The top
of Troodos was not visible, as we continued the ascent along the ridge,
with the great depths of ravines and pine-covered steeps upon either
side, but several imposing heights in front, and upon the right, seemed
to closely rival the true highest point.
As we ascended, the surface vegetation became scanty; the rocks in many
places had been thickly clothed with the common fern growing in dense
masses from the soil among the interstices; the white cistus and the
purple variety had formed a gummy bed of plants which, together with
several aromatic herbs, emitted a peculiar perfume in the cool morning
air. These now gave place to the hardy berberris which grew in thick
prickly bushes at long intervals, leaving a bare surface of rocks
between them devoid of vegetation. There was little of geological
interest; gneiss and syenite predominated, with extremely large crystals
of hornblende in the latter rock, that would have afforded handsome
slabs had not the prevailing defect throughout Cyprus rendered all
blocks imperfect through innumerable cracks and fissures. A peculiar
greenish and greasy-looking rock resembling soapstone was occasionally
met with in veins, and upon close examination I discovered it to be the
base of asbestos. The surface of this green substance was like polished
horn, which gradually became fibrous, and in some specimens developed
towards the extremity into the true white hairy condition of the
well-known mineral cotton.
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