S&SWM PR papers L1726

The Club | Nicosia | Cyprus | Jan 6th/ 97

My dear Father

I have been here a week and although - fortunately for the country - it has rained nearly every day I find the climate delightful. Any impressions I have are necessarily premature so I need not mention them - I mean as regards the industrial and commercial aspect of the island.

I am profitting by my experience and making the acquaintance of the officials. I now know a good many & they are very pleasant fellows. I wrote my name at Government House and sent a letter of introduction from Lord Selbourne (Under Sec. for Colonies) up to the High Commissioner with my card.

I have just returned from a 3 days trip through the Kyrnia [Kyrenia] Mountains. I went to the Armenian Courcut [?] which has only 2 families of 10 persons in it. The country is most beautiful, the other side of Northern Range. The Plain of Mesaoria where I am is not beautiful - Prof. Geddes arrives at Larnaca next Wed Jan. 13th having been detained as I explained in my last letter in Constantinople.

I am fortunate enough to have made the Grenadiers' acquaintance He is Government inspector of Agriculture. I go with him tomorrow on a tour through the S.W. part of the island. Mules are always used here for travelling I shall almost live on horse back.

I have already seen a good deal of Cyprus embroidery in silk & cotton. The native silk lace is very pretty I shall be able to bring you back as much as you like of various kinds of work. As regards other things, pottery, etc, I can tell you when I know more.

I have written to Bouverie to send my allowance here I also mentioned that I was writing to you to get my allowance increased to the original £50 a quarter. I hope you will do this and be kind enough to write to Bouverie at once to tell him. I only arrived here with £23 having had many expenses at Montpellier and on the journey, So I hope to have the allow-ance by return. I am writing to Douglas by this post.

Your affec son
Lionel Fox Pitt

Lionel brought back Add.9455vol9_p2328 /25, a bronze spear head found at Amathus, but this is the only thing listed in the catalogue of the second collection from him from Cyprus. This letter suggests that the professor referred to was Patrick Geddes.

Transcribed for Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project by AP June 2011