42 S E R 
shall have a true idea of what passes in the harem of the 
grand seignior. 
The chief of the black eunuchs, called kistar-aga, is one 
of the greatest personages of the empire : he it is who carries 
to the female slaves the will of his master: he it is who an¬ 
nounces to them the happiness which they have to please 
him. Independently of the authority which he exercises in 
the harem, he has the superintendance of all the imperial 
mosques ; he is charged with the general administration of 
all the pious foundations which relate to them; he has the 
pre-eminence over the chief of the white eunuchs, and, what 
is more flattering to a slave, he more frequently approaches 
his master, and more commonly enjoys his confidence. His 
income is very considerable. 
The keasne-vekili is the second eunuch of the seraglio; he 
replaces the Idstar-aga, when he dies, or is turned out of 
office. He has the general administration of the interior 
imperial treasure, which must be distinguished from the pri¬ 
vate treasure of the grand seignior, administered by the 
hhasnadar-aga, one of the pages of confidence. There are 
some other eunuchs raised in dignity, such as he who belongs 
to the queen-mother, he to whom the care of tire princes is 
entrusted, those who serve the royal mosque of the sultana 
Validai, whither the slaves of the grand seignior go to say 
their prayers; he who has the particular superintendance of 
the apartment of the hasseke; and a few others whose func¬ 
tions are less important. 
The white eunuchs do not approach the women : they are 
employed out of the harem, and in the particular service of 
the sultan. 
Balzac observes, that the seraglio at Constantinople is 
only a copy of that which Solomon anciently built at Jeru¬ 
salem, for his wives and concubines. For a particular 
description of the seraglio, see Greave’s Works. 
SERAGLIO. See Bosna Serajo. