'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎9] (558/1024)

9
Relation of the Grand Seign Seraglio.
The Cbiamcibacbi is the grand 1 a jndi-y^^ 7 ^ waOi U
and order the Grand Seignor’s Linnen/.
The Giritbey is the chief Dirc&or of thofe who are exercis’d in fhooting with the
Bowe, and calling the Dart. Theletwo txercifcs are much pradlis’d every Friday^
in a place of the Seragll^ appointed for that Divcrtilement. Thus have vou, in few
words, an account of whatever relates to the principal Charges of the Seraglio, pofleiVd
by tbofe who have pals’d through the Chambers of the Ichoglans.
The Blacky, nr Negro -Fwmchs, of whom I have but a word more to fay, additio
nally to what I have intimated b;fore 5 areappointed to guard the Appartment of the
Women, and they make choice, for that Office, of the moll deform’d and the mofl:
JEfopical , that can be found. They are all cut even with the belly ^ ever fince the
time of Solyman the Second, who being one day in the fields, and feeing a Gelding ,
offering to leap a Mare, inferr’d thence, that the Eunuchs, who Kept his Wives,
might likewile endeavour to fatisf/e their paffions ; for which he bethought himfelf of
aprefent remedy, by ordering them tohave all cut off; and his Succefiors have fince
obErv d that Rule. T here is a great number of thofe Regro-Eunuchs, and they have
their variety of Chambers, and their Regulations, as the white ones have. I fay
nothing here of their different Employments, and the Reader will find, in the Chap
ter concerning the Appartment of the Women , all can be known, that’s certain
Upon that Subjedt
1 he Kijlar- Agaft, or, as others name him, thewhich is as much, in The credit and.
our Language, as to fay , the Guardian of the Virgins , is the chiefeft of all the Negro- walthofthe
Eunuchs, and is of equal authority and credit with the Capi-Aga, who is the Supreme
of the white Eunuchs. T he former is the Overfecr of the Appartmeni of the Wo- Appaftment of
men, has the Keys of the Doors in his cuflody, and has accefs to the Emperor when the Women.
he pleafes himfelf. The charge he is poflefs’d of brings him in Prefents from all parts 5
and there are not any fuch made to the Sultannefles, by the Bajfa’s, and other Per-
lons, who hand in need of their favour, in reference to the Sultan, but there comes
along with it one to himfelf, which makes him one of the richeff and mofl: confidera-
blc Officers, belonging to the Seraglio.
I come now to the Azamoglans , who make the fecond Order of young Lads,
wherewith the Seraglio is replenifh’d, and out of Whole number they take fueh as
for mean Officers, of whom I fhall give you the Lift.
The Azamoglans as well as the ichoglans, are, as I laid before, Tributary Children,
taken away from the Chriftians or made Captives, by Sea r or Land. Thev make
choice of the handfomeft , the beft fhap’d, and moft robuft, for the Seraglio, and
they have neither Wages nor allowances of any profit, unlefs they be advanc’d to
ome Imall employ ments. Nor can they attain thofe , till after many years Ser
vices, and what is then allow’d them docs not amount to above four Afpers and a
nail per diem. As for thofe who are brought up in other places, under the fimple
uenomjnatnon oiAzamcglaus, and are not receiv’d into the Seraglio at CoifiaminopU i
t] Wn UnC c an amqynt no higher, than to become Zanizaries.
- When thefe young Boys are brought up to Conftantiwple, the firft diftribution which
made of them is into the Seraglio’s, or Royal Houfes of the Grand Seignor: there
re iome of them left in the City, to be put to Trades, and others are fent to Sea, to
j rvetorfeamcn, and fo gain experience in Navigation, by which means they capaci-
e tnemfdyes for fomc Employments. But to confine our difeourfe to the Azamo-
ibnT rC r C1 T^ ^ nt0 t ^ c Seraglio , they are imploy’d .in feveral Offices, and
and r* 0 t lcrn are nia ff c B.fiangis , fbme Capigis, fome Atagis , ibme Halvagis ,
I cari^ 5 w ^ c h terms I fhail explicate to the Reader in as few words as
whnf C are ly ho are employ’d in the Gardens of the Seraglio, out of
Bria C I 113111 j th ey take out Thofe who are to row in the Grand Seignor’s
the 5 n ^ as a a m ^ nc f to divert himfelf in fiftiing, or take the air upon
mav k 0 a -hhey who thus ferve in the Brigantines, and row on the right hand*
nlarpc C fuc Cd r ?- t ^ e c h ar G e °f Boflangi-Bacbi, which is one of the moft conftderable
mpnn v C ^ e i ^ era §ho: But they who row on the left hand, are capable only of the
arv t^Pfcyments, Wich are beftow’d in the Gardens. If it happen that
^eignor’f °^ r ^cm break his Oar, by ftrength of rowing in the Grand
S preience, his Hignefs immediately orders him a gratuity of fifty Crowns $
abd