Chap. I. to the L E \ 
Highnefs orders to be received, and being read at his 
Return, he gives Command for Redrefs, to make good 
the Title he gives himfelf, that he is Awkm Penawh^ 
i. e. 'The Refuge of the World. The Grand Signior at 
CoHjiantinople, by the Sea-lide, has a large Stable of 
a thoufand Horfes, for the Ufe of his Houfhold, of 
which the Imrohor-Bafha^ or Mafter of the Horfe, has 
Charo-e, and lelfer Stables at his Houfes of Pleafure in 
the Country, of ten Horfes each. He has alfo Studds 
in Burfa., Adrianople^ and many other Places for Stal- 
lions, which furnifh him with very ftately Colts, befides 
fuch as are daily fent him from Cairo., Damafcus., Bag- 
dat, and other Places, by the Balha’s. For his meaner 
Servants, he has Horfes from Walachia, and for his 
Bacrgage five thoufand Mules to carry Pavillions, Chefts, 
■Water° and other Neceffaries for Travelling; of which 
alfo the Vifier-Azem makes ufe when he goes in Quality 
of General in any Expedition. 
1 8. Upon the firflDayof xhtw Bairam, or Carnival, 
the Sultan fhews himfelf publickly, and lets all the great 
Men and better Sort of his Servants kifs his Veil, and 
then he is richly drefs’d with all his beft Jewels, and fits 
down on a Perftan Carpet, where his Taht or Throne is 
fet, the Chief Vifier telling him the Names of the Per- 
fons, that he may take Notice of them, and chiefly he 
refpefls the Cadelefchers, and other Doftors of 
the Law of the higheft Degree. The Ceremony being 
ended^ he goes to the Mofque of Santa Sophia, the 
Company attending him, and heats the Mamaz, or 
Divine Service, and a Sermon ; which being concluded, 
tho’ he retires to his own Lodgings, and dines alone, as 
upon other Days, yet he orders a fumptuous Banquet in 
the Vivan for the Bafha’s and Grandees, and a great 
Dinner in the Court-yard for the reft of the Company, 
and after Dinner fends them a Bairam-Lick, i. e. a New- 
year’s Gift, to all according to their Qualities. During 
the three Days of the Bairam, he caufes Shews of Fire- 
works to be made all Night, and a Drum to be beaten 
all the while, the Sultan, with his Sultana’s, as well out 
as in the Seraglio, diverting themfelves with them, as 
well as with other Sports and Tricks, which the Sultan 
tolerates all that Timet 
But as the Grand Signior gives, fo alfo he receives 
Prefents at this Time frorp the Bafha’s and great Per- 
fons, who ftrive to exceed one another in the Value of 
their Gifts, that they may gain Favour. The Bairam 
is celebrated alfo in all the Grand Signior’s Dominions 
at the fame Time, as well as at Conjlantinople, the 
Streets being fet out with pretty Devices and Salunjacks, 
or Swings very artificially made to folace both Old and 
Young : But in this Fit of Turkijh Mirth, it is dange- 
rous for Jews or Chrijiians to ftir out, for the Turks, put- 
ting off their wonted Sobriety, are very infolent, and 
will do them a Mifchief, if they do not give them what 
Money they demand. 
19^ Befides the Seraglio we have been deferibing, 
there is another in Conjlantinople, as has been ob- 
ferved, ftiled the Old Seraglio, fo called, becaufe 
it was the firft built by Mahomet the Second, 
when he took Conjlantinople to be his own Pa- 
lace. It is a large Place, about three Quarters of a Mile 
in Compafs, and feated in the nobleft Part of the City. 
It is environ’d with an high Wall, and the Buildings are 
very fair. It hath but one Gate belonging to it, and 
that is of Iron, which is kept by a Guard of White Eu- 
nuchs. The Inhabitants of it are all Women and Eu- 
nuchs. The Women are only fuch as have been put 
out of the Sultan’s Seraglio, viz. the Sultana’s of the 
deceafed Grand Signiors, fuch as are fallen into Dif- 
grace with the Sultan for their ill Conditions or rude 
Behaviour, or fuch as are infirm and defedive in fonie- 
thing chat fhould fit them for the Sultan’s Bed. They 
are governed by an old Woman, called Kahiya-Cadum, 
i. e. the Woman-Over feer, who is to take Care that they 
have all Things neceffary for them, according to the 
Cuftom of the Houfe. The Sultana’s have L.odgings 
apart, and are reafonably well ferved, though far fhort 
of what they had in the Sultan’s Seraglio. If they are 
rich when fent thither, they take Care to makq it 
known, and that procures them a good Flusband and 
Jointure. The Sultan will fometimes go thither to vifit 
VoL. II. N® 124. 
