A Relation of the Chap. IX. 



in order to my going to Balfara, and that of the Threefcore and five dayes, which the 

 Caravan fpcnt in that Journey, for nine of them, we were deltitute of Water, which 

 mult needs prefs very hard, both on the Men and the Camels. 



Ibrahim Ibrahim, therefore, at his coming to the Crown, found, in the fecret Treafury, that 



charged with prodigious quantity of Gold, whereto he could not make any augmentation;, nay 

 iù management fome, on the contrary, are of opinion, That he was forc'd to ufé fome part of it, 

 of the Twfury. through his ill Conduct of the Warr of Candia. True it is, That the long continu- 

 ance of that VVarre made a great hole in the Revenues of the Empire ; but there are 

 Two »reat Pveafons, which divert me from giving abfolute credit, to fuch as affirm, 

 That thole Exigencies reach'd the Secret Treafury. For, in ftiort, it is as 'twere a 

 fundamental Law among them, That, before any thing is taken out thence, it is re- 

 quiiite, the Empire mould be in imminent danger of ruine i And it is manifeft, 

 That though the Turks could not reduce Candia under their Jurifdidion, yet their 

 Empire was fo far from being near its decadence, that it ftill continu' d powerful. 

 Befides, it is- to be obferv'd, That when the Grand Seignor lofes a Battel, it is a dis- 

 advantage to his Provinces, upon the {core of their being thereby depopulated, and ib 

 much the lefs cultivated -, but that it is an advantage to his Coffers, in regard there's 

 fb much the lefs comes out of them. The reafon of it is evident, becaufe he payes the 

 Veteranes, or Souldiers of long Handing, feven or eight Afters a day, and that thofe 

 of the new-rais'd Forces do not ftand him in above one and a half, or two at the 

 moft i their pay augmenting with the time, anfwerably to their fervices, and. the 

 Prince's good Pleafure. Whereto it is to be added, That when an Emperour dies, his 

 Succeflbr augments the pay of the Janizaries, by an After, or two,^?er diem. 



It muft be acknowledg'd indeed, That there died a great number of Turks in the 

 Warr of Candia : but it is certain , alfo, That if we confider the great number of King- 

 domes and Provinces, whereof the Empire conhfts, among which there are fome very 

 fertile, and very well peopled, it is an eafie matter to raife numerous Armies, and to 

 recruit them, when they have been weakned, by a Defeat, or by fome Sicknefs, which 

 often happens among them. Upon thefe two grounds, I cannot be indue'd to be- 

 lieve, that Ibrahim was oblig'd to make any diminution of the Secret Treafury : but I 

 am very apt to believe, that he made not any great additions thereto, becaufe he had 

 not either the good Conduct, or good Fortune of Amurat, and ordinarily, the one 

 avails not much without the other. 



All the Gold that lies interr'd under that Vault is in Leather-bags, every Bag con- 

 taining Fifteen thoufand Ducats, that is Seven thoufand five hundred pounds jierling : 

 and 'tis with his own hand that the Grand Seignor puts his Seal to them, which is 

 the fame that his Predecelfors had us'd before him, fave only the name, which muft 

 be that of the Prince then reigning. Amurafs Seal had thefe words graven upon it, 



Nafrum mm allahi abdihil melekil JMouratb : Which fignifies, The af* 

 fiftance of God is upon his Servant the Emperour Amurath. 



And this is the manner how the Bags of Gold are brought into the Secret Treafury. 

 All the Gold and Silver which come into the Seraglio, is firft carried into the Cham- 

 ber of the Treafury, and each of them is difpes'd into the Coffers defign'd for them. 

 When there is as much Gold as will amount to two hundred Kizes, the Grand Vizir 

 gives notice of it to the Grand Seignor, who appoints a day, for the difpofàl of it in- 

 to the Secret Treafury. The day being come, the Grand Seignor, led under the Arm 

 by the Chafnadar-hachL who is on the left hand, which is accounted the more honou- 

 rable amongft the Turkj, and by the Seligdar-Aga, who is on the right, comes into 

 the Chamber of the Treafury, where the Sixty Pages expect him, ranked in order on 

 both fides, with their hands crofs their Breafts. The Grand Seignor, having pafs'd 

 through the Chamber, and order'd the nrft Door of the Secret Treafury to be open'd, 

 enters into it, by the light of feveral Torches of white Wax, and is fcllow'd by the 

 Pages, two by two, till they are within the Vault, into which the Bags are brought, 

 ty'd with a Silk-ftring. Upon the firing they put a piece of red foft Wax, whereto 

 the Grand Seignor fets his Seal himfelf, which is upon a Gold-Ring, wherein are en- 

 graven 



The Grand 

 Seignofs Pre- 

 cautions for the 

 fumity of his 

 Treafury. 



