could be conceived. With the famed quality of the grape, its cheapness, (about three-fourths of a cent per pound,) and the capacity of the island for its production, the manufacture of wines for exportation would be most remunerative; but when ten per cent. upon the raw material and twenty-five upon the manufactured is devoured by the government there is left a small margin for profit. It is hoped, however, that this onerous duty will soon be removed. The comparatively large revenue from this island, amounting to fifteen millions of piasters, is due to her great agricultural resources. The soil is of the most rich and fertile character, and is capable of raising to perfection almost all agricultural productions. The level nature of the country renders transportation easy; and the absence of all predatory tribes, with the inoffensiveness of both its Greek and Turkish population, render life and property, secure in every part of the island. It is sad, however, to report that, although favored with every natural advantage, its agricultural resources are comparatively undeveloped. Scarcely the fifteenth part of the arable land is under cultivation, and, in addition to this large amount of unproductive soil, it may be added that the portion under cultivation does not produce one-half of its capacity, when it is remembered that the island supported a population of two millions under the Venetians, and was also at the same time the great granary of Syria. Last year the island was obliged to import largely to support a population of only one hundred and eighty thousand inhabitants! Agriculture has suffered fearfully from the ravages of the locust for many years past, and there is not enough energy and public spirit on the part of the inhabitants, or interest manifested by the government, to take effective measures for the destruction of this ruinous scourge. The chief products of this island are wheat, barley, cotton, linsced, sesame, madder root, and grapes. The wheat is small grained and hard, resembling the Russian wheat, and brought to market largely mixed with earth and other extraneous substances. The barley is of a very superior quality, finer even than the Egyptian, and sold at low prices. The capacity of the island for the production of cotton is great, but the cultivation is much neglected. According to “Mariti,” Cyprus under the Venetian rule exported 30,000 bales, or 6,600,000 pounds; but the amount at present exported, even during the most favorable years, scarcely amounts to 6,000 bales, or 1,320,000 pounds. Although the soil under cotton cultivation is of the richest nature, yet, from carelessness and ignorance, bad quality of seed and want of capital, the produce per acre is only from 110 to 240 pounds. The quality of cotton chiefly cultivated is very inferior, rendering it of little value in the European markets; and until prices of cotton attained fabulous rates the crop was not remunerative to the agriculturists. American cotton is almost altogether grown now, and the " Manchester Cotton Supply Association” is making here, as everywhere in the East, huge efforts to increase the culture of this all-important article. The cultivation of madder root is one of great care and profit to the farmer, and in Europe are more esteemed than the Smyrna produce. In some parts of the island the land best adapted to this culture brings the enormous price of 8300 per acre. There are no public works or enterprises at present in progress on the island. The great disadvantages under which Cyprus labors are want of population and enterprise, there being only one soul to every fifteen acres of arable land; and its future is as dark and desolate as its present state should it remain under Turkish rule. Statement showing the return of imports into Larnika of Cyprus during the year 1861. 4,357,500 Bales... Cases .... ..do. Okes ..... do, .... 30, 260 2,555 739 573 Coffee....... 7,820 Dozen.. Dozen ... 1,743 P ckages. 1,743 1,084 Bales..... 1,084 218 Cases 218 152 ..do. 152 52, 220 Cwt 1,3055 24,640..do. .... 616 103,200..do. .... 2,580 5,04 1,910 642 110 33 217 173 516 79 45, 700 727 104 Tons 104 Quan. Value. Quan. Value. Quan. Value. Quan. Value. Q’y. Val. Quan. Val. 5,000 Packages 1,084 Bales. 