A natural headland terminating in disconnected rocks upon the
north boundary of the reef about half a mile above the fortress is a
secure protection from the sea, but it admits the silt. This has
completely filled in a considerable portion of the original harbour, and
were this sea-communication destroyed by connecting the various reefs
with the main headland, the evil would be at once prevented, and the
inclosed area might be cleansed by dredging. This would not only add to
the accommodation of the inner harbour by a considerable extension, but
it would afford an admirable position for a series of docks, and yards
for the repairing of vessels. I walked through the whole of this
confined mass of rocks, silt, and water only a few inches deep, and was
much impressed with the capabilities of the locality. Such powerful
dredgers as are used in the Suez Canal would clear away the deposit,
with an outlay that could be calculated by the cubic contents, and the
large margin that must generally be allowed in all estimates for harbour
works would, in the case of Famagousta, be superfluous.
There are two enemies to be resisted--the sea, and the silt. The latter
has been and still is brought down by the Pedias river; this has
entirely blocked the ancient harbour of Salamis, and partially destroyed
that of Famagousta. The engineer has to repel these enemies, and he
possesses a great advantage in the fact that Famagousta has already
existed as a most important harbour, therefore he is not experimenting
upon an unknown bottom.
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