On Saturday, January 18th, 1817, at two o’clock in the morning, I took leave of Lady Hester, Miss Williams, and Mr. N.; and, after a short night’s rest, mounted my horse soon after sunrise, and departed from Abra (may I be excused for saying it?) amidst the tears and good wishes of the peasants, who followed me with blessings to the end of the village green. M. Beaudin accompanied me, he having returned from Acre on the 29th of December.
We passed the tomb of Nebby Yunez (the Prophet Jonas), after it the river Damûr, and, at sunset, stopped at the Guffer el Naamy, abreast of the village of Naamy, which is on the hill, and from which the Guffer, or toll-house, takes its name. Our provision mule was better stocked than usual, and we made an excellent dinner on cold pasty of gazelle-venison, tarts, and plum-cake, besides cold fowls, and some other good things, with which Miss Williams was desirous of making my last day’s travelling in Syria agreeable.
Next morning at daylight we mounted our horses, and, about a quarter of a mile from the Guffer, we passed a cemetery, which is called Kebûr el Yahûd (the Jews’ tombs). It is nearly facing a ruined tower, called Burge el Rehán (the myrtle tower). The greater part of these tombs are oblong parallelograms, simply hollowed out of the rock; but others were elevated above its level, by having the rock cut away around them.
To go from Guffer el Naamy to Beyrout took us four hours. The ride was very beautiful during the last two hours, on a sandy soil, amidst olive plantations, and where the cultivation of the land was evidently attended to.
We were received in the house of the British agent. I was fortunate enough to find a schooner in the roads, bound for Cyprus, on board of which I took my passage. The vessel was Greek, from Eno, commanded by Captain Gregorio; but, as she was not to sail immediately, I returned on shore. M. Beaudin left me the next day. The British agent had just been very properly exercising his consular authority on a Venetian adventurer, who had endeavoured to pass himself off as a British officer of infantry, wearing regimentals. His right to the dress was disputed, and he was obliged to doff it.
On Tuesday, January 21st, just before sunset, I embarked. There were on board thirty-five passengers, Turkish pilgrims on their return from Mecca. I had paid for a berth in the cabin, which was only nine feet square; but, as my luggage was stowed away there, and there were four Turks cabin passengers besides myself, I resolved to sleep on deck, although the season was not that in which exposure to the night air is agreeable. The long-boat was hoisted in and put amidships, into which also four Turks immediately got, two of whom seemed to be very sick from the motion of the vessel, as I then thought. We put to sea with little wind. About three in the morning, a northerly breeze sprung up, and carried us on under reefed topsails. I lay down on the lee-side of the deck, wrapped up in my lambskin pelisse, which made an excellent bed.
On Wednesday, the 22nd, when daylight broke, everybody was sea-sick. About two o’clock in the afternoon, we saw Cyprus. The wind continued fresh, and at sunset we were within five or six leagues of Larnaka. We hauled off for the night. I lay down on the deck as before, but was prevented from sleeping by groans which came from the long-boat, and, on inquiring what was the matter, I found that the two Turks who were ill had the dysentery. Soon afterwards one died; and the melancholy situation of the other was augmented by the intolerable effluvia, which it was impossible to prevent. A young Turk, ragged and poor, but of very interesting mien, was remarkable for the attention which he had paid to the two sick men, and now continued to the survivor, although he was himself dreadfully sea-sick: nor shall ever my testimony be wanting to the exemplary conduct and obedience which old age invariably receives from the Mahometan youth, relation or not, known or unknown.
At daylight we anchored in Larnaka roads. The dead Turk was immediately conveyed on shore, but not to the usual landing-place, lest the knowledge of a death in so short a passage should excite suspicions of plague, and cause the vessel to be put under quarantine; a precaution, which the preponderance the Greeks and Franks had in the island enabled them to enforce, but which was so easily evaded. I did not, however, wish to leave any uneasiness, from subsequent discovery, in the mind of the gentleman to whose house I was going, and I accordingly wrote a note to say that a Turk had died of dysentery during our passage, and that there was no suspicion of plague in the case. Mr. Anthony Vondiziano, the British vice-consul, relied on my assertion, and received me forthwith into his house at Larnaka.
A Cephalonian by birth, he settled early at Cyprus, where he married the daughter of the English dragoman, by whom he had now six daughters. This increase of family induced him to build a pavilion, over the gateway of his courtyard and away from the house, entirely for the reception of strangers; and as so many English have lived in it, and as besides it may serve for a specimen of the modern edifices of Cyprus, a drawing of it is given.
