'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.' [‎46] (595/1024)

46 A Relation of the Grand Seignor
^ ^ iv n. u L i O.
have wafti’d their Mouths and their Hands, to do which theybriiim^rc^*
and warm Water 5 and amongft Perfons of Quality , they prefent R°r^
water or fom'e other iweet Water 5 into which you put the corner of your
^ kercher. ^
Titperscfalyiul They have alio in thofe Coffers great _ Tapers , or Wax-Candles n f
if Wax of great above two- foot in length , made of a certain very dear compofition 0 f
value. greyifh colour, which has Ibme refemblance to Wax, and is brought on*
of Ethiopia^ every Taper amounting to near a hundred Crowns. They are rot
• us’d but only when the Grand Seignor goes to vifit the Sultaneffes^znd then
there are two of thofe Tapers lighted , and fet in great golden Candkfficks
enrich’d with precious Stones. When they are a little above half burnt out the
Negro-Eunuchs, who ferve in the Haran^ light others, and, out of civility rn a kj
■ a Prefent of the fore-mentioned remainders to the principal Women attending on
the Sultaneffes.
There is moreover in one of thofe Coffers, abundance of Clocks and Watches
Geman-wovky as alfo of Knives and Ink horns, after the T’urhifh Mode, all thole
pieces being the choice Productions and Maher-pieces of great Artifls, and adorn’d
with precious Stones. There is to befeen, in fine, all along the Walls, but cover’d
with a Scarlet Stuff', feveral Arms, after the T^ri^-Mode, neatly kept in order
as Bowes, Arrows, Targets, Battle-Axes, excellently well wrought, and molt of
thefe Pieces are of a conhderable value.
An ineftimable But what is moh precious in that Chamber and tranfeends all the reft is a flrong
Coffer all of Iron-work, which contains another of about a foot and a half fquare 5
s-mJf wherein there is a vaff Treafure. When this Coffer is open’d, you lee a
kind of Gold-Smiths Jewel Box, wherein are ranked'all forts oE Jewels of
higheft value 3 as Diamonds , Rubies , Emeralds , a huge number of excellent
‘Topazes, and four of thoic Gems call’d Cats-eyes, which are lb beat tiful, that they are
not to be valu’d. Having fatisfy’d your curiofity with the former, you come
next to certain little Drawers full of feveral Jewels, great Rofes of Diamonds,
Pendants, other Kofes of Rubies and Emeralds, Strings and Chains of Pearls
and Bracelets. There hands afide by it felf a Cabinet, where are the Sorgou^
or the thing wherein are faftn’d the Heron-tops, which the Grand Seignor
wears in his' Turbant. They are as it Were little handles, made in the fafhion
of Tulips, cover’d over with the mofl precious Stones of the Seraglio, and
3 tis into tin’s that the Heron-top enters, that rich Plume of Feathers, whereof
I have elfewhere given the defeription. Of thefe Handles, feme are higher
and more precious than others ; and my Overfeer of the Treafury affur’d me,
x , That, of all forts of them, great and fmall, there are above a hundred andflty.
The Idler ones ferve only for the Campagne, and the great ones, which are the
richeft are referv’d for the Pomps and Magnificence of the Court, and when
the Grand Seignor marches in Ceremony to Contlantmple. If he has a defire ro
fatisfie his light with the lullure of his precious Jewels, he Orders the Coffer
to be brought into his own Chamber; but if he call for feme particular Piece of
the Treafury, he gives order to the Chafnader-bacbi, to fetch it, and that Chief
Officer of the Treafury cannot enter into it, without abundance of mytaous
precautions.
Trcautions , „ 1 here are alwayes Sixty Pages, more or lefs, belonging to the Chambers of the
‘ and ceremonies Treafury. The number of them is riot Ext, but the Credit of the Capi-Ag^ and
obferv’d at the the Cbafnader-Bacbi, may augment "or diminifh it, according to their inclinations and
opening o J the j ntcrc ft s . Unlds they tall into difgrace, as he had done from whom I have feme
part of thefe Inftrudions, they never go out of the Seraglio, but upon their ad
vancement to fome confiderable Governrinent, or the fettlement of a handiome
Penfion for their maintenance; and fb 5 provided they do nothing amifs, they ate
well enough accommodated for their lives. The Chief Officer of theTrealury
having receiv’d Orders from the Grand Seignor to bring the Piece he would nave,
affcmblcs all the Pages in their Chamber, and fends for the Andkdar-Ag^h
has the Cuftody of the Keyes. This la ft having given three ftroaks with hjs nan
upon the Drawer, wherein they are enclos’d, takes them out of it, and following
the Chafoadar-Bachi, attended by the Sixty Pages, they all make their appearan
together at the door of the Treafury, ^
Treafury.