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 C Y P R U S tians of the Orthodox Greek Church. The Mussulman religious courts, presided over by Cadis, are strictly confined to jurisdiction in religious cases affecting the Mahommedan population. Instruction.—A general system of grants in aid of elementary schools was established in 1882. There are some 200 connected with the Greek Orthodox Church, receiving about £2730 ; about £650 is granted to some 70 elementary Moslem schools. Aid is also given to Armenian schools at Nicosia, a Maronite school at Kormakiti, a Moslem high school (maintained entirely by Government at a cost of about £200 a year), and a training college at Nicosia for teachers in the Orthodox Church schools, to which also £200 is granted annually. There are Greek high schools at Larnaca and Limasol. By a law of 1895 separate Boards of Education for Moslem and Greek Christian schools have been established, and in each district there are separate committees, presided over by the commissioner. The total enrolment is about 17,900 —4400 Moslems and 13,500 Christians. One hundred and twenty lepers are treated in a farm specially assigned to them. Eight weekly newspapers in Greek, and one in Turkish, are published in the island. Finance.—The principal sources of revenue are :— (1) Vergi taxes, or taxes on house and land property, and trade profits and incomes (not including salaries) ; (2) Military exemption tax, now payable by Moslems and Christians alike, but not by foreigners, of 2s. 6d. a head on males between 18 and 60 years of age; (3) Tithes. All tithes have been abolished, except those on cereals, carobs, silk cocoons, and, in the form of 10 per cent, ad ■valorem export duties, those on cotton, linseed, aniseed, and raisins (all other export duties and a fishing tax have been abolished); (4) Sheep, goat, and pig tax ; (5) An excise on wine, spirits, and tobacco; (6) Import duties ; (7) Stamps, court fees, royalties, licenses, &c.; (8) Salt monopoly. There is a temporary tax of ^ per cent, on tithes and certain incomes to provide means for the destruction of the locusts. Foreigners are now liable to all the above taxes except the military exemption tax. The annual sum of £92,800, payable to Turkey as the average excess (according to the years 1873-78) of revenue over expenditure, but really appropriated to the interest on the British guaranteed loan of 1855, is a heavy burden. But if not lightened, taxation has at least been better apportioned. Production and Industry.—Rock crystal and asbestos are still found in the district of Paphos. Gypsum is exported unburnt from the Carpas, and as plaster of Paris from Limasol and Larnaca. Statuary marble has been found on the slopes of BufFavento in the northern range. Excellent building stone exists throughout the island. The salt lakes of Larnaca and Limasol are practically inexhaustible. The most important species of the few trees that still remain in the island are the Aleppo pine, the Pinus laricio, Cypress, Cedar, Carob, Olive, and Quercus alnifolia. Recent additions are the Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Pinus pinea, and Ailanthus. Since 1878 some protection has been afforded to existing plantations, and some attempt made to extend their area; but the budget of the Forest Department is starved, and the progress made is slow. The soil is extremely fertile, and with a fair rainfall, say 13 inches, between November and April, yields magnificent crops, but the improvements in agriculture are scarcely satisfactory. The methods and appliances used are extremely primitive, and inveterate prejudice debars the average peasant from the use of new implements, of fresh seed, of manure; he cares nothing for the rotation of crops, or for the cleanliness of his land. A director of agriculture was appointed in 1896, and leaflets are issued pointing out improvements within the means of the villager,

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and how to deal with plant diseases and insect pests. The rehabilitation of the French vineyards has contributed almost fatally to the depreciation of the native wines, which are pure and strong, but not always palatable. The experiments made to improve the quality and to secure a European market have not, so far, proved remunerative. Very large sums have been expended on the destruction of locusts ; they are now practically harmless, but live locusts and locusts’ eggs are diligently collected every year. A committee exists “ for the improvement of the breeds of Cyprus stock ”; stallions of Arab blood have been imported, and prizes are offered for the best donkeys. Cattle, sheep, mules, and donkeys are sent in large numbers to Egypt. Cyprus mules have found favour in war in the Crimea, India, Uganda, Eritrea, and Egypt. Out of the £314,000 advanced under the Colonial Loans Act, 1899, £60,000 has been allotted for irrigation; and under the superintendence of an officer lent by the Government of Madras, two great works are in process of construction. The smaller includes a reservoir at Syncrasi (Famagusta D.), with a catchment of 27 square miles and a capacity of 70 million cubic feet. It reclaims 360 acres, and should irrigate 4320. The larger scheme includes three large reservoirs in the Mesaoria to hold up and temporarily store the flood waters of the Pedias and Yalias rivers. It is estimated that, at a cost of £50,000, 42,000 acres will be irrigated and 10,000 reclaimed. The net return is calculated at 5 per cent, on the cost of both schemes. Manufactures are unimportant. Commerce.—During 1887-98 the annual value of imports and exports, as calculated for the financial year ending 31st March, fluctuated considerably. In 1887-88 the total imports were £356,375, and in 1887-89 the total exports averaged £205,781 (specie neglected). In 1899 the imports wCte—of goods, £289,962, and of specie, £27,799, a total of £317,761 ; and the exports were—of goods, £264,851, and of specie, £43,398, a total of £308,249. The most important items of imports in 1899 were manufactured cotton, £29,545 ; raw cotton, £18,498 ; tobacco, £21,961; woollens, £18,902; timber, £14,618; leather, £13,632 ; corn, &c. (mainly flour), £12,784 ; and of exports, carobs, £68,213 ; corn, &c. (mainly barley and wheat), £38,105; wine, £32,064 ; animals, £20,340 ; fruit (chiefly raisins), £19,829; silk cocoons, £14,708. The export of sponges reached 140 cwts. Shipping.—In 1899, in the coasting trade, 2297 vessels (2080 sailing), of 146,465 tons entered, and 2358 (2141 sailing) of 145,462 tons cleared the ports ; in the foreign trade 1149 vessels (932 sailing) of 258,454 tons entered, and 1144 (927 sailing) of 260,046, cleared. Internal Communications.—(i.) Roads: 488 miles of roads classed as “good” or fair “carriage roads” have been constructed between 1878-99, at a cost of £139,720. (ii.) Posts and Telegraphs : There are 23 post offices, 18 rural mail sections, and 7 money order offices. In 1898-99, 268,670 internal letters were dealt with, 212,200 external, and 148,000 newspapers. The total cost of the postal service was £3094, leaving a surplus of £240. There are 9 telegraph offices. The Imperial Ottoman Telegraph Company has 67 miles of line, and a cable connecting the Carpas with Syria ; the Eastern Telegraph Company has 170 miles of line, and a cable connecting Larnaca with Alexandria. In 1898-99 the former despatched 2650 messages, and the latter 17,750. Banking and Currency. — The Imperial Ottoman Bank has branches at Larnaca, Nicosia, and Limasol. In 1882 the following coins were decreed legal currency : gold—sovereign, half-sovereign, Turkish lira, and French 20-franc piece; silver—florin, shilling, sixpence, and threepenny piece: limit of tender, £3 ; bronze— piastre (9 = Is.), half-piastre, and quarter-piastre: limit of tender, 27 piastres. A law relating to weights and measures was passed in 1890. Those in use are the Turkish standards. The oke = 2'8 lb avoirdupois, and the donum = about I acre. Authorities.—An Attempt at a Bibliography of Cyprus, by C. D. Cobham (4th ed., Nicosia, 1900), registers over 700 works which deal with Cyprus. No one full and comprehensive account of the island exists, though such is being compiled by Dr Eugen Oberhummer, of Munich. The most interesting travels may be found under the names of Felix Faber. Evagatorium. Stuttgart, 1843.—De Yillamont. Voyages. Arras, 1598.—Van Kootwyck. Cotovici Itinerarium. Antwerp, 1619.—R. Pococke. Description of the East. London, 1743.—A. Drummond. Travels. London, 1754.—E. D. Clarke. Travels. London, 1812.—Sir S. Baker. Cyprus in 1879. London, 1879.—W. H. Mallock. S. III. — 42