'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.' [‎59] (608/1024)

A Reiman of the Grand Seignors Seraglio.
59
As tor the oppoi tunity ot making an efcape out of by any one. who might The Difficulties
have Ionic prcAtncimcut 01 his deitruhtion^ it is to no purpoie to think of it. A11 r ^ a kj f7 ian
the Officers and the Slaves, whom the Balia's have in their Retinue are r G E C ca Pe out of
many Spies 3 and obiervers pf their Ad ions; and k is impoffible for them t0 Turke y*
conceal what they doe from them. Twere dangerous for a man to entrufl a Secret
with any one of them; they are mean Souls, and uncapabje of any gallant Adion'
befides that the Ports and Pafiages are equally fhut up again ft both. If there be
the leaft difeovery made thereof, the Governour of the Frdntief pk&es would
hnmcdiateiy have Orders from the Port, to take the Field; nay if there were
not any inch, they are but oyer-diligent, in enquiring after, and informing them"
felves of all thole, who pais through the extent of their Jurifdidion.
Befidcs, though there were fome likelihood of compalling it, and that tra
velling only in the Night time a man might get into fome Neighbouring State *
yet Turkey being m a manner quite furrounded by Nations Who abhor the"Domi
nation 01 the Ottomans f ’twere as much as to leap out of the Frying-pan into the
fire, and to go and pafs for a Spy, amongft a fort of people, who would <u V e
no quarter. Whence it might be imagin’d, that there were lefs difficulty in^at-
tempeing an afeape by Sea, than to hazard it by Land ; r but the former is the ' ’
much more difficult, and the fevere prohibitions made to the Cbrijiians upon
pain of death, not to take any Turk, or Slave, into their Ships, which are ex-
a&ly fcarch’d, before they Weigh Anchor, fhut up all the Ports of Tttrhy. againft
thole of the Country, who might be defirous to get ouc of it.
True it is, however, that fetv years pafi, but that a confiderable number of
Slaves are convey’d away, by the charity and contrivances of the Chrifitan Confuls
and Merchants. They are fecrctly kept at the Houfes of fome ChrifHan Inhabitants '
of the Country, whofe Secrecy and filence are bought with Money; and the
fame receipt flops the mouths of thofe, who have the over-fight of the Ports, and
are warmly entertain’d with drinking, while thy cunningly get the Slaves aboard
the Veflel, which has been vifited, and is then ready to let fail. They woiild
be loath to run themfelres into that danger ; for natural Turks: there would be
fomc ground to fear, that it might be fome Plot on their fide, to furprize and
try the Chriftians 5 and it feldom happens thgt they have a thought of making any
cfcape. They know well enough, that, whether it be by Sea, or Land, (ex
cepting only the Kingdom of Perfta, where they are hated upon the account of the
difference of Se£ls ) they cannot make their efcape any wjiere but into Chriften-
dom, where they would not be permitted the exercife of their Mahumtan Religion,
which they would not renounce for a thoufand lives.
4 E’re we dole up the Difcourfe concerning the Liberality of the Ottoman Monarchs, ^efents made
it is to be obferv’d, that fometimes they make very confiderable Prefects, which
they kke out of the Grand Treafury, and which are paid in Silver only, if they ^
are order’d for the Grandees of the Port, whether in the Seraglio, or out of it.
Thofe Prefents confifts ordinarily of a Purfe of Gold, which amounts to Fifteen
thoufand Ducats^ or Thirty thoufand Crowns $ and when there are any fuch made
to the StthanejfeS) they receive all in Gold. To do that, there’s no occafion of
going to the Secret Treafury, there is gold enough in the Fourth Chamber, into
Which they at firft bring in all the Gold and Silver of all the Revenues of the Em
pire; and that Summe, which makes no great hole in the great heap, returns
again into the fame place, by feveral waics.
i
CHAR