'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.' [‎22] (571/1024)

22
A Relation of the Grand Seignors Ser agTTo
i .xerciics of the Girit*, or the Dart, which
immediately after their comeing out of the Molqtiey. There are abcur^'te'
dred paces from the Portal to that place, and in the Court there may ord^i l
iipon thole days above fifteen hundred Perfons, yet fo as that not any rerinf, l ’
loever is permitted to go any further, ui dels he be call’d by the Order of r Jo- » '
who is the chief Overfeer, and Direftor of that Exercife. They who
The Gravd “9 Llft \ do many times amount to the number of a thousand Perfons. If thS?
S'ignt,, nbtra- J.eignor himlelf, who is prefent at thofe Exercifes, the end whereof nrov«m <1
Itties. times Tragical to thole, by whom they are perform’d, has found any AiA*
divertifement therein, efpecially when there are Limbs loft Or broken 7 he a
every one to receive a Purfe, which, as I told you, amount to five iJj f
Crowns. The diftribution of thofe Prefents is greater or lefler accord?^
his being in a good or bad humor, and iometimes there are'diftribS “
his departure thence , to the number of ten Purfes. The Treafurer w J “
always attending on him, and has ordinarily brought along with him hfteen
Olden t l0Ufand Ryals )n Gold 01 ' Silver J ftan ds ready, upon a beck to obey hi
f i ‘. But this is worth our ohfervationj That When the Prince is readt to beftow i,t,
.^Dberdmes on thofe who had behav’d therhfelves valiantly in that cxcrcife the
Grandees of his Court, who had appear’d therein as well as others,
fbik themfelves out of the way, and leave him to make his Prefents toS
lefs confiderable Perfons, as being fuch as ftand more in need of them thJ
they do. This is their cuftom ordinarily, whether it proceed from Getierofirv
or from a counterfeit and perfonated Modefty, it matters not. And after
Grand Seignor is withdrawn, it is lawful, for thofe who are left in the foreS
Court, and are skil’d in the handling of the Dart, to fpend the remainder of the
day m that exercife. But thofe, how great foever their performance may be
and What wounds foever they may receive, are not to exped any Preients’
Therc s no Prince to be a fpeefator of their Gallantry, nor Treafurer, to dillribtite
ins Liberalities. _ They only lay feme wagers amongft themfelves, and he
who gives the faireft blow, wins, and the faireft blow is in the head or face,
f hcrc is ever and auon an Eye fti uck out, or a Cheek carried off, and that
Solemnity proves very fatal in the end to feme of them.
And this is an account of all that is obfervable in the faid firft Court Let Us
pow make °ur entrance into the feccnd, and obferve what ismoft remarkable
m aft its Appartments.