20 CONSTANTINOPLE. 
CHAP. Seraglio ; and he afterwards either lost, or 
' -y- ^ secreted, the only drawmgs which his fears 
would allow him to make while he was there. 
We left Pera, in a gondola, about seven o'clock 
in the morning ; embarking at Tophana, and 
steering towards that gate of the Seraglio which 
faces the Bosporus on the south-eastern side, 
v/here the entrance to the Seraglio garden^and 
the gardener's lodge are situate. A Bostanghy, 
3s a sort of porter, is usually seated, with his 
Interior of attendants, within the portal. Upon entering 
the Seraglio, the spectator is struck by a wild 
and confused assemblage of great and inter- 
esting objects : among the first of these are, 
enormous cypresses, massive and lofty masonry, 
neglected and broken soroi, high rising mounds, 
and a long gloomy avenue, leading from the 
gates of the garden between the double walls 
of the Seraglio. This gate is the same by 
which the Sultanas came out for the airing 
before alluded to ; and the gardener's lodge is 
on the ri^ht hand of it. The avenue extending; 
from it, towards the west, offers a broad and 
beautiful, although solitary, walk, to a A^ery 
considerable extent, shut in by high walls on 
both sides. Directly opposite to this entrance 
of the Seraglio is a very lofty mound, or 
bank, covered by large trees, and traversed by 
