Chap, II. Grand Seignors Seraglio. 25 



the attendants on the Officers of the Seraglio, and do all the errands they have to do in 

 the City. 



Of thefe Halvages, there is ordinarily to the number of fix hundred, and they 

 have'only their cloathing and fuftenance allow'd them, without any wages, till fuch 

 time as they have ferv'd thirteen or fourteen years. Their wages begin at the rate of 

 two Afters [per Mem'] and in time may rife to (even Afpers and a half; but they have 

 other contingent Fronts, and they know well enough, how to make their advantage 

 of the Employments they are put upon. For whereas they only are the Perfons who 

 have the freedom of going and coming in and out of the Seraglio, they fet double the 

 price on every thing they buy. But their molt cunfidcrable gain proceeds from the in- 

 famous commerce of thofe young Lads, whom they bring in to their Mafters, and 

 whom they cunningly Hip into the Infirmary, after they had put them into Habits like 

 their own. They wear a white Cap. which rifes up from the Crown of the Head, 

 to a pretty height fomewhat to the reiemblance of a Sugar-loaf. 



The Hafteler-Agafh or chief Overfeer of the Infirmary, is indeed continually at the ToifnitUfs r«. 

 Gate, with five or lix other Eunuchs, and carefully obferves whatever goes in, or dtatmrs us y d 

 comes out. But all that vigilence will not do the work i nay though he had a hundred t0 cb ' c k. in 

 eyes, yet were it impoifible for him to difcern thofe young Lads, amidit the great cm ^' 

 number of thofe Hahagis, -and that the rather, for the(e reafons, that they are fre- 'a 



quently chang'd, that fome of them are made Janizaries, and that new ones are ta- 

 ken in upon the advancement of the old ones to fome other Employments. But if it 

 mould happen that the faid Superintendent Eunuch lnould have any fecret information 

 of what's deiign'd, and feems as if he would make fome noife about it, he is present- 

 ly appeas'd with a filk Veil, or fome other Prefent, and 'tis thence that he derives his 

 grcateit advantages. In fine, that brutifh Paffion is fo ordinary among! t the 7*rJy, ^J^f^ %] 

 and generally over all the Eattern parts, that notwithftanding all the endeavours that £ V 

 have been us'd to prevent the effects of it, they will hardly ever be able to do it. There 

 happened a memorable Example of this in my time. Two Pages of the Chamber, rtl sacrilt&U 

 who could not have the convenience of executing their wicked defign in the Seraglio, om allien of 

 would needs aggravate their crime, by going into the Mofquey to fatiate their bruta- two Pagis. 

 lity. After Prayers were ended, they furTerM all the people to go out, and having fo 

 well hid themfelves that he who (hut the doors could not perceive them, they fell to 

 the doing of an action, whereof the very Idea caufes honour. 



On the left hand of this firft Court, there is a fpacious Lodgement, anfwerable to ^ "'^ff. ■ 

 that of the Inrirmary » and that's the habitation of the Azamoglans, perfons defign'd °* tH tr3&l0m 

 for the meaneit Employments of the Seraglio. Within that Structure there is a fpe- 

 cious Court, where you (hall rind difpos'd in order, all about, and in the middle, fo 

 many Wood-piles, which are renew'd every year, and there are brought in thither 

 above forty thoufand Cart-loads of wood, every Cart-load being as much as two 

 Oxen can draw. Some part of this wood comes in by the Blaci^Sea, and the reft out 

 of the Mediterranean : and whereas there is a great quantity of it left every year, espe- 

 cially when the grand Seignor does not winter at Conjiantinopk, that remainder, which 

 muflbevery confiderable, is difpos'd of to the advantage of the principal perfons 

 among die A&amaglans. They are cunning enough to take their opportunity, when it feJ^Tf" f, 6 ^, 

 unloaden upon the Port, and computing, as well as they can, how much may go tofiJj^Z 

 make up the Piles, they proportionably fend, what they think may be fpar'd, to the tbttiof. 

 City, and lodge it in the houles, where they are acquainted. Which they may do 

 with fo much the more fecurity, in regard thar*no body minds what they do, and that 

 they perform their duty, when the Piles are eompleated, in the feafon , during which 

 they are wont to make their Provitions. The wood they thus convert to their own 

 ufc they are paid for, and the turn rais'd thereby is confiderable torPciions of fo mean 

 a Quality. 



On the fame fide as the Infirmary, and a little lower, (for the Seraglio is a rifing The Extrcift o] 

 ground for a certain fpace, and then there is an infenlible defcent on both fides, quite thiGmi. 

 down to the point, whereby it is terminated) you dilcover the great Portal of the Gar- 

 dens, which they call Bagge-Karponfi. From that Gate, which overlooks the foresaid 



defcent, 



