4 6 



1\>t Blood of 

 the Bafta's one 

 of the Rivers 

 that fall into 

 the Sea of the 

 Treafury. 



A Relation of the Chap. VIII. 



All thefe Arms are either hung up at the Ceding, or faften'd againft the Wall •, but in 

 a pitiful condition, all over-run with ruft, and cover'd with dull \ and the Grand 

 Seignor fuffers them to be fo negle&ed, bceaufe there come in daily Prefcnts of Arms 

 excellently wrought, the novelty whereof makes him forget the old ones ; as alfo for 

 that it is the humour of the 7«r/y, not to make any great account of Curiofities, but 

 at the very time they are prefented with them. 



The Second Chamber is a very fpacious Arched Structure, of the fame height and 

 architecture as that of the Bath, of which I gave you an account in the precedent Chap- 

 ter, where they go and uncloath themfelves in the Summer time : And there is no dif- 

 ference between them, fave only that this laft has no overtures in the Roof. That 

 place contains Six great Chefts, or Coffers, each of them of Twelve foot in length, fix 

 in breadth, and iiX in depth i and if the Covers were not broken to pieces, two men 

 would rind it a hard matter to lift them, they are fo weighty. Thefe Coffers, which 

 are called Ambars, are full of all forts of Cloaths for the Grand Seignor's ufc, as Vefts, 

 rich Furres, Magnificent Turbants* and Cuftiions embroider'd with Pearls. 



Befides the Six Coffers before mentioned, there are Eight others, which are but 

 eight foot in length, and four in breadth ', and thefe are rill'd with Pieces of Scarlet, 

 JLngliJh and Dutch Cloaths, of the fineft forts, Pieces of Velvet, Gold and Si!ver-Bro- 

 kadoes, Embroyder'd Coverlets and Counterpanes for Beds, and other Rich Commo- 

 dities of that nature. As for the Bridles and Saddles cover'd with Precious Stones, 

 they are difpos'd upon fupporters of Wood or Iron, coming out of the Wall : and all 

 this Chamber is generally very well kept, and all things are neat, and in good order. 



The Third Chamber is very fpacious, and is more like a great Hall. The firft 

 thing that entertains your Eye, is a great Coffer, the in-fide whereof is divided into 

 three parts, and makes as it were three other Coffers, one upon the other : but they 

 are open'd all on the out-fide, lo as that if there be any thing look'd for in the under- 

 moft, there is no necefllty of ftirring the uppermolt. The lowermoft Coffer contains 

 thofe fumptuous Coverings for the Grand Seignor's Throne, of which I have fpoken 

 in the Description of the Hall of Audience. In the middlemoft are difpos'd the Houf- 

 (es, and Trappings, enrich'd with Embroidery, and feme of them with Pearls and 

 Precious Stones, which are us'd in great Solemnities. In the uppermolt Coffer, are 

 kept the Bridles, Breaft-Pieces, Cruppers, and Stirrups, which are recommendable up- 

 on the fcore of the Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, and other Precious Stones, whereby 

 they are enrich'd : but the greateft part of them is cover'd with Turkijh '-Stones, which 

 they have the art of fetting excellently well. 



It is a moft aftonifhing fight, to behold the quantity of thofe precious HarnefTes : 

 but it is fuch only to thofe, who are ignorant, how the Grand Seignor replenishes his 

 Treafury with to much Wealth. It happens thus, That there being a frequent morta- 

 lity amongft the B^»V,and others, who are Governours of Provinces, whether it be 

 by a natural death, cr a violent, and all they have in the World 'falling to the Grand 

 Seignor, as I told you elfewhere, and being brought into the Sera'glio, there are or- 

 dinarily found, amongft their rich HarnefTes, fome Bridles cover'd with pretious Stones, 

 and thofe Bridles are brought into the Treafury. The Cafe is the fame with the Gold 

 and Silver ready coyn'd, and all the Jewels, and whatever elfe thofe Bajfas were pofc 

 fefs'd of. But as to their Saddles, which ordinarily, ' are cover'd with Plates of Gold 

 of the thicknefs of a Ducat, they are put into the hands of the Imbrobor-bacbi, who 

 is the Matter 7 of the Horfe, and come not within the Seraglio. 



There are befides, in the very fame Chamber, feveral other Coffers, cf different 

 Bulks, wherein there is contain'd abundance of moft precious things. Some of them 

 are full of rich Swords, adorn'd with precious Stones, as alfo of Sabres, which have 

 the fame Ornaments. For the 7*rJy, when they are on Horfe-back, make ufe of both 

 Sabres and Swords, of a good length, and fomewhat broader than ours. They wear 

 the Sabre on one fide , and fatten the Sword, all along by the Saddle, as they alfo 

 do the Battle-Axe, yet fo as that this laft paffes under their Thighs, which cannot in- 

 commodate them much, becaufe, when they are mounted, they ride with veryfhort 



Stirrups. 



