24 
Travels' into the'LEv an t. 
Part L 
Veftry of 
S.intJ, Sophia. 
Second Gate 
of ùïcSerrji- 
The K itch ins 
of tlie Smx- 
glio. 
^tables. 
The Foun- 
tain of the 
The Fabrick 
of the Serra- 
<ilio. 
Officers. 
The reafon 
why the Eu- 
nnchs have 
all cut off. 
Whence come 
the black 
Eunuclis. 
A'oyfa. 
Eunuchs 
guard and 
look to the 
Women. 
Soflan^is. 
In what pn- 
ihire are the 
Gardners 
when the 
Grand Signior 
walks with 
liis Wives in 
tlie Gardens. 
Great jealou- 
iie in the 
Qrmid Signior. 
Eunuchs 
keepers of 
the Pages. 
]cknogldns. 
Education of 
the Pages. 
make way for it, even tht Grand Signior ^ if he happen'd to meet it would do 
fo. A little farther to the left Hand is the Dgebehme^ or Magazine of Cuirafies, 
covered with Lead ^ that building was heretofore the Veftry of Santa Sophia^' 
which fhews how big a Church it has been in its time. From that Court you 
go to the fecond,which is not fo big as the former,and is in a fquare, extending 
two hundred paces every way ; all round it there is a Gallery in form of a 
Cloyfter, fupported by feveral Marble Pillars , and covered with Lead : At 
the back of that Gallery to the right Hand, there are nine Domes ranging 
from one end of the Court to the other, all covered with Lead, and thefe 
are the Kitchins j to thé left Hand at the back of the Gallery alfo, is the 
Stable, where none but the Horfes which are for the Grand Signiors own 
Sadie Hand ; the other Stables being towards the Sea, along that lide of the 
Serraglio which looks to the Propont is none but the Grand Signior enters this 
fécond Court on Horfeback,'all others alight without at the Gate of this : The 
Janifaries draw up in this Court under the Gallery to the right, and the 
Horfe to the left. In the middle of it there is amoft lovely Fountain, flia- 
dowed over with feveral Sycamore Trees and Cypreffes, and near to this Foun- 
tain the 6" Signior caufed heretofore the Heads of the Bapaws and other 
perfons of Quality tO' be cut olF. At the end of this Court, on the left Hand, 
is the Hall where the Divan fits, and on the right a door which gives entry into 
the Serraglio^ but that entry is only allowed to thofe who have orders to 
come that way ; fo then, fince I had no call, and this place being all myfterie, 
I Iball not attempt to fpeak of it. The Fabrick of this Serraglio^ by what one 
can fee of it on the outfide, is noways regular, all that is to be feen are but 
feparated Appartments in form of Domes, fo that there is nothing to be 
diftinguiOied, and one cannot tell what to make of it. The Grand Signior 
lodges in this Serraglio, has his Officers, who have a great many under them ; 
Moft part of thefe Officers are Eunuchs, and generally all Blacks ; heretofore 
it was thought enough to geld them, but a Grand Signior having one day, as 
he was walking, perceived a Gelding covering a Mare, fa foon as he was come 
home, ordered all that the Eunuchs had remaining to be cut clear off, and 
fince that time it hath been the confiant cuftom to cut all off clear to the 
Belly, which is done when they are but about eight or ten years old .• It is 
true, a great many dye of it ^ but the Bafliarvs the Governments that bor- 
der upon yîbypa or Ethiopia, and other Countries of the Negroes, caufe fo ma- 
ny to be gelt, that they have enough, both for prefents of the handfomeft 
to the Grand Signior, and for attending their own Women. Thefe Eunuchs 
have the fole government of the Serraglio -, fuch of them as have the care of 
the Women, who are all lodged in a feparate appartment together, are fo 
watchful and exadt in looking after them , that there is no Woman cunning 
enough to deceive thofe half men, becaufe they know that the Grand Signior 
is commonly fo jealous, that a fingle view of one of his Wives would colt 
him that faw her his life ; and when the Sultanas walk in the Gardens of the 
Serraglio ; the Boftangis or Gardners , ftand round the Walls, and holding 
Staves, to which large and long pieces of Cloth are faftned behind them, look 
towards the Sea, making in that manner a kind of a Wall betwixt them and 
the Garden, to hinder the Sultanas from being feen from abroad, they them- 
felves not daring to look upon them, for fear, leaft being perceived by fome 
Eunuch, he might make their heads flie off upon the fpot ; this jealoufie goes 
fo far, that they fuffer no Boats to come nearer than four hundred paces of 
the Garden, whilft the Sultanas are there, though the Walls be high, and 
there are Sentinels on purpofe to fire at them if they do not ftand off ; fo 
that thofe who havebufinefs by Water, muftfomtimes fetch a great compafs 
about. The Eunuchs alfo have the charge of the Jchnoglans , or the Grand 
Signiors Pages, who are all youths, for the moft part of Chriftian extraction, 
made Mahometans, and educated in the Serraglio, with great care, from eight 
to twenty years of age ; fome are taught to fiioot an Arrow, dart the T^aguye, 
fit a Horfe well, Wreftle, Read, Writ© and Sing, and the reft any thing elfe 
thatfuits with their talents and inclination, but they are all indifpenfably 
brought up in the Law of Mahomet ; if they have parts they rife to great 
Offices, if not, after fome years, they are turned out of the Serraglio, and 
have 
