Henry Light, "Captain of the Royal Artillery" visited Cyprus in 1814 where he stayed for a short while. Very observant and curious, Light took meticulous notes of what he saw.
"Though the language of Cyprus is said to be more corrupt than of any other part of the east where Greek was once spoken, yet I could not but be pleased to hear ancient Greek words used for figs, cheese and milk by the market people who passed me; and I was conducted to the vice-consul's house by a Cypriot, to whom I made use of an ancient Greek phrase, pronounced as the modern Romaic. On my arrival I was shown into a house fitted up in the European manner, though built partly in the Eastern style; and on presenting my letter of recommendation from Colonel Misset, and stating my determination to wait for another opportunity for Constantinople, was settled in the apartments I have before alluded to: they had been occupied by Lieutenant Colonel Rooke, who had died at Baffa, the ancient Paphos, a few days before, a gentleman whose memory seemed to be held in great respect at Cyprus, and whose inclination for travel had kept him for a long time in the east, where he lavished large sums in objects of research and in acts of generosity, endearing him to the natives of the countries he visited. Thus, settled in Cyprus, I was left to my own resources for employment and obliged to remain at Larnica for the chance of any unforeseen occasion to quit it. I became one of the family of the vice-consul and conformed to the unwholesome custom of making a heavy meal at midday. The mornings and evenings I passed alone. "
The 'What I Saw...' series is made possible with the support of OPAP (Cyprus) and the Active Citizens Fund.
