ChapJL Grand Seignor's Seràglio. 23 



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

 the City. 



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

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

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

 two Afpers \_per diem'] and in time may rife tofeven Afpers and a' half : but they have 

 other contingent Profits, 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 Seraglh, they fet double the 

 price on every tiling they buy. But their molt cunfiderable gain proceeds from the in- 

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

 whom they cunningly flip 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 fbmewhat to the relemblance of â Sugar-loaf. 



The Hafteler-Agafi, or chief Overfeer of the Infirmary, is indeed continually at the rhefmtlefs tn- 

 Gate, with five or fix other Eunuchs, and carefully obferves whatever goes in, or deavonrs us'd 

 comes out. But all that vigilence will not do the work => nay though he had a hundred t0 chec i its 

 eyes, yet were it impoilible for him to dilcern thofe young Lads, amidft the great cm ^' 

 number of thofe Halvagis, and that the rather, for thefe reafons, that they are fre- 

 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 

 ihould happen that the faid Superintendent Eunuch fhould have any fecret information 

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

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

 greateft advantages. In fine, that brutilh PalTion is fo ordinary amongft the Turkj, jîfjS^ fb] 

 and generally over all the Eaftern parts, that notwithftanding all the endeavours that J^fi. " 

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

 happen'd a memorable Example of this in my time. Two Pages of the Chamber, T ^ sacrilegî* 

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

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

 lity. After Prayers were ended, they fufter'd all the people to go out, and having fb 

 well hid themfel ves that he who fliut the doors could not perceive them, they fell to 

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



On the left hand of this fir ft Court, there isafpacious Lodgement, anfwerable to r ^ e f!/ ood-pl 

 that of the Infirmary ; and that's the habitation of the Azamoglans^ perfons defign'd 1 e erag l0 ° 

 for the meaneft Employments of the Seraglio. Within that Structure there is a ipe- 

 cious Court, where you mall find 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 Blacl^Sea, and the reft out 

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

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

 muft be very confiderable, is difpos'd of to the advantage of the principal perfons 

 among the Azamoglans. They are cunning aiough to take their opportunity, when it is the great profit 

 unloaden upon the Port, and computing, as well as they can, how much may go to *£"f^J^ 

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

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

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

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

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

 ufe they are paid for, and the fum rais'd thereby is confiderable forPerions of fo mean* 

 a Quality. 



On the fame fide as the Infirmary, and a little lower, ( for the Seraglio is a rifing r ; )e Exercife of 

 ground for a certain (pace, and then there is an infenfible defcent on both fides, quite tkGiric* 

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

 dens, which they call Bagge-Karponfu From that Gate, which overlooks the forcfaid 



defcerit 3 



