'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.' [‎40] (589/1024)

40 A Relation of the Grand Seignors SeraglTo
The Mofquey
belonging to
71) e Employ
ment of the
Dwarfs and
Mutes,
Axe, cut through the head-piece of an inch thick, and,at one blow^T c -
cleft the other to the middle of it. ™ a ^brcj
Oppofite to thofe Ovens are the Cocks, whereby the waters are diftnWa • ,
feveral Rooms of the Baths; andlforgot to tell you, That before you enter inf 0 ? 12
theAppartment pi acC5 y 0U find a little Mofquey, adjoyning to the Appartment of the
oft e umus. w here all the Ichoglans go to their devotions twice a day. If they fT^u'
doing of it, the Oda-hachi, who, in every Chamber, takes notice of their dem ™
ours, calls them to an account, and they are lure of the baftinado as the"
alfo for any other fault they commit; and fometimes they receive thefaid ^ vf
ment on the foies of their feet, and, upon fome occafions to fuch a number of blow
that the nails of their toes come off; and that is the punifhent which is wooH 3
call’d Drubbing. *
Out of that Mofquey you pafs into a Gallery, adjoyning to the Baths andthf
the Viflis and the Geugu ; that is to fay, the Mutes and the Dwarfs are’ emowlt
in fome work or other all day long. Some fpend the time in learning,'
make up Turbants, wherein there is more work and difficulty than is imasm'?
efpecially in making up the Grand Seignior’s own Turbant, when he goes toX’
'Divan. For then he takes an extraordinary large one, as do alfo all the Officers
of the fame Divan when they go to Council: and I cannot make a better rem/
fentation of that kind of Turbant, then by the form of our largeft fort of Citrals"
if they be made hollow in the middle, fo as that the head might enter into that
hole. ■ . 1
. Others are employ’d in ffeaving,paring the nails, and other things of that
kind. They do not make ufe of any Scizars for the nails, in 7ar% nor in any rartof
Jfia ; it being a thing forbidden by Mahomet in his Law, and accordingly they
account the doing of it a great, fin. But they make ufe of a little Steel InftrumeDt
fomewhat like a Pen-knife, and the only cutting part is the end of it and
they arc dextrous enough in the performance of that Office. It is the Cuftomall
over the Eaft, that the Barber who trims you, fhould alfo makeup your Tur
bant, which is many times difeompos’d, pair the Nails of your Hands and Toes, and
fake away the filth out of your Ears; for the furks and all the Inhabitants
of 4/w, arc great lovers of cleanlinefs, and cannot endure the leaf! naftinefs, either
on themielves, or thofe who come near them, as I fhall give you an account
anon.
colours forbid- And having fpoken fo much of the Turbanr, it will pot be nnfeafonablefor
den the chrifti- ^o communicate this Remark to you here, That in the Ottoman Empire,
ms in their and all over Arabia^ none but Mabumetans are permitted to make ufe of White
coiffure. for the covering of their Heads; whereas in Perjpz, and all over the Great Mogul's
Empire, men may take what Colours they pleafe themfelves.
The defeription I come nowto the great Bath, which is adjoyning to the Chamber of the
t>j the Baths, mangi-bachi, who is the chief Overfeer of it, and which makes part of the Appart’
menl: £r^ ^ ^ e f er ^"> or Grand Seignor’s Laundry-men. The place where they
put off their Cloaths, is a fpacions Louver or Banquetting-Houfe of Free-fione,
high enough, and in one of the moll eminent parts of the Seraglio. The Floor
is paved with a very delightful kind of Marble laid infquare pieces; and it has
two large Windows jutting out upon the Gardens, fomewhat like Balconies, from
which you have a Profped: of the two Seas. In the midft of that Dome or Lowr y
yon find a Fountain, the Water whereof is received into two Bafins or Cifterns:
The former, which is the highefi, and withal the leaf!, is of one piece of White
. Marble, having in it a little intermixture of Red and Black Veins, and pierced
through at fix feveraf places, for the reception of fo many fmall Pipes of Copper
through which the Water falls down into the other Bafin, which is alfo of
Marble, of fevreal Pieces, and feveral Colours.
Abufes re- i Within the^ Domo> there is a great number of Poles, which are
form'd
about it, and fupported by certain pieces of Iron coming out of the Wall. Upon
thofe Poles they dry the Linnen which they had ufed in the Bath ; and of that
Linnen there are feveral forts. Heretofore, the Pages were allowed only a long
Piece of Linnen fcCloth, which came only twice about their wakes: but upon
obiervatioti made, that they abufed them, and that handfbme young Lads playing
together, {hatched that piece of Linnen one from the other, purpofely to difeover