out; the Mohamedan proprietors are especially dealt with easily, but with more accurate statistics regarding the property of each taxpayer, the burden might be more equitably adjusted. It is believed that there are now 59,461 males in the island who pay taxes. The revenue upon stamps and the transfer fees will be certain to increase with the commercial facilities and general prosperity of the island. M. Capitaine in an article in "L'Exploration du Globe" of July, 1878, gives an estimate of the cost of the Turkish government, and the expenses incurred in the adminstration of the island as follows: British administration will certainly be more costly than that of the Turkish Government, but it appears equally certain that there will be an enlarged income. The estimates that have been quoted show that the present revenue amounts to about £180,000, and that a large proportion of this is derived from the salt lakes, a property belonging exclusively to government, and which does not inflict any burden upon the inhabitants. On the whole there seems to be much cause for satisfaction as regards the prospect of pecuniary profit to be derived from Cyprus, in addition to the political and strategic advantages which result from its possession by Great Britain. CHAPTER XIV. CURRENCY, ETC. From Consul White's Report for 1863 "New regulations concerning the currency came into operation in August 1863. The English sovereign which was current at 154 piastres was then reduced to 110. Opposition was raised by some of the merchants to this great and sudden reduction, but the authorities succeeded in enforcing it. Local and other causes, however, prevented the price of labour and provisions being lowered in the same proportion as the coin, and the high price of provisions, especially of butchers' meat was felt by the poorer classes. "The rates of exchange upon England during 1863 varied from January to August between 148 and 151 piastres, old currency; from September to December it varied between 108 and 105 piastres, new currency. From Consul Riddell's Report for 1873: "During the year 1873 the current value of money in Cyprus greatly increased, owing mainly to a large importation of copper money. The Imperial Ottoman Bank Agency here maintains a fixed rate of currency, the £ sterling being 114 piastres, and but for the check which this establishment exercises upon the currency it is impossible to guess to what abusive rates the coins in circulation might attain. At the beginning of the year, gold coins circulated in commerce at an agio of only 1 per cent. to 2 per cent. on the bank rates, whilst the Beshlik (or base) currency was at par. At the close of the year the difference had risen to nearly 20 per cent.-the pound sterling circulating at 130-134 piastres. "The depreciation in the value of landed and other real property which arises when transactions are conducted in piastres is very obvious. "For a time (but only for a time) the change operates in favour of exporters who effect the purchase of produce in piastres with the pound sterling at 130 piastres, in lieu of 114 piastres; but is manifestly against the importer who must also sell in piastres and be paid at the same rate, whilst he has to remit the cost of his goods in sterling value-in other terms, the rate of exchange which at the beginning of the year was about 114 piastres per £ sterling is now at 130 piastres, without anything nearly approximative in the currency price of the imported articles. Apply this to debts and obligations due in piastres and entered into long previously, but which must now be liquidated at current rates, and the ruinous consequences to the creditor become easily apparent. In 1874 the "ruinous state' of the currency in the island is again alluded to in the Consular Report, and so far from having ameliorated, it is described as having continued to go from bad to worse, apparently without check or hindrance. The pound sterling which a year previously was current at 130 piastres, circulated freely throughout the island during 1874 at 150 piastres. From Consul Pierides' Report for 1876 Writing in January 1877, Consul Pierides mentions that "gold was scarce at that time, and the English sovereign was circulating at 157 piastres, and the Turkish lira at 145 piastres. It was expected that the forthcoming Weights. Measures for grain. Long measure. Square measure. Food. issue of caimé, or paper money, would still further raise the prices of coins in good alloy to the manifest prejudice of commerce, and would also give rise to many disputes in the settlement of old debts." The last information concerning the currency previous to the British occupation was as follows: One Pound Sterling was equal to 114 piastres at bank rate, and 175 at current rate. One Napoleon was equal to 91 piastres at bank rate and 140 at current rate. One Turkish lira was equal to 104 piastres at bank rate and 160 at current rate. Banks and banking operations have hitherto been almost unknown in Cyprus, and cheques are never seen. It has now been reported that several banking agencies are in course of establish The copper coins are 5, 10, and 20 paras. The Turkish lira, or pound, is equivalent to about 18s. 2d., and the silver medjidie is equivalent to about 3s. 7d. It must be remembered that although the lira really contains only 100 piastres, the current rate is now 160 piastres to the lira, and it is according to this rate that calculations should be made. Liquids are generally sold by weight as above, but there is a measure for wine called the Cuse. The litre is equivalent to about 23 okes. The rottolo is equivalent to about 2 British Imperial pints. 