6 A Relation of the Grand Seignor's SeKaglio. 



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

 all poflefsM by Perfons, taken out of the rank of the Lboglans. I now come to the 

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

 nor beftows the moft eminent Charges, and who, belidcs, have the Government of 

 the Icboglans, I lhall follow the order of the tilings, in my placing of them here, be- 

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

 ken in YVar, who are the Azamoglans. 



the prodigious ^ ^ e there are alfo two ranks. Tltere are fomc white, who have en- 



mmber oj Eu- dur'd only a fimple caftration v and there are black ones, who have all cut off, even 

 nuchs all over with the belly. Both forts of them are fevere, humourous and morofe, and their 

 thi Eajl. Treatments are almoft infupportable to all thofè who are under their Charge. There 

 is a prodigious number of them, as well in Conjiantinople, as all over the Empire, and 

 generally all over the Eaftem 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 

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

 upon this Sub- jfi a and Afric\, and in the fingle Kingdom of Colconda, where I chane'd to be in the 

 J 1 ft' year là 59, there were put off, of them, in that very year, about two and twenty 



thoufand. It comes into my mind, that the Grand Mogors Ambaffador, in whole 

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

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

 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. Moft of the Fathers and Mothers, 

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

 fb afraid that they cannot maintain, have no other Ihift, upon the firft dearth of Provi- 

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

 fbmetimes 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 

 and Turkey, at the rate of fix hundred Crowns i when a hundred, or a hundred and 

 fifty, is the price of the ordinary Eunuchs. For the fupply therefore of all turk^y y 

 all Perfia, all the Indies, and all the Provinces of Africa, it may be ealily judg'd, that 

 there muft come millions of them from feveral places. The Kingdom of Colconda, in 

 the Peninfula on this fide Ganges, and the Kingdoms of Ajfan, Boutan, Arachan, and 

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

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

 Africa^ much inferiour in point of number, arenas I faid, much the dearer. The moft 

 deformed yield the greateft price, their extream uglinefs being look'd on as beauty in 

 their kind. A fiat Nofe, a frightful Afpedt, a large Mouth, thick Lips, the Teeth 

 black, and ftanding 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 Con- 

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

 of the Apartment, where the Women are, and fent to Court by the Baffas oî .Grand- 

 Caire. 1 he white, who are fomewhat left favage, and have been educated with Corns 

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



The four principal Eunuchs, who approach the Prince's Perfbn, are the Hazodaba- . 

 chi, the Cbajnadarbachi, the Kilargibacbi, and the Sarai-Agafi, who have for their Su- 

 periour, the Capi-Aga, who has the fupcrintendency of all the Chambers of the Icbog- 

 lans. They ordinarily fucceed one the other, that is to fay, the Sarai-Agafi (ucceeds 

 the Kilargibacbi ; the Kilargibacbi fucceeds the Cbafnadarbacbi; and the laft named (Uc- 

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

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



The noble Ad- The Capi-Aga, or Capon- Agafi, is as it were the Grand Mafter of the Seraglio, he is 

 vantages »j the the principal in dignity and repute, of all the white Eunuchs, and he is always near the . 

 A 8 a> Grand Seignor's Perfon, where-ever he is. He is the Perfon who introduces AmbafTa- 



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

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



many 



The principal 

 Charges oj the 

 Seragliy 



