6 A Relation of the Grand Seignofs Seraglio. 



And thus you have an account of the principal Charges and Dignities of the Empire, 

 all poflefs'd by Perfons, taken out of the rank of the hboglans. I now come to the 

 Officers of the Seraglio, and in regard they are Eunuchs, on whom the Grand Seig- 

 nor beftows the molt eminent Charges, and who, betides, have the Government of 

 the Icbotfans, I (hall follow the order of theThings, in my placing of them here, be- 

 fore I fay ought of the fecond order or rank of tributary Children, or fuch as are ta- 

 ken in War, who are the AzamogLms. 



] tr ii • Of the ^unuebs there are alfo two ranks. There are fome white, who have en- 

 numbnofEu" dur'd only a iimple caftration s and there are black ones, who have all cut off, even 

 nuchs ali ovtr with the belly. Both forts of them are feverc, humourous and morofc, and their 

 tbt UfL Treatments are almoft infupportable to all thofe who are under their Charge. There 

 is a prodigious number of them, as well in Co/ijhntinoplr, as all over the Empire, and 

 generally all over the Eaitern parts of the World, where there is hardly a private Per- 

 fon, having any thing of abilities, but keeps an Eunuch or two, as Sentinels over his 

 obftrvitions Women. And 'tis this that caufes fo great a commerce of Eunuchs in leveral parts of 

 upon thuSk'o* jfi a and Afrkk^y and in the fingle Kingdom rfColconda-, where I chanced to be in the 

 jtft. year 1659, there were put off, of them, in that very year, about two and twenty 



thoufand. It comes into my mind, that the Grand Mogp?S AmbafTador, in whofe 

 Country, that Barbarifm is not futfer'd, but the Eunuchs he makes ufe of are brought 

 out of other places, took me one day atide, to tell me, that he car'd not how foon lie 

 return'd into his Country, out of the fear he was in, left that Kingdom of Colconda 

 might fink into the ground, after fuch cruelties. Molt of the Fathers and Mothers, 

 who are extreamly poor, and have no love for their Children, and whom they are al- 

 * fo afraid that they cannot maintain, have no other lhift, upon the rirlt dearth of Provi- 



fions, than to fell them to certaii* Merchants, who afterwards have them gelt, and 

 fometimes make clear work, and cut off all. Some of thofe, who have not any thing 

 left, when they would urine, are fore'd to make ufe of a little Cane or Pipe, and to 

 put it to the bottom of the belly. And whereas few efcape after fo dangerous an ope- 

 ration, fuch are accordingly much dearer than the others, and they are fold in Ferfia 



there muft come millions of them from feveral places. The Kingdom of Colco/ida, in 

 the Peninfula on this tide #wge/, and the Kingdoms of AJfatt, Bontan, Aracban, and 

 Tcgu, on the other fide of it, afford a prodigious number of them. All thefe Eunuchs 

 are either white, or of duskifh colour. The black Eunuchs, who are brought out of 

 Africa, much inferiour in point of number, are.as I faid, much the dearer. The molt 

 deformed yield the greateft price, their extrcam uglinefs being look'd on as btauty in 

 their kind. A flat Nofe, a frightful Afpcd, a large Mouth, thick Lips, the Teeth 

 black, and Handing at a diftance one from another ( tor ordinarily the Moors have fair 

 Teeth ) are fo many advantages to the Merchants who fell them. The Seraglio at Cm- 

 ftantiHople is full of thefe two forts of Eunuchs. The black are defign'd for the cuitody 

 of the Apartment, where the Women are, and tent to Court by the BaJJas of Grand- 

 Cairc. The white, who are fomewhat lefs favage, and have been educated with fome 

 care, are for the Grand Seignor's own Apartment. 



tbt principal *^ e *° ur P rmc ip a * Eunuchs, who approach the Prince's Perfbn, are the Hazodaha- 

 iharges of tbt <&H the Cbafnadarbacbi, the Kilargibacbi, and the Sarai-Agafi, who have for their Su- 

 Stro&li: periour, the Cafi-Aga, who has the fuperintendency of all the Chambers of the Icbog- 

 lans. They ordinarily fucceed one the other, that is to fay, the Sarai-Agaft fucceeds 

 the Kilargibacbi \ the Kilargihacbi fucceeds the Cbafnadarbachi ; and the laf \ named fuc- 

 ceeds the Hazodabacbi *, and in fine, the Hazodabacbi fucceeds the Capi-Aga, who is 

 always of the longeft ftanding in fervice of the white Eunuchs. 

 i 

 Tbt nobli Ad- The Capi~Aga, or Capou-Agafc is as it were the Grand Maifer of the Seraglio, he is 

 vtntagts $j tbt the principal in dignity and repute, of all the white Eunuchs, and he is always near the 

 A 8*« Grand Seignor's Pcrfon, where-ever he is. He is the Perfon who introduces Ambafla- 



dors to Audience, and all great Affairs palling through his hands, ere they come into 

 thofe of the Prince, his Charge renders him necetfary to all others, and procures him 



many 



