62 
ï ravels into the.hEv ant- 
Part I 
The GrMi 
Signior's gO' 
ing abroad 
out of the 
Serraglid. 
Sofiingis 
Rowers. 
The advan- 
tage of the 
Rowers. 
hold up as high as they can ; which the CrWSz^wor perceiving fends for it, 
and has it brought to him. The- truth is, the Miniflers are nGt weiipkafed 
he Ihould be informed of Affairs by any but themfelves. 
I have feveral times feen the prefentGrW5z^«zor abroad, but the firft time 
that I faw him, I was told, that for at leaft a Year before he had not been 
out of his SerragLio. When he goes abroad by Land, it is either with fmali 
■ Attendance, or in Pomp: I have feen both, as I fhall afterwards relate. 
When he goes by Water, he has always few Attendance ; his Galiotte comes to 
the Kiensk of the Serraglio, which is on the Water-fide over againft Galata^ 
and entring with a very fmall Retinue, he goes to Scndnret^ or the Black- Sea, 
to take the Air. This is a molt rich Galiotte, guilt all over and adorned with 
many counterfeit Stones ; It hath four and twenty Benches^ that is to fay, 
four and twenty Oars on each fide, each rowed by two Bofiangis, who have 
only a Shirt over their Breeches, or rather Drawers ; they have fcarlet Caps 
fhaped like a Sugar-Loaf, fuch as all the Boftangis wear, being half an Ell 
high i and they who ferve on this occafion are the Favorites of the Boflangi 
Bajlja. 
Thofe that Row on the right fide are all the Sons of Chriflians made Turks, 
who may arife to the dignity of Boftangi Bajha, to which Office thofe that 
Row on the left hand, v;ho are the Sons of Turks, and commonly of j^fiay 
can never afpire : And the greatefl: reward that they can hope for when they 
come out of the Serraglio, is to have fourfcore ^fpres a day in Pay ; whereas 
thofe on the right fide, after they have difcharged the Office of Boftangi Bajlia^ 
may be Agas of the Jamz^aries, nay, even Bajhas or Governours of Provinces. 
If any of thefe Boftangis chance to break an Oar in Rowing, the Grand Sig- 
nior gives him according to his Liberality, a handful of Af^res^ or a handful 
of Checjuins ^ as an encouragement for plying his Bufinefs with fo much 
ftrength. In the time of Sultan Solyman^ three Chequins was the ordinary 
reward, but at prefent it is not limited. However it is not by ftrength, but 
rather flight that they break their Oars j and many times they break them 
half off before ihtGrandSignior come on board his Galiotte, and then eafily 
do the reft as theyRov/. The Boftangi Bajha fits at the Helm and fteers the 
Galiotte, and at that time has opportunity enough fo difcourfe with the Grand 
Signior at his eafe. 
Befides thefe ways of going Abroad , the Grand Signior goes fometimes 
through the City in Difguife, and without Attendance, as a private Man, to 
fee if his Orders be pundually obferved : And he at prefent, who feems in all 
his Adions to imitate his Uncle Sman Amuratj went abroad almoft every day in 
Difguife,whiirc I was at Conftantinofle j having however fomeMen following him 
at a little diftancc, and amongfl; the reft an Executioner, And by the way he 
cau fed many Heads toffieofF, both \n Con ft antinomie and Galata, which kept all 
things in better order. The Chriftians were very glad that he Difguifed him- 
felf fo, for that was the caufe that no body durft moleft or abufe them. Some- 
times he would go to a Bakers Shop and buy Bread, and fometimes to a But- 
chers for a little Meat : And one day a Butcher offering to lell him Meat above 
the rate which he had fet, he made a fign to the Executioner, who prefently 
cut off the Butchers Head. But it was chiefly for Tobacco, that he made ma- 
ny Heads to flie. He caufed two Men in one day to be Beheaded in the Streets 
of Conftaminoplcj becaufe they were fmoaking Tobacco. He had prohibited it 
fome days before, becaufe, as it was faid, when he was paffing along the Street 
where Turks wereirnoaking Tobacco, the fmoak had got up into his Nofe. 
But I rather think that it was in imitation of his Uncle Sultan Amurat^ who 
did all he could to hinder it fo long as he lived. He caufed fome to be Hanged 
with a Pipe through their Nofe, others with Tobacco hanging about their 
Neck, and never pardoned any for that. I believe that the chief reafon why 
Sdtan Amnrath prohibited Tobacco, was becaufe of the Fires, that do fo 
much mifchief in Conftantinople when they happen, which molt commonly are 
occafioned by People that fall afleep with a Pipe in their Mouth, that fets fire 
to the Bed, or any combuftible matter, as I faid before. 
He ufed all the arts he could to difcover thofe who fold Tobacco, and went 
to thofe places where he was informed they did, where having offered feveral 
Cheqiiins 
The Grand 
Sigmor goes 
through the 
City in Dif- 
guife. 
Prohibition 
of Tobacco. 
