THE CYPRUS FEVER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 215, 19 October 1878, Page 5

THE CYPRUS FEVER.

Tho London correspondent of the Auckland Star writes : — Our new territorial acqaisition has turned our braine. We ure all Cyprus mad. It seems to be the fashion of English people to ride every hobby to death, aud now that popular Ben has secured us this poky little island — not as big as a decent English county, and made up principally of scorpions and centipedes —the hoi polloi are all excitement about it. The current of immigration has even set in the direction of Cyprup. The adverting columns of the Times afford a, very fair politico and eociometrical criterion 88 to what is uppermost in people's minds j and it has been amusing to see, ever Bioce the official announcement of the projected occupation of Cyprus, what a number of people are anxious to go there under every possible variety of auspices^ Cyprus was, and if, a regular dog-hole ; an excellent specimen of the fruits of the rule of Pashas. Beyoad a few hogsheads of wine it produced nothing, and every thing there is in an awful condition of misery and decßy. Jt is hard to say at tue present moment what Cyprus was in want of a month ago that it haß now not gof, Iv Sir Garnet Wolseley it has got a firet-rate hand at at the helm, and the Governor haa got around him a splendid staff of organisers. A railway is to be made j through the island ; *n hotel company is to be formed ; a swell hairdreeser has set up his standard on those classical shores ; and lastly a smjll newspaper plunt has Bui ed ior tbat little iMotinLevpi.t, and the Grstnunoberofthe Cyoriote may shorty be expected to rauke i is appearance. On the other Ipud, the country has a good many things that it does not waat. It, has enormous centipedes, and the came of (he scoipions is legion. Moreover th.ey are sociable beastiep ? and have a great fancy for the society of mankind, and desire on all possible O(pi6ions to abare his bed, Our oncers wrile that ihey ore greatly exercised by the demonstrations of thesa social iosects, and one subaltern declares that one night on his expressing a strong objection to the advance of a ceutipeie which was entering bis tent, the thing reared up on its hind legs and barked at him. So what with sun&troke, soorpUne, «n»l narking cntipedea, you may gather that Sir Garnet in This party hayn p^l fp r discovered the garden cf Eden.