29 March 1806: Ali Bey started his peregrinations from Larnaca into the hinderland of Cyprus.
“The next day I left at 7.15 a.m. and travelling East in an hour crossed the river Scarino which runs south and at 9 o'clock another stream running also S., at half past nine the road turned to N.E. we were crossing higher hills, and reached the top at eleven. Then descending gently in half an hour we passed a village called Corno, and at noon halted at the Greek convent of Ayia Tecla. We left at half past one, going N.N.B. at two o'clock we crossed a stream, and at three saw the village of Teraforio close to us on the left. Then after leaving on the right another village called Tisdarchaui, and crossing a small river, we kept straight on and at six entered Nicosia, the capital of the island. The early part of our ride took us through hills, rising one above another and wonderfully green, a landscape worthy of the goddess to whom the island was dedicated. The soil is a rich vegetable mould, just such as one would wish for a garden. The higher mountains are formed of roche cornee in every shade of colour from apple-green to a blackish green : pieces of hornblende are found of great brightness and beauty. I halted a moment to examine these rocks, when M. Francoudi said, "these rocks are called Roca di Corno." I asked him whence had they this name, and he replied, " from a place which we shall see presently.””
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