On the north-west and north the principal harbours or roadsteads affording
shelter from certain winds are the Bay of Chrysochon and the roads of Pyros
and Morpha, the harbour of Kyrenia, and the Bay of Exarkos; on the east and
south, the bays and harbours of Salamis and Famagusta, the bay and roads of
Larnaka, the roads of Limasol, which latter were greatly improved by the
opening of an iron pier in 1882, and the small harbour of Paphos (Kuklia).
The great disadvantage of all these harbours and roadsteads is the
shallowness of the water for some distance from the land; this has the
effect of raising a great deal of surf when the wind blows on shore, and
also of compelling vessels of any size to anchor at a considerable distance
out, thus making the operations of landing and embarking cargo both tedious
and expensiue. It would not, however, be a matter of great expense to
construct breakwaters and deepen the old harbours, especially that of
Famagusta, which, at the end of the sixteenth century, was sufficiently
deep and large to afford safe anchorage to the whole fleet of the Venetian
Republic, and when in the outer harbour there is now shelter for about
twelve ironclads. Larnaka is the port at present most frequented by trading
vessels.

The ancient Olympus, how called Santa Croce, rises in the centre of the
island, and two principal ranges of mountains runs in the direction of its
length, keeping closer to the north than to the south coast. The highest
summit of the range of Santa Croce is mount Troodos, with an elevation of
6590 feet above the sea-level. Here, on the south-east slopes, are the
summer quarters of the troops and the summer residence of the high
commissioner. The most extensive plain, called Messarea, is in the
south-east part of the island, and is watcred by the river Pedaus. The
south of the island is watered by several streams, the principal of which
is the river Kuris, or Lico, which falls into the sea at Episkopi, the
ancient _Curium_. But these streams, which were once rivers of some