an　English　engineer　employed　in　any　work；　I　should
  probably　have　the　natural　failing　of　enforcing　my　own　opinions；　but　from
  many　years'　experience　I　have　come　to　the　conclusion　that　the
  inhabitants　of　a　country　are　generally　better　qualified　than　strangers
  for　giving　practical　opinions　upon　their　own　locations。　There　is　plenty
  of　intelligence　in　Cyprus；　the　people　are　not　savages；　but　their　fault
  is　poverty；　the　natural　inheritance　of　Turkish　rule；　and　we；　the
  English；　have　the　power　to　make　them　rich；　and　to　restore　the　ancient
  importance　of　the　island。　In　England；　at　the　time　that　I　am　writing；
  money　is　not　worth　2　per　cent。　owing　to　the　general　depression　of　trade；
  the　money…market　has　been　in　this　plethoric　or　dropsical　state　for　the
  last　three　years；　and　there　appears　to　be　no　hope　upon　the　commercial
  horizon　of　a　favourable　change。　In　Cyprus　the　resources　are　great；　but
  the　capital　is　wanting；　and　the　strange　anomaly　is　presented　that　the
  exchange　of　the　British　for　the　Turkish　flag　has　not　increased　public
  confidence。　Something　must　be　done　to　change　the　present　stupor；　if
  Cypriotes　were　Candians　（Cretans）　their　voices　would　be　forcibly　heard；
  and　the　Turkish　rule　beneath　the　British　uniform　would　be　quickly
  overthrown。　The　Cypriote；　down…trodden　for　centuries；　is　like　sodden
  tinder　that　will　not　awaken　to　the　spark：　he　is　what　is　called　〃easily
  governed；〃　which　means　an　abject　race；　in　which　all　noble　aspirations
  have　been　stamped　out　by　years　of　unremitting　oppression　and　injustice；
  still；　like　the　Cyprian　ox；　he　ploughs　the　ground。　It　is　the　earth　alone
  that　yields　the　world's　wealth：　if　we　have　no　other　thoughts　but
  avarice；　let　us　treat　the　Cypriote　as　we　should　his　animal；　and　make　him
  a　wealth…producer。　England　has　acquired　the　reputation　of　the　civiliser
  of　the　world；　it　is　in　this　character　that　we　were　expected　to　effect　a
  magic　change　in　the　position　of　Cyprus；　instead　of　which　we　have
  hitherto　presented　a　miserable　result　of　half…measures；　where
  irresolution　has　reduced　the　brilliant　picture　of　our　widely…trumpeted
  political　surprise　to　a　dull　〃arrangement　in　whitey…brown〃　。　。　。　which
  is　the　pervading　tint　of　the　Cyprian　surface　in　the　absence　of
  artificial　irrigation。
  CHAPTER　XV。
  LIFE　AT　THE　MONASTERY　OF　TROODITISSA。
  The　life　at　our　quiet　camp　at　Trooditissa　was　a　complete　calm：　there
  could　not　be　a　more　secluded　spot；　as　no　human　habitation　was　near；
  except　the　invisible　village　of　Phyni　two　miles　deep　beneath；　at　the
  mountain's　base。　The　good　old　monk　Neophitos　knitted；　and　taught　his
  boys　always　in　the　same　daily　spot：　the　swallows　built　their　nests　under
  the　eaves　of　the　monastery　roof　and　beneath　the　arch　which　covered　in
  the　spring；　and　sat　in　domestic　flocks　upon　the　over…hanging　boughs
  within　a　few　feet　of　our　breakfast…table；　when　their　young　could　fly。
  Nightingales　sang　before　sunset；　and　birds　of　many　varieties　occupied
  the　great　walnut…tree　above　our　camp；　and　made　the　early　morning
  cheerful　with　a　chorus　of　different　songs。　There　was　no　change　from　day
  to　day；　except　in　the　progress　of　the　gardens；　the　plums　grew　large：　the
  mulberries　ripened　in　the　last　week　of　July；　and　the　shepherd's　pretty
  children　and　the　monastery　boys　were　covered　with　red　stains；　as　though
  from　a　battlefield；　as　they　descended　from　the　attractive　boughs。　It　was
  a　very　peaceful　existence；　and　I　shall　often　look　back　with　pleasure　to
  our　hermitage　by　the　walls　of　the　old　monastery；　which　afforded　a　moral
  haven　from　all　the　storms　and　troubles　that　embitter　life。　On　Sundays　we
  sent　a　messenger　for　the　post　to　the　military　camp　at　Troodos；　about
  five　and　a　half　miles　distant；　and　the　arrival　of　letters　and　newspapers
  restored　us　for　a　couple　of　days　to　the　outer　world：　after　which　we
  relapsed　once　more　into　the　local　quiescent　state　of　complete　rest。　It
  must　not　be　supposed　that　we　were　idle；　there　were　always　occupations
  which　by　degrees　I　hope　improved　the　place；　and　to　a　certain　degree　the
  people。　Occasionally　I　asked　the　old　monks　to　sit　and　smoke　their
  cigarettes　in　our　〃rachkooba；〃　when　they　sipped　their　hot　coffee；　and
  explained　difficult　theological　questions　to　my　intense　edification；　of
