Jean d'Acre. On 5th June, 1191, Richard
himself sailed from Cyprus, leaving the island
in charge of Richard de Canville and Robert de
Turnham, with injunctions to keep the army in Syria
well provided with provisions.
"Isaac was placed in silver fetters and taken with
King Richard to Syria, where he was handed over to
the Hospitallers, since Knights of Rhodes, for safe
custody, and was by them confined in the Castle of
Margat, near Tripoli, where he died shortly afterwards.
"Several insurrections subsequently occurred in
Cyprus, but were all suppressed by the decisive and
prompt action of Robert de Turnham.
"The Templars now entered into negotiations with
King Richard for the purchase of Cyprus, and they
eventually obtained it from him for the sum of 100,000
Saracenic golden besants; it was further arranged that
40,000 golden besants should be paid at once, and the
remainder as soon as it could be derived from the
revenues of the island."
According to a high authority, De Mas Latrie (see L'Histoire de l'Ile de
Chypre, vol. ii. p. 7), the above sum would now represent about 304,000
pounds sterling.
Richard had at once appreciated the importance of Cyprus as a base of
operations that would secure a supply of provisions within two days'
sail of his salient point of attack, and to which he could retreat in
the event of failure.
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