1 bushel of Cyprus wheat The arshin = = 28 English inches, is used for silk, broadcloth, &c. The usual measure for land is the scala, or skali, which is about 60 paces square. PRICES. The prices of household necessaries have considerably increased since the British occupation, and they have probably not yet become settled, still it may be useful to quote some of the prices which were paid at Larnaca about the middle of August, 1878. Good beef about 4d. per lb. or 9d. per kilogramme (2 lbs.). A dressed sheep, of from 35 lbs. to 40 lbs. in weight sells for about 8s. and a sheep weighing nearly 90 lbs. was bought for 14s. Vegetables sufficient to supply a ship's company of 80 men can be had for 28.; these vegetables are French beans, tomatoes, vegetable marrows, celery (for soup) and onions. Cucumbers sell at a halfpenny each. Potatoes, not quite so good as the English or Maltese, but better than those got in India, average about 5s. per cwt. Large fowls fetch 14s per dozen; geese and turkeys vary from 28. to 38. each; chickens average 6d. each, and the standing price for eggs is 6d. per dozen. Bread is cheap, but bad, being both gritty from the mode of thrashing, and badly baked. There are, however, some steam flour mills in the island, as at Limasol. Fruit is very abundant, and can be purchased at very cheap rates; melons and water-melons are plentiful, and grapes can be procured to any extent at 2d. per oke (24 lbs. English). Fish is scarce; a species of mullet, about the size of a small herring, is the fish generally offered for sale, and varies from 3s. to 4s. per lb. The red wine, called brusco, or sweet, is sold at from one and a-half to two piastres per oke, and the white, or new Commanderia at two or two and a half piastres per oke. The old Cyprus wines command much higher prices, such as twenty piastres per oke, and are not always to be procured. House accommodation is not invariably good; but in each town Houses. there are a few spacious and airy buildings. Both rents and land values have increased enormously since the cession, several quotations showing an increase up to ten times what was formerly paid. Both fuel and forage are at present somewhat scarce, and Fuel and consequently sell at comparatively high prices. Forage. Fairs are very frequently held in Cyprus and are attended by the Fairs. peasantry in very great numbers both for pleasure, and for the sale of the local produce. Omodos (for wine, tobacco, and oxen), 14th September. (774) L LIST OF AUTHORITIES UPON CYPRUS WHICH HAVE BEEN USED IN THE COMPILATION OF THIS WORK." KNOLLES, RICHARD. The General History of the Turks. Third Edition. London, 1638. (Useful for the history of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1570-71.) POCOCKE, Dr. R. A Description of the East and some other Countries. 2 Vols. London, 1743-45. (A fair account of Cyprus at that time.) MARITI, G. F. Travels in the Island of Cyprus, &c., in 1760-68. English Edition. 3 Vols. London, 1791. (A good description of the inhabitants and their manners and customs at that time.) SONNINI, C. S. Voyage en Grèce et en Turquie. Paris, 1801. English Edition. London, 1801. (Good description of Cyprus.) ALI BEY. Travels in Morocco, Tripoli, Cyprus, Egypt, Arabia, &c., between 1805 and 1807. 2 Vols. London, 1816. (A good description of his Travels about the south of the island.) CLARKE, Dr. E. D. Travels in various Countries of Europe, Asia and Africa. Fourth Edition. London, 1817. (Chiefly Antiquities and Botany.) LIGHT, Capt. H., R.A. Travels in Egypt, &c. and Cyprus. London, 1818. (Captain Light only visited Larnaca and its neighbourhood.) KINNEIR, J. M. Journey through Asia Minor, &c., in 1813-14. London, 1818. (Not much about Cyprus, but what there is is useful.) REES, A. Cyclopædia. Tenth Volume. London, 1819. (A good article on Cyprus.) TURNER, W. Journal of a Tour in the Levant. 3 Vols. London, 1820. (Not much about Cyprus, but contains a few useful facts.) VON HANMER, J. Histoire de L'Empire Ottoman. French Edition. . 18 Vols. Translated from the German by J. Hellert. Paris, 1836. (An excellent history of the events of 1570-71.) ENGEL, W. H. Kypros. Eine Monographie. 2 Vols. Berlin, 1841. (A compilation concerning the Geography, History and Mythology of the island.) KEIGHTLEY, T. The Crusaders. London, 1847. (An account of the capture of Cyprus by Richard Coeur de Lion.) CHESNEY, Lt.-Col., R.A. Expedition for the Survey of the Euphrates and Tigris. 2 Vols. London, 1850. (Geographical and historical notice of Cyprus.) KNIGHT, C. The English Cyclopædia. Vol. II. London, 1854. (Contains a good article on Cyprus.) BLACKIE, W. G. The Imperial Gazetteer. Vol. I. London, 1855. (Contains a fair article on Cyprus.) The arrangement is chronological. |