4r6 
1 ravels into the^ Levant. 
Fart 
Danger in go 
ing abroad 
the days of 
the Bairm. 
one may have that diverfion for an Affre • and if they have a mind to be toiled 
fader, then four Men with two Ropes makes him that fits fiieto and again as 
long as he pleafe. This paftime is accorapanyed with Mufick of Voices, and In- 
ftruments hired by the mailers of the Swings, for the three days the Bairam* 
lafts, who attend there from Morning, till Night. They havealfo very Jarge 
wheels, like the wheels of our Water-mills, wherein all that pleafe great ancj 
fmall fit on Boards, and a Man makes the wheel to turn, and yet no body that 
is within it falls. This wheel may very well be call'd the wheel of Fortune, for 
every one has his turn, fometimes up, and fometimes down. They have many 
other fuch Diverfions, which they prepare fome days before the Bairam • and 
there are of themalmoll in all the Streets, which are fo full of People, that 
one can hardly pafs along, for all walk through the City from Street to Street ; 
and even a great many Women who the reft of the Year never came abroad, 
have liberty to walk during the three days of the Bairam. It is dangerous for 
Franhs to walk through the City during thofe three days j for they being days 
of publick Rejoicings, every thing feems to be Lawful j fo that many Turks 
get Drunk, and if they meet a Frank when they are foj they fometimes give 
him a Stab with a C^??^/^?*. However fince I was curious to fee everything, 
being at Gonfiamino^le the fécond day of the Bairt^m, I went over a good part 
" of the City, having a Spahi who was a R.enegado French Man with me, and all 
the hurt I had, was a great many railing aud reproachful Words, but I confefs 
I was more happy than wife. The Franks have another reafon befides, not to 
ftir abroad, unlefs they would pay very dear for it, and that is,becaufe during 
thefe three days there are fome Blades whom one cannot avoid,and thefe for the 
moft part are Jmiz.aries, who ftand in the middle of the ftreet, holding in one 
hand a Bottle of Rofe- water, with which they fprinkle you a little as you pais, 
and ftretch out the other to receive the Af^ns which you pleafe to give them, 
and if you think to go by and give them nothing, they'l flop you. This Bai- 
ram is the greateft Feltival that the Turks have, and at in they do one thing that 
is very commendable, which is, that they' pardon all their Enemies, and are 
reconciled to them ; for they think they have made a bad Eajler^ if they 
keep malice in their Heart againft any Body : and during thefe three days when 
they meet any of their acquaintance in the Streets, they Kifs one another, 
wilhing mutually a good Eafier^ and all happinefs •• this Bairam they call the 
great Bairam^ or Bairam of Ramadan ; but they have befides the little Bairam, 
or Bairam of the Ad^i^ or Pilgrims of Mccha, which falls out threefcore 
and ten days after the great Bairam ; to wit, on the tenth day of the Moon 
ZoHlhidge. They have other Seafons alfo that contain great Myfteries. The 
firft of their Feaits is the night betv\/een the eleventh and twelfth day of the 
Feaftsofthe Moon which they call RebiulEwel-^ they believe that Mahomet was Born that 
Night, and therefore fo foon as it is evening 'Lamps are Lighted round the Mi- 
narets^ and in the Mormxigtht Grand Signior goes to the new Mofque, where 
he caufes Sweet-meats and Sorbet to be carried from the Serraglio^ and after 
prayers all eat and drink of them. The night betwixt the fx and twentieth 
and feven and twentieth of the Moon Rebud Ahhir^ is a great Fefrival with 
them, becaufe they believe that that was the night that Mahomet Afcended up 
to Heaven upon, the Alboraoh, as he mentions in the Alcoran. Thurfday the 
^ fourth of the Moon of Regcb, they have Prayers in their Mofquej till Midnight, 
' and then return home and Feaft. This Feftival is becaufe of the Ramadan, 
which comes two Months after: on all thefe Feftivals; and during the whole 
Ramadan^ the Minarets of X.\\Q Mofcjues are as I faid, deck'd with Lamps j 
which being contrived in feveral Figures, when they are Lighted, make a 
vary pretty fliow. 
The Turks 
Eafter. 
Turks. 
CHAP. 
