] the first land that we discouered was a headland called cauo de la criega, and about midnight we ankered by north of the gape. this cape is a high hil, long and square, and on the east corner it hath a high cop, that appeareth vnto those at the sea, like a white cloud, for toward the sea it is white, and it lieth into the sea southwest. this coast of cyprus is high declining toward the sea, but it hath no cliffes. the 26. we set saile againe, and toward noone we came into the port of salini, where we went on land and lodged that night at a towne one mile from thence called arnacho di salini, this is but a village called in italian, casalia. this is distant from iaffa 250. italian miles. the 27. we rested, and the 28. we hired horses to ride from arnacho to sulina, which is a good mile. the salt pit is very neere two miles in compasse, very plaine and leuell, into the which they let runne at the time of raine a quantitie of water comming from the mountaines, which water is let in vntil the pit be full to a certaine marke, which when it is full, the rest is conueyed by a trench into the sea. the water is let runne in about october, or sooner or later, as the time of the yeere doth afforde. there they let it remaine vntill the ende of iuly or the middest of august, out of which pits at that time, in stead of water that they let in they gather very faire white salt, without any further art or labour, for it is only done by the great heate of the sunne. this the venetians haue, and doe maintaine to the vse of s. marke, and the venetian ships that come to this island are bound to cast out their ballast, and to lade with salt for venice. also there may none in all the iland buy salt but of these men, who maintaine these pits for s. marke. this place is watched by night with 6. horsemen to the end it be not stolne by night. also vnder the venetians dominions no towne may spende any salt, but they must buy it of saint marke, neither may any man buy any salt at one towne to carie to another, but euery one must buy his salt in the towne where he dwelleth. neither may any man in venice buy more salt then he spendeth in the city, for if he be knowen to carte but one ounce out of the due and be accused, hee looseth an eare. the most part of all the salt they haue in venice commeth from these salines, and they have it so plentifull, that they are not able, neuer a yeere to gather the one halfe, for they onely gather in iuly, august, and september, and not fully these three moneths. yet notwithstanding the abundance that the shippes carie away yeerely, there remaine heapes like hilles, some heapes able to lade nine or tenne shippes, and there are heapes of two yeeres gathering, some of three and some of nine or tenne yeeres making, to the value of a great somme of golde, and when the ships do lade, they neuer take it by measure, but when they come at venice they measure it. this salt as it lyeth in the pit is like so much ice, and it is sixe inches thicke: they digge it with axes, and cause their slaues to cary it to the heapes. this night at midnight we rode to famagusta, which is eight leagues from salina, which is 24 english miles. the 29 about two houres before day we alighted at famagusta, and after we were refreshed we went to see the towne. this is a very faire strong holde, and the strongest and greatest in the iland. the walks are faire and new, and strongly rampired with foure principall bulwarkes, and bettweene them turrions responding one to another, these walks did the venetians make. they haue also on the hauen side of it a castle, and the hauen is chained, the citie hath onely two gates, to say, one for the lande and another for the sea, they haue in the towne continually, be it peace or warres, 800 souldiers, and fortie and sixe gunners, besides captaines, petie captaines, gouernour and generall the lande gate hath alwayes fiftie souldiers, pikes and gunners with their harnes, watching thereat night and day. at the sea gate fiue and twenties upon the walles euery night doe watch fifteene men in watch houses, for euery watch house fiue men, and in the market place 30 souldiers continually. there may no souldier serue there aboue 5 yeres, neither will they without friendship suffer them to depart afore 5. yeres be expired, and there may serue of all nations except greekes. [sidenote: morenigo.] they haue euery pay which is 45 dayes, 15 morenigos, which is 15 shillings sterling. [sidenote: solde of venice] their horsemen haue only sixe soldes venetian a day, and prouender for their horses, but truth i maruell how they liue being so hardly fed, for all the sommer they feede only vpon chopt strawe and barley, for hay they haue none, and yet they be faire, fat and seruiceable. [sidenote: castellani] the venetians send euery two yeres new rulers, which they call castellani. the towne hath allotted it also two gallies continually armed and furnished. [sidenote: saint katherens chappel in old famagusta.] the 30. in the morning we ridde to a chappell, where they say saint katherin was borne. this chappell is in olde famagusta, the which was destroyed by englishmen, and is cleane ouerthrowne to the ground, to this day desolate and not inhabited by any person, it was of a great circuit, and there be to this day mountaines of faire, great, and strong buildings, and not onely there, but also in many places of the iland. [sidenote: diuvers coines vnder ground.] moreouer when they digge, plowe, or trench they finde sometimes olde antient coines, some of golde, some of siluer, and some of copper, yea and many tombes and vautes with sepulchers in them. this olde famagusta is from the other, foure miles, and standeth on a hill, but the new towne on a plaine. [sidenote: cornari, a family of venice maried to king iaques.] thence we returned to new famagusta againe to dinner, and toward euening we went about the towne, and in the great church we sawe the tombe of king iaques, which was the last king of cyprus, and was buried in the yere of christ one thousand foure hundred seuentie and three, and had to wife one of the daughters of venice, of the house of cornari, the which family at this day hath great reuenues in this island, and by means of that mariage the venetians, chalenge the kingdome of cyprus. the first of october in the morning, we went to see the reliefe of the watches. that done, we went to one of the greekes churches to see a pot or iarre of stone, which is sayd to bee one of the seuen iarres of water, the which the lord god at the mariage conuerted into wine. it is a pot of earth very faire, white enamelled, and faireiy wrought vpon with drawen worke, and hath on either side of it, instead of handles, eares made in fourme as the painters make angels wings, it was about an elle high, and small at the bottome, with a long necke and correspondent in circuit to the botome, the belly very great and round, it holdeth full twelue gallons, and hath a tap-hole to drawe wine out thereat, the iarre is very auncient, but whether it be one of them or no, i know not. the aire of famagusta is very vnwholesome, as they say, by reason of certaine marish ground adioyning vnto it