  course　I　always　listened；　but　never　argued。　My　particular　friend　old
  Neophitos　treated　me　to　long　stories　which　he　imagined　must　be　new　and
  interesting；　especially　the　history　of　Joseph　and　his　brethren；　which　he
  several　times　recounted　from　beginning　to　end　with　tears　of　sympathy　in
  his　eyes　at　Joseph's　love　for　the　youngest　brother　Benjamin。　The　Garden
  of　Eden；　the　Deluge；　including　the　account　of　Noah's　Ark；　and　several
  equally　modern　and　entertaining　stories；　I　always　listened　to　with
  commendable　attention。　Yet　even　in　this　solitude；　where　the　chapel…bell
  on　Saturday　night；　and　at　daybreak　upon　Sunday　mornings；　was　in　harmony
  with　the　external　peaceful　surroundings；　and　it　appeared　as　though
  discord　could　never　enter　the　walls　of　Trooditissa；　the　old　monks　had
  their　cares　and　difficulties。
  The　principal　cause　of　trouble　was　〃servants！〃　I　was　quite　surprised；　as
  I　thought　we　were　nearer　heaven　in　this　spot　than　in　any　earthly
  locality　I　had　ever　visited；　but　even　here　the　question　of　〃servants〃
  was　an　irritation　to　the　nerves　of　the　patient　monks。　My　own　servants
  were　excellent；　and　never　quarrelled　or　complained；　they　appeared　to
  have　been　mesmerised　by　the　placid　character　of　their　position；　and　to
  have　become　angelic；　especially　in　not　fatiguing　themselves　through
  over…exertion。　With　the　monks　the　case　was　different。　In　this　quiet
  retreat；　where　man　reigned　alone；　as　Adam　in　the　Garden　of　Eden；　where
  the　cares　and　anxieties　of　married　life　were　unknown　within　the　sacred
  walls　of　celibacy；　a　single　representative　of　the　other　sex　existed　in
  the　ubiquitous　shape　of　a　〃maid　of　all　work；〃　and　as　Eve　caused　the
  first　trouble　in　the　world；　so　the　monastery　〃maid〃　disturbed　the
  otherwise　peaceful　existence　of　Neophitos。
  This　maid's　name　was　〃Christina；〃　and　she　received　the　munificent　sum　of
  one　hundred　piastres　per　annum　as　wages；　which　in　English　money　would　be
  fifteen　shillings　and　sixpence　every　year。　The　world　is　full　of
  ingratitude；　and　strange　to　say；　Christina　was　dissatisfied；　which
  naturally　wounded　the　feelings　of　the　good　monks；　as　in　addition　to　this
  large　sum　of　money　she　received　her　food　and　clothes；　the　latter
  consisting　of　full　trousers；　and　a　confusion　of　light　material；　which；
  having　no　shape　whatever；　I　could　not　describe。　Christina；　though　young；
  was　not　pretty；　and　she　was　always　either　crying　or　scolding；　which
  would　of　course　spoil　any　beauty；　while　at　the　same　time　she　was　either
  washing　all　the　clothes　belonging　to　the　whole　establishment　of　monks　（a
  very　disagreeable　business）；　or　hanging　them　out　to　dry　near　the　spring；
  or　she　was　sweeping　the　monastery；　or　arranging　the　very　dirty　rooms　of
  the　establishment；　or　baking　all　the　bread　that　was　required；　or　cooking
  the　dinner；　or　repairing　all　the　old　clothes　which　the　monks　wore　when
  they　were　only　fit　for　a　paper…mill。　As　there　was　no　special
  accommodation　in　the　shape　of　a　laundry；　Christina　had　to　collect
  sticks；　and　make　a　huge　fire　beneath　a　copper　cauldron　in　the　open　air；
  into　which　she　plunged　all　the　different　vestments　of　the　monks　and
  priests；　and　stewed　them　before　washing。　This　was　a　Cyprian　〃maid　of　all
  work；〃　whose　gross　ingratitude　troubled　the　minds　of　her　〃pastors　and
  masters；〃　and　one　day　a　peculiar　mental　disturbance　pervaded　the　whole
  priestly　establishment　and　caused　a　monasterial　commotion；　as；　after　a
  violent　fit　of　temper　attended　by　crying；　Christina　had　declared
  solemnly　that　she　〃would　stand　it　no　longer；〃　and　〃she　wished　TO　BETTER
  HERSELF！〃
  Whenever　there　was　a　difficulty　the　monks　came　to　me；　why；　I　cannot
  imagine。　If　the　shepherd's　goats　invaded　their　gardens　and　destroyed　the
  onions　and　the　beet…root　crops；　they　applied　to　me。　Of　course　I　advised
  them　to　〃fence　their　gardens；〃　and　they　went　away　satisfied；　but　did　not
  carry　out　the　suggestion　so　in　due　time　their　crops　were　devoured。　They
  now　told　me　that　THEY　ALWAYS　HAD　DIFFICULTY　WITH　WOMEN！　This　new　theory
  startled　me　almost　as　much　as　the　novelty　of　the　old　monks'　stories。
  They　explained　that　YOUNG　WOMEN　WOULDN'T　WORK；　AND　OLD　WOMEN　COULDN'T
  WORK。　It　had　not　occurred　to　them　that　a　middle…aged　woman　might　have
  combined　all　that　they　desired。　Knowing　their　s