‘The perillous and most unhappy voyages of John Struys, through Italy, Greece, Lifeland, Moscovia, Tartary, Media, Persia, East-India, Japan, and other places in Europe, Africa and Asia. Containing, I. Most accurate remarks and observations of the distinct qualities, religion, politie, customs, laws and properties of the inhabitants: II. A due description of the several cities, towns, forts and places of trust, as to their site and strength, fortifications by nature, or art, &c. with other things worthy of note: and III. An exact memorial of the most disastrous calamities which befell the author in those parts (viz) by ship-wrack, robberies, slavery, hunger, tortures, with other incommodities and hardships’ [‎319] (386/470)

C hap . XXXI. The V oyages of John S-truys. ^i 9
at night, by 15 Halberdiers: and in the Bed-Chamber.of the King j ^ k
30 young Gentlemen, being moftly the Sons of great Perfonages, l672 '
in whom the King repofes moft Confidence. Every night the
fchiktzcht , or Captain of the Guards, brings the Kinga Lift oftheir
Names, who are to ftand upon the Ward the night following. With
in the Palace are feveral great Halls or Appartments, amongft which
the Tahchme and the Di ^an-chane are the chiefeft: The former being
the Banquetting Houfe, and the latter the Court ofjuftice. In the
DtTvm-chane Ambafladors are always received and thence introduced
into the Chamber of Audience, the more becaufe the Glory of the
Cavalcade and other Solemnities can be here the better feen. Another
Appartment which is not much inferior to thofe already made men
tion of, is the Harm-Chme , where the King diverts hmifelf with his
Wives and Concubines. The Dekay is the Place where the King
retires, and has his Refidence, when not ingaged in any important
Affair , holding here his Table with his legitimat Wives. In fhort
there are many other Appartments within the Palace for inferior Con
cerns. Behind the Palace is a Garden which they call the chobbadar,
in the middle whereof is a beautifull little Chappel. Hereisalfo the
great Sanftuary , or Place of Refuge , which they call Allycarp ,
which is as much as to fay, Gods Gate\ in which Place a Malefador
is free from Juftice. There is alfo another fuch Place of Refuge , on
the other fide of the MAydm, called Tzechil Sutmi, fo called from 4,0
huge mafly Beams that reft upon one Pillar ftanding in the middle ^
and fofupport the Roof. Hitherit was whither the fled when
the Town was taken in by the great and oppofed him
again, but he breaking in with violence put all to thefword, fave
thofe that had "got into the interior Temple, or for which
he had fuch a veneration that he would not violate the Inftitutions
of OHahmet , or pollute the Sanduary with Blood.
On the North fide of the May dan , are many Taverns and Tap-
houfes, and among thofe a Houfe greatly frequented by Traders,
called the T^aychatti-Chme or Thee-houfe, which they prepare quite
after another manner than the Indians of whom the firft had
it; for here they put info many aromatical Ingredients , that one can
neither perceiv any Tafte or Smell of Tee in it. In drinking Tee they
alfo accuftom themfelvs to Play, and efpecially at Chefs, at which