'■ANT. 801 
his Grandmother^ Sifter, or other Relations, Or when he 
is melancholy. 
There are other SeragWs in Constantinople, which 
belong to private Perfons, but built with an ugly Ap- 
pearance for Fear of giving Jealoufy to the Grand Sig- 
nior, though within the Walls, which are high, there 
are very beautiful Apartments, adorned with Gold and 
Azure, and the Floors cover’d with fine Carpets, the 
Walls faced with fine Tiles like China. In the Flails 
and Chambers they have a Rifing about a Foot higher 
than the Floor, which they call a Divan, covered with 
richer Carpets than the reft of the Room, and embroi- 
dered Cuftiions fet againft the Wall. Here they reft, 
receive Vifics, and fpend moft of the Day. There are 
alfo many great Buildings in the City like Monafteries, 
which they call Hans, with Galleries and Chambers, 
where Merchants have Lodgings and Warehoufes at 
eafy Rates, v^z. one or two Afpers a Day. They bring 
in a great Revenue to the Owners. They are built of 
Free-Stone round a Court, which has generally a Foun- 
tain in it. The Walls are ftrong and well barr’d to 
fecure the Goc?ds. The faireft of them in Constantino- 
ple is the Valida, built by the Gfand Signior’s Mother. 
The Houfes of Conjlantinople are all of Wood, very 
indifferently built, and very fubjeft to Fires from their 
taking much Tobacco. The Streets are crooked and 
narrow, ftanding alfo up and down Hill. The Cara- 
vanferals are built as the Hans, but are ufed only to 
lodge poor Travellers and the Servants of the Caravan, 
who have Rooms there for little or nothing. 
20. Galata is the Suburb of Conjlantinople, feparated 
by the Port only, in which there are Saiks, or fmall 
Boats, and Wherries, to carry you at all times for a 
fmall Matter. You may go by Land, but it is a littlo 
about, and you pafs by the Atmeidan, or Field where 
the Turks exercife their Archery, and go in Proceflion 
to make Prayers to God for the Succels of their Arms, 
and whatever elfe they want. Then you go to Cajfum- 
pafJja, a great Village, where is the Arfenal for build- 
ing Galleys, Maones and Ships: It has 120 Docks, 
and a Magazine of Arms for 60,000 Men, but it is 
inaccelTible to Chriftians. In it are, befides the Capou- 
dan-BaJhah, or AdmiraPs Lodging, a fpacious Bagnio 
for the Grand Signior’s Slaves, of whom there are ma- 
ny Thoufands, and live very miferably. This Town 
is divided from Galata only by the Burying-Places. 
Galata is a pretty large Place, the Houfes are good 
and well built. Many Greeks live there, and the 
Franks, who cohabit with them, have five Monafteries 
and as many Churches. It has a large Tower in it, 
and by the Sea-fide the fineft Fifh-Market in the World, 
where there is great Plenty of all Sorts of Fifh to be 
had cheap. The Greeks keep here a great many Taverns, 
which draw the Turks from Conjlantinople thither, who 
are very infolent in their Drink, and dangerous then to 
be met with, fo that this is one of the greateft Incon- 
veniencies in Conjlantinople. 
Beyond Galata lies Pera, a large Borough, which is 
feparated only by Burying-Places. In this Town refide 
the Ambaffadors from Chriftian Princes, for the Em- 
peror’s, King of Poland^s, and the Republick of Ra- 
goufd*s only may refide at Conjlantinople. The Houfes 
are high and handfome, being inhabited only by Greeks 
of Quality. Over againft the Seraglio, on the Right- 
Side, ftands the Tophana, i. e. the Place where all the 
Guns and Artillery are caft, and it gives the Name to 
all the Quarter. The Floufes of thefe three Places 
ftand fome higher and fome lower, like an Am- 
phitheatre, and form a pleafant Profped]: from the 
Port or Sea. 
21. In Afta, if you crofs the Sea, which is about a 
Mile over, you come to Schutari, pafling by LeandePs 
Tower. It is a large Town, and there the Grand Sig- 
nior has a ftately Seraglio and lovely Gardens. A little 
lower lies Chalcedon, once a City famous for the fouth 
General Council, but now a pitiful Village. The Princess 
IJle, which is four Hours Sail from Conjlantinople, and 
contains two little Towns of Greeks, has excellent Air, 
and the Channel of the Black Sea, call’d the Thracian 
Bofphorus, is very convenient, to take the Air upon, be- 
ing twelve Miles long, affording a delightful Profpe<fl; 
9 S of 
