40185

327

CYPRUS.

COMPILED IN THE INTELLIGENCE BRANCH, QUARTER-
MASTER-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT,

Printed under the Superintendence of Her Majesty's Stationery Office,

AND SOLD BY

W. CLOWES & SONS, 13, Charing Cross; HARRISON & SONS, 59, Pall Mall;
W. H. ALLEN & Co., 13, Waterloo Place; W. MITCHELL, Charing Cross;
LONGMAN & Co., Paternoster Row; TRUBNER & Co., 57 & 59, Ludgate Hill;
STANFORD, Charing Cross; and C. KEGAN PAUL & Co., 1, Paternoster Square:
Also by GRIFFIN & Co., The Hard, Portsea;

A. & C. BLACK, Edinburgh;

ALEX. THOM, Abbey Street, and E. PONSONBY, Grafton Street, Dublin.

1878.

Price Two Shillings and Sixpence.

(Wt. B 864.)

246. e

506.

PREFACE.

THE subject of the first chapter of this book, viz., the History of Cyprus, is one upon which many volumes might be written, for few countries have a longer or more varied history; it has therefore been impossible to give more than a mere sketch of the numerous dynasties which have succeeded one another in the island, and to relate the most important historical events. Stress has been laid upon the incidents which occurred at the end of the twelfth century leading to the conquest of Cyprus by Richard Cœur de Lion, its sale to the Templars, and subsequent transfer to the Lusignan family, for this period in the history of the island is of special interest to English readers. The process by which Cyprus was annexed three hundred years later by the Venetian Republic is explained in detail, and the events of the invasion by the Turks, and their subjugation of the island in 1570-71 are also related. Information concerning the ancient history has been chiefly gathered from the works of Rawlinson, Smith, Di Cesnola, and Knight. M. De Mas Latrie's "Histoire de L'Ile de Chypre," is a most valuable work; it contains minute information concerning the events of the Lusignan dynasty, and touches also upon the Venetian rule; this history has been of great assistance to the compiler of this book. The particulars of the conquest of Cyprus by the Turks are contained in the Histories of the Ottoman Empire, by Knolles and Von Hanmer; both these authors enter into the subject in full detail. Additional historical information has been derived from various sources; a complete list of the authors and their works from which extracts have been taken, will be found at the end of this book.

The four descriptive chapters, II to V, are compiled from the writings of travellers in Cyprus, and from all other available sources; the island is now daily becoming better known, and when it has been completely and accurately surveyed and examined, it is not unlikely that errors will be found in both the reports and the (774)

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