19/07/2020
Sir Samuel White Baker is describing his first impressions of the southern outskirts of Nicosia as he first saw them traveling from Larnaca.
“We halted five miles from Lefkosia, where a new stone bridge was in process of construction and was nearly completed. We had already passed a long and extremely narrow Turkish bridge across the river about four miles in our rear. By pacing, I made the new bridge twenty-nine feet, the same width as the road, and I could not help thinking that a much less expensive commencement would have been sufficient to meet the requirements of the country. In Cyprus, the rainfall is generally slight and the earth is tenacious, and in dry weather exceedingly hard; if half the width of the road had been carefully metalled in the first instance, a great expense would have been saved at a time when the island was sadly in want of money; the natural surface of the firm soil would have been preferred by all vehicles except during rain when they would have adopted the metalled parallel way. It is easy to criticize after the event, and there can be no doubt that upon our first occupation of the island much greater traffic was expected, and the road between the two capitals was arranged accordingly. We halted for the night at the new stone bridge, which, as usual in Cyprus, spanned a channel perfectly devoid of water. On the following morning we marched to Lefkosia, and passing to the left of the walled town, we reached the newly-erected Government House, about a mile and a half distant, where we received a kind and hospitable welcome from the High Commissioner, Sir Garnet, and Lady Wolseley."
Read the full article in our website.
Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter in order to be informed about future articles!
Sir Samuel White Baker is describing his first impressions of Nicosia as he saw it in 1879. The old Governement House, the scenery and the medieval walls.
