'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.' [‎21] (570/1024)

A Relation of the Grand Seignors Seraglio. g j
Of rbefe Halvages, there is ordinarily to the number of fix hundred, and they
have only their cloathiiig and fuftenance allow’d them, without ariy wages, till
jfuch time as they have ferv’d thirteen or fourteen years. Their wages begin at the
hte of two Afpers per diem and in time may rife to feven Afiers and a half: but they
have other contingent Profits, and they know well enough, how to make their
advantage of the Employments they are upon. For whereas they only are the
Perfons who have the freedom of going and comeing in and out of the Seraglw^
they fet double the price on everything they buy. Blit their moft confiderable gain
proceeds from the infamous commerce of thole young Lads whom they bring in
to their Mahers, and whom they cunningly flip into the Infirmary, after they-had
put them into Habits like their own. They wear a white Cap, which riles up
from the Crown of the Head, to a pretty height fomewhat to the refemblance of
a Sugar-loaf. ' -
The Haflekr-Jgafij or chief Ovcrfeer of Infirmary, is inded continually at the Tnefmtlcf 7 ^
Gate with five or fix other Eunuchs, and carefully obferves whatever goes in, or deavowsusA
comes out. But all that vigilance will not do the work; nay though he had 'a* 0 ch ^kd ts
hundred eyes, yet Were it impoffible for him to difeern thofe young Lads, amidft cm * e '
die great number of thofe Halvagis and that the rather, for thefe reafons, thatthey
are frequently chang’d, thatTome of them are made Janizaries^ and that new ones
are taken in upon the advancement of the old ones to fome other, Employments.
But if it fhould happen that the faid Superintendent Eunuchsfhould have any fecret
information of what’s defign’d, and deems as if he would make fome noife about it,
he is prefently appeas’d with a filk Veft, or fomc other Prefent, and ’tis thence that
he derives his greateft advantages. In fine 5 that brutifh Paflion is fo ordinary; Abominable e&
among ft the Rurks and generally over all the Eaftern parts, that notwithftanding c Ai Ver al1 the
all the endeavours that has been us’d to prevent the cffe&s of it, they will hardly a it
ever be able to do it. There happeifd a memorable Example of this in my time.
Two Pages of the Chamber, who could not have the convenience of executing Tho SacnlegU
their wicked defign in the Seraglio, would needs aggravate their crime, by going 0HS a ^ on °f
into the Mofquey to fatiate their brutality. After Prayers Where ended, they two Fages °
fliffer’d all the people, to go out, and having fo well hid themfelves that he who
feut the doors could not perceive them, they fdll to the doing of an aftion. Where
of the very Idea caufes horroitr. T.
On the left hand of this firft: Court, there is a fpacious Lodgement, anfwerable The mod Tilt
to that of the Infirmary; and that’s the habitation of the Azamoglans^ perfons of the Seraglh,
defign’d for the mcaneft Employments of the Seraglio. Within that Strdffure
there is a fpacious Court, where you fhall find difpos’d in order, all about, and
in the middle fo many Wood-piles, which are renew’d every year, and there
are brought in thither above forty thoufand Cart-loads of wood, every Cart-load
being as much as two Oxen can draw. Some part of thiy wood comes in by the
Blacl’^Sedj and the reft out of the Mediterranean i and Whereas there is a great quantity
of it left every year, efpecially when the Grand Seignor does not Winter at Conjlanti- •
that remainder, which muft be very confiderable, is difpos’d of to the
Vantage of the principal perfons among the Azamoglans, They are cunning enough as
to take their opportunity, when it is iinloaden upon the Port, and computing, as the charge
Well as they can, how much may go to make up the Piles, they pfoportlonably Wereoj.
fend^ what they think may be {par’d, to the City, and lodge it in the houfes,
Where they are acquainted. Whiclu they may do with fb much the more
fecurity, in regard that no body minds what they do, and that they perform their
duty, when the Piles are compleated in the feafon during which they are wont to
rnake theif Provifions. The wood they thus convert to their own ufe they
are paid for, and the fum rais’d thereby is confidcrable for Perfons of fo mean a
Quality.
On the fame fide as. the Infirmary, arid a little lower, ( for the Seraglio is a rifing The Exerdje of
ground for a certain (pace,-and then there is an infenfible defeent on both fides,^ Gir %
quite down to the point, whereby it is terminated) you difeover the great
1 ortal pf the Gardens, which they evil Bagge-Karpoufi. From that Gate, which
overlooks the fofefaid defeat, and where you arc as it were upon an Eminency,
you defeend into a very noble Place, which the Grand Seignor caufes to be always
kept neat and even, where the Great Perfons of the Court ,come to do the
(•B i) Exercife