Chap.VII. Grand Seignor's Seraglio. 41 



thereof. Among the Kulkangis, he who is the moft ancient in that employment has 

 a pre-eminence and fuperiority over the reft, whom he many times commands to ex- 

 crcife themfelves in wraftling, and lifting a heavy Iron Barr with one hand. 



There are three fuch Bars faften'd upon great Cramp-irons over the door that goes The prodigious 

 into the Baths, and the middlemoft of the three, as it is commonly reported, weighs a ftrength of ' Eody 

 hundred 0%ds-> which amount to Three hundred and fifty pounds, Paris weight, an jf * ttttaii 

 Okfra weighing three pounds and a half, or thereabouts. There was heretofore one of Icho 8 ,an » 

 thofe Icboglans\ of fo prodigious ftrength, that the Grand Seignor himfelf would 

 have the fatisfa&ion of feeing a tryal, whether he could with one hand lift up and 

 turn about that Iron-bar -, which he did to the great aftonifhment of the Prince, and 

 prefently after he entertained him with another demonftration of the ftrength of his 

 Arm. Over thofe three Iron-bars, there hung two Head-pieces of Iron, whereof one 

 was an inch in thicknefs, and the other about the eighth part of an inch. The fame 

 Icboglan did, in the Grand Seignor's prefence, at one blow of a Battle-Axe, cut through 

 the head-piece of an inch thick, and, at one blow with a Sabre, cleft the other to the 

 middle of it. 



Oppofite to thofe Ovens are the Cocks,whereby the Waters are diftributed into the The Mofqnty 

 feveral Rooms of the Baths h and I forgot to tell you, That before you enter into that belonging to 

 place, you find a little Mofquey, adjoyning to the Appartment of the Saraiket-boudafa J^^JS, 

 where all the Ichoglans go to their devotions twice a day. If they fail the doing of it, 

 the Oda-bacbi, who, in every Chamber, takes notice of their demeanours, calls them 

 to an account, and they are fure of the baftinado, as they are alfo for any other fault 

 they commit -, and fometimes they receive the faid punifhment on the foles of their 

 feet, and, upon fome occallons to fuch a number of blowes, that the-nails of their 

 toes come off i and that is the punifhment which is properly call'd Drubbing. 



Out of that Mofquey you pafs into a Gallery, adjoyning to the Baths, and there the The Employ- 

 Diflis and the Geuges h that is to fay, the Mutes and the Dwarfs are employ'd in fome mat of the 

 work or other all day long. Some fpend the time in learning to make up Turbants, ?£tu 

 wherein there is more work and difficulty than is imagin'd, efpecially in making up 

 the Grand Seignior's own Turbant, when he goes to the Divan. For then he takes an 

 extraordinary large one, as do alfo all the Officers of the fame Divan when they go to 

 Council : and I cannot make a better reprefentation of that kind of Turbant, then by 

 the form of our largeft fort of Citrals, if they be made hollow in the middle, Co as that 

 the head might enter into that hole. 



Others are employ'd in (having,paring the nails, and other things of that kind. They 

 do not make ufe of any Scizars for the nails, irf turkey, nor in any part of Afia •■> it 

 being a thing forbidden by Mabomet in his Law, and accordingly they account the do- 

 ing of it a great fin. But they make ufe of a little Steel Inftrument, fbmewhat like a 

 Pen-knife, and the only cutting part is the end of it, and they are dextrous enough 

 in the performance of that Office. It is theCuftome all over the Eaft, that the Barber, 

 who trims you> fhould alfo make up your Turbant, which is many times difcompos'd, 

 pare the nails of your hands and toes, and take away the filth out of your Ears: For 

 the Turks and all the Inhabitants of Afia are great lovers of cleanlinefs, and cannot en- 

 dure the leaft naftinefs, either on themfelves, or thofe who come near them, as I fhall 

 give you an account anon. 



And having fpoken fo much of the Turbant, it will not be unfeafonable, fcr me to colours fabid- 

 communicate this Remark to you here, That in the Ottoman Empire, and alt over Ara- den the cbrifii* 

 bia^ none but Mabumetans are permitted to make ufè of White, for the covering of their 

 heads whereas in Perfia, and all over the Great Mogul's Empire, men may take what 

 Colours they pleafe themfelves. 



I come now to the Great Bath,which is adjoyning to the Chamber of the Hamangi- The description 

 bacbi, who is the chief Overfeer of it, and which makes part of the Appartment of the frtt3*tbs„ 

 Seferlis-, or the Grand Seignor's Laundry-men. The place where they put off their 

 Cloaths is a fpacious Louver, or Banquetting-houfe of Freeftone, high enough, and in 



on§ 



