'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.' [‎61] (610/1024)

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A Relation of the Grand Seignors Seraglio. ' 6
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From icveral Parts of the World, there come Caravans to Mecba, and when the
Devotion is to begin, the High Pi:elf, aififled by all the people belonging to the Cere ™ oniei ob ~
Law, {pends night and day* in faying of Prayers, and performing the neceflary
Ceremonies. On the Seventh day, all the Pilgrims are allembled together before ° m '
the Sheets Terit, who appears at the entrance of it, and Handing upon a low
Stool, that he may be feen by thefe who are at the gfeatefl dlffance from him,
Prayes, and gives his Bendiaion to all the people, putting a period to the Devo’
tion, with theie words, c Ibdt God would enable them to return in Pcace^ as they came
thither.
From that minute, every one riniff bethink himfelf, that he is to be at his
own charge; the Shec^ gives no more, and ’tis then that he begins to make great
advantage, to>himfelf. For Whatever is fold for the Suftenance of the Pilgrims,
comes from him; and befides, he holds a cotrelpondence With the Maffers of
the Caravans, of whom the Pilgrims ate ford’d to biiy conveniences for their ridc-
ing back again, at more then three times the rate they are worth, when the Beads
they had brought out of their own Countries have fail’d them by the way.
The Caravan of Cairo is the moft numerous, and the mod conddcrable of all The caravd
file Caravans, that come to Mecba. The Caravan-bacbi y who is the Captain and 0 / Cairo -
Conduffor of it, makes his gains by it, at his return, worth him Two hundred
thoufand Crowns; and there is a great competition about his place, which is at
the d'fpofal of the Baffa oi Cairo y and commonly carried by the highed bidder for
it. The Captain of this Caravan is alfo Mader of the Waters, which are carried >
into the Ciderns, and it is according to his Orders that they are didributed 5 and
whereas that didribution is equal, as well in Relation to the Poor, as to the Rich,
if the latter would have any beyond the quantity allow’d them, they mud pay
dearly for it; and the Captain, who fets what impofition he pleafes upon it, makes
a conn lerable advantage thereby.
But let us return to the Grand Seignor’s Prefent. The Tent, and the Carpet, ^ Pre f ent
which he fends, are two Pieces equally precious, as well for the excellency of die ^
Stuffe, as the additional embellifhments hereof. The Carpet is dedgn’d for the Mogul ^ ^
covering of Mahomet's Tomb; and the Tent, which is ereded hard by the Mod 7
quey, is for the Sbech^ who does not dirr out qf it, during the Seventeen dayes
of Devotion. This high Pried of the Mahumetan Law, has found out the Secret
knack, of extra&ing inexprellible Summs of Money, out of that Carpet and Tent*.
which are renew’d every year: and when the new Prefent is arriv’d from the
Grand Seignor, he fends, as ’twere out of a fingular favour, < certain pieces of the
Curtain of the old Tent, to feveral Mahumetan Princes, of whom he receives
Magnificent Prefents in requital. This Curtain, which is fee up on the out-fide
of the Tent, quite round it, to hinder the people from feeing thofe that are under
it, tonfids of feveral pieces, fix foot high, and of a great length: and the Shec^
endeavours to perfwade thofe Princes, That if they faden one of thofe pieces to
their Teuts* when they are going to engage in a War, againft thofe whom they
account Infidels, good fortune will be fure to attend them, and it will not be long
e’re they gain the Viffory. But if he fends either the whole Curtain, or the Tent,
or Carpet entire, it mud be to a great Monarch indeed, fuch as the great Cham of
Tartar}^ or the Great Mogul: and that he does, once in ten, or twelve years;
one while to the one, and another, to the other.
G)f this we have a l ite indance, in Aureng-zeb y who at the prefent is King of the
r^ e /5 and whom we otherwife call the Great Mogul. For upon his edablifhmenc
m his I krone, the Sbec\ fent him the whole Courtain belonging to the Tent; and
joy there Was at his Court, that the King had receiv’d fo Magnificent a Pre-
ictit, from the Hdy Placet as they call it. The Sheck^ was foon after made fenfible
of the Royal Liberality of that Great Monarch, one of the Riched and mod
jowerful of the Univerfe; and thus does that Spiritual Head of the Mabumetati
Religion^ who has a kind of Supefintendency over all the Members, know how
:? rna ke his advantage of them, and has found Out the way, to enrich bimfelf, at
+ nc c °dof all the Princes and Nations, who fubmit themfdves t6 the Mahwnetan
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