they haue also a certaine yeerely sicknesse raigning in the same towne, aboue all the rest of the island: yet neuerthelesse, they haue it in other townes, but not so much. it is a certaine rednesse and paine of the eyes, the which if it bee not quickly holpen, it taketh away their sight, so that yeerely almost in that towne, they haue about twentie that lose their sight, either of one eye or both, and it commeth for the most part in this moneth of october, and the last moneth: for i haue met diuers times three and foure at once in companies, both men and women. [sidenote: no vitailes must be sold out of the city of famagusta.] their liuing is better cheape in famagusta then in any other place of the island, because there may no kinde of prouision within their libertie bee solde out of the citie. the second of october we returned to arnacho, where wee rested vntill the sixt day. [sidenote: greate ruines in cyprus.] this towne is a pretie village, there are thereby toward the sea side diuers monuments, that there hath bene great ouerthrow of buildings, for to this day there is no yere when they finde not, digging vnder ground, either coines, caues, and sepulcres of antiquities, as we walking, did see many, so that in effect, all alongst the sea coast, throughout the whole island, there is much ruine and ouerthrow of buildings, [sidenote: cyprus 36. yeres disinhabited for lacke of water.] for as they say, it was disinhabited sixe and thirtie yeres, before saint helens time for lacke of water. [sidenote: cypr. ruinated by rich. the i.] and since that time it hath bene ruinated and ouerthrowen by richard the first of that name king of england, which he did in reuenge of his sisters rauishment comming to ierusalem, the which inforcement was done to her by the king of famagusta. the sixt day we rid to nicosia, which is from arnacho seuen cyprus miles, which are one and twentie italian miles. this is the ancientest citie of the iland, and is walled about, but it is not strong neither of walles nor situation: it is by report three cyprus miles about, it is not throughly inhabited, but hath many great gardens in it, and also very many date trees, and plentie of pomegranates and other fruites. there dwell all the gentilitie of the island, and there hath euery cauallier or conte of the island an habitation. [sidenote: a fountaine that watereth al the gardens in the citie.] there is in this citie one fountaine rented by saint marke, which is bound euery eight dayes once, to water all the gardens in the towne, and the keeper of this fountaine hath for euery tree a bizantin, which is twelue soldes venice, and sixpence sterling. [sidenote: a bizantin is 6. d. sterling.] he that hath that to farme, with a faire and profitable garden thereto belonging, paieth euery yeere to saint marke, fifteene hundred crownes. the streetes of the citie are not paued, which maketh it with the quantitie of the gardens, to seeme but a rurall habitation. but there be many faire buildings in the citie, there be also monasteries both of franks and greekes. [sidenote: s. sophia is a cathedral church of nicosia.] the cathedrall church is called santa sophia, in the which there is an old tombe of iaspis stone, all of one piece, made in forme of a cariage coffer, twelue spannes long, sixe spannes broad, and seuen spannes high, which they say was found vnder ground. it is as faire a stone as euer i haue seene. the seuenth day we rid to a greeke frierie halfe a mile without the towne. it is a very pleasaunt place, and the friers feasted vs according to their abilitie. these friers are such as haue bene priests, and their wiues dying they must become friers of this place, and neuer after eate flesh, for if they do, they are depriued from saying masse: neither, after they haue taken vpon them this order, may they marry againe, but they may keepe a single woman. these greekish friers are very continent and chast, and surely i haue seldome seen (which i haue well noted) any of them fat. the 8. day we returned to arnacho, and rested there. [sidenote: monte de la croce.] the 9. after midnight my company rid to the hill called monte de la croce (but i not disposed would not go) which hill is from arnacho 15. italian miles. vpon the sayd hill is a certaine crosse, which is, they say, a holy crosse. this crosse in times past did by their report of the island, hang in the ayre, but by a certaine earthquake, the crosse and the chappeil it hung in, were ouerthrowen, so that neuer since it would hang againe in the aire. but it is now couered with siluer, and hath 3. drops of our lordes blood on it (as they say) and there is in the midst of the great crosse, a little crosse made of the crosse of christ; but it is closed in the siluer, you must (if you will) beleeue it is so, for see it you cannot. this crosse hangeth nowe by both endes in the wall, that you may swing it vp and downe, in token that it did once hang in the aire. this was told me by my fellow pilgrimes, for i sawe it not. the 10. at night we went aboard by warning of the patron: and the 11. in the morning we set saile, and crept along the shore, but at night we ankered by reason of contrary windes. [sidenote: limisso.] the 12. we set saile toward limisso, which is from salines 50