163 163,000 6 6,000 49 49.000 Glassware ........... 96 67,200 18 12, 600 ..do. do. 1,600 5,200..do. 3,800 27,500 360 2,700..do. ..do. 7, 110 81,765 17,000 191, 700 680 850 9,775 50 575..do. Leither .... 110 82,500 Okes ..do. ..do, 750 .do. ..do. ..do. ..do. Barrels. 3,000 95 19,000 50 10,000 Barrels... Do......... ... Mats ... 516 154,800 Soda Barrels. 21 21,000 Pieces.. Pieces Baskets Kilos. Okes Tons 64 19, 200 Sundries 643,554 214,100 110, 430 95, 800 8,700 3,350 10,633, 104 1,684,8:20 449, 900 585,005 27,900 21,825 Do......... 368,000 209, 440 650,520 $2,500 78, 750 71,200 79,000 378,750 91,200 31, 200 ................ 8,750 1,559 720 4911 516 Mats ..... Mats ..... Baked peas. 3,3491 216 91,200 TOUS.... 93,06 13, 402, 555 Total ..... Statement showing the return of exports from Larnika during the year 1861. Okes... ........do. ..do. 3,382 Piece. Quan. Value. Quan. Value. Quan. Value. Cyprus. W. & M. English. W. & M.' Piasters. £. 3,293 329, 300 Cantar 17,240 Cwt.... 77,580 1,724,000 11,972 181,858 ..do. .. 4,546 954,775 6.630 Cotton ...............do... 6,218 62, 180 362,700 2,901,600 45,000 360,000 21,010 168,080 7,560 60, 480 442, 488 Lbs 1,216,840 3,552, 340 24,669 Silk ................ ..do. ..do. 10.370 Cwt.. 259 2,074.000 14, 403 Linseed ............ 107.9.20..do. 2,698 215,840 1,499 112,680 704,250 .... ........ 18, 750 117, 190 3,040 24,000 do. 135,270..do. 815, 440 5,871 Sesame ........... .do. 820 2,870 6, 720 23.520 ..do. 7.540 ..do. 188 26, 390 183 Skins 12,000 53,870 161,610 15,750 47,250 73,620 Piece 73,620 220, 860 1,5:14 ..do. 2. 155 ..do. 2, 155 86. 200 599 Raky.............. Okes Okes 9,920 Gallon 2,830 49,600 345 Black wine...........do. ..do. 915 ..do. 120,903 do. 34,540 393,050 2,729 do. 28,079 Tons... 33 238,675 1,657 4,000 Qrs 500 108.000 750 1..do. 225 28.800 200 54,023 Cwt.... 1,351 108,046 750 145 Bales,. 145 290,000 2,014 Woollen ditto do. do. 7 14,000 97 7,640 Cwt.... 191 331,200 2,300 21,900..do. 547 219.000 1,521 Iron stock.................. 337,500 2,344 Sundries 25,050 825,370 5,731 12,774, 786 88, 713 Kilo.... Okes... Bales... Okes ... ..do. Okes 2, 240,874 Gallons. 20,6:20 Cwt 651, 678 4,852,339 33, 696 1,000,000 6,944 8,052, 339 55,918 Articles. Weights or measures. Great Britain. France. Austria Turkey. Italy. .do. ... ..do. Wool ..... ........ Piece 4,100 ............. Hides ......... 64,000 ..do. Quan. Value. Quan'y. Value. Quan. Value. Cantar 643 64,300 7,622 762, 200 5,682 568, 200 720 144,000 9, 650 1,930,000 105, 040 210,080 2,880 5, 760 9,920 49,600 65,850 131,700 21,150 179, 775 1,200 28.800 Okes 145 290,000 7 14,000 21,900 219,000 337,500 11,000 29, 700 1,280 76,800 ..do. Exports from Limassol during the year 1861: Black wine, raky and common...... Tutal 1 SEPTEMBER 8, 1862. I have the honor herewith to transmit a copy of a report on the ancient port of Famagusta, made by the captain of a French steamer, who is the first European commander that has entered this abandoned harbor since it fell into the hands of the Turks three centuries ago. My colleague, the French consul, kindly offered me the report, which has excited the interest of the French government to that degree that permission was asked of the Sublime Porte to make a survey of the port, as also the old city of Famagusta, still in a great state of preservation, and the best fortified city of the East. This survey has just been completed by a government vessel, and I hope to procure the plans, &c., which I shall forward to the department. The information and details, given with great exactitude in this paper, may be of use to United States vessels in these waters, from the fact that a port perfectly secure has been discovered, and is accessible to vessels that seek in vain for a safe harbor on the Syrian coast. The Turkish government now proposes to remove the debris with which it is encumbered, rather with a view to the discovery of the treasures of the Genoese and Venetian fleet (the latter having been sunk with immense treasure on its capture by the Turks in 1571) than for political or commercial objects. Had the efforts of the United States government been directed to this island, instead of Marmoretza, it is probable that European jealousy would not have |
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