Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 27 - CHI-ELD.pdf/364

This page needs to be proofread.

328

CYPRUS

and Sardinia. It is nearly equally distant from the coast of Asia Minor to the north and from that of Syria to the east, lying between 34° 33' and 35° 41' H. lat., and 32° 20' and 34° 35' E. long. Its greatest length from west-southwest to east-north-east is about 140 miles, and its greatest breadth from north to south about 60 miles. The mean temperature is about 69° Fahr. ; mean maximum,78° Fahr. ; mean minimum, 57° Fahr.; average rainfall for the last ten years, 19T6 inches. Where there are marshes there is malarial fever, but this is rarely of a severe type. Area and Population.—In 1885 a trigonometrical survey and a map on the scale of 1 :63360 were executed by Captain (now Lord) Kitchener, K.E., who made the area 3584 square miles. The population in 1881 was 186,173; in 1891, 209,286. The island is divided into six districts, which contain, besides their chief towns, 687 villages and 58 monasteries. Limasol (Gr. Lemessos), on the south coast, is the chief seat of the wine and carob trade. Kyrenia (Gr. Kyreneia), on the north coast, has a small harbour recently improved, and carries on some trade with the Cazamanian coast, which is plainly visible. Its castle, a virgin fortress, for it has never been captured, was built in the earliest years of the 13th century. For Nicosia, Famagusta, Larnaca, and Paphos, see under those heads. Constitution and Government.—Under a convention signed at Constantinople, 4th June 1878, Great Britain engaged to join the Sultan of Turkey in defending Fig. 15.—Safety, 1901. his Asiatic possessions (in certain contingencies) against affairs exists, though in a lesser degree. In Belgium the Bussia, and the Sultan, “ in order to enable England to cycle has worked a veritable revolution in the national life. make necessary provision for executing her engagements,” The surface of the greater part of the country is loose and consented to assign the island of Cyprus to be occupied sandy, and the roads therefore have been all paved, and and administered by England. The British flag was are impossible for light traffic, because the paving is so hoisted on 12th June, and the conditions of the occupation bad. The cycle tax consequently has been devoted, first, were explained in an annex to the convention, dated 1st to the construction of cycle-paths, on which wheelmen have July. An Order in Council of 14th September, modiequal rights with pedestrians, and secondly, to the replacing fied so far as related to legislation by another of 30th of the paving by macadam. In this way alone cycling November, regulated the government of the island. The has proved of inestimable benefit to Belgium and Luxem- administration -was placed in the hands of a High Combourg. In the United States also, though it has not yet missioner -with the usual powers of a Colonial Governor. been possible to procure uniform legislation, good-roads Executive and Legislative Councils w^ere established; and and side-path Bills have been introduced in various states, in each of the six districts into which, for administrative mainly at the instigation of wheelmen, while state aid has and legal purposes, the island was divided, a commissioner been obtained by law for the free carriage of cycles. was appointed to represent the Government. The Executive Council consists of the High Commissioner, the World’s Records in 1900. Chief Secretary, the King’s Advocate, the senior officer The following are the world’s records to the end of in charge of the troops, and the Receiver-General, 1900, which have been accepted by the Union Cycliste with, as “additional” members, two Christians and one Internationale :— Mussulman. The Legislative Council consists of six nonelected members, being office-holders, and twelve elected Date. Holder and Place. Time. Miles. members, three being chosen by the Moslems and nine 20",, Major Taylor at Chicago Nov. 9, 1899 I flying by the non-Moslem inhabitants. British subjects and Aug. 2, 1899 at London . 27§ J standing 41" Green foreigners, who have resided five years in Cyprus, can Major Taylor at Chicago Nov. 10, 1899 I flying Aug. 2, 1899 at London . £ standing 51i Green exercise the franchise as well as Ottoman subjects. The July 26, 1900 Chase at London . l':04g I flying Aug. 2, 1899 l':15 Green at London . qualification otherwise is the payment of any of the J standing l':22f Major Taylor at Chicago Aug. 3, 1899 1 flying taxes classed as Yergi Taxes (see below). The courts in July, 26, 1900 l':38? Chase at London . 1 standing Oct. 24, 1900 2':51f Stinson at Brockton 2 existence at the time of the occupation were superseded Nov. 8, 1900 4': 18 Elkes at Brockton 3 Nov. 8, 1900 5': 44? Bikes at Brockton by the following, constituted by an Order in Council dated 4 Nov. 8, 1900 7': Ilf Elkes at Brockton 5 30th November 1882:—(1) a supreme court of criminal Aug. 28, 1900 Bauge at Paris 14': 22? 10 Oct. 27, 1900 29': 33 Elkes at Brockton 20 and civil appeal; (2) six assize courts ; (3). six district Oct. 27, 1900 37': 02? Elkes at Brockton 25 courts ; (4) six magistrates’ courts; and (5) village courts, Oct. 27, 1900 44': 49 Elkes at Brockton So Oct. 25, 1900 59': 43? Stinson at Brockton 40 at present ten in number. Actions are divided, according Nov. 4, 1900 Bauge at Paris lh:14:55? 50 Nov. 4. 1900 21h!: 33:40? Bauge at Paris to the nationality of the defendant, into “ Ottoman ” and 100 Sept. 15-16, 1900 6 1:37:43 Walters at Paris 200 “Foreign” ; in the latter, the president of the court alone Sept. 15-16, 1900 Walters at Paris 10>

12
45?

300 Sept. 15-16, 1900 14h:04:24 Walters at Paris exercises jurisdiction as a rule, so also in criminal cases 400 Sept. 15-16, 1900 Walters at Paris 18k:19:19? 500 against foreigners. The law administered is that contained July 8-9, 1899 22i»:40:05| Walters at Paris 600 in the Ottoman codes, modified by 337 ordinances passed (J. P.*) by the Legislative Council. Religion.—In 1891, 47,296 of the inhabitants were Cyprus, an island situated in the easternmost basin of the Mediterranean, in size only inferior to Sicily Moslems; nearly all the remaining 161,990 were Chris-

The history of cycling on the continent of Europe and in America is virtually a repetition of the happenings in Great Britain. Though the invention of the modern cycle is probably due to Michaux, a Frenchman, cyclemaking reaches its greatest perfection in England. Improvements in many ways have been made in I ranee and America, but English cycles of the best makes are still regarded as the most trustworthy. France, however, has done more for the cyclist than any other country, owing to the fact that she possesses the best roads, kept up to a certain extent by the cycle tax, thus giving the cyclist a certain official position and right; moreover, cycles are conveyed free on railways, and State aid is given to the sport and the pastime, with the result that trade for some years has been in a very flourishing condition. In Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Holland much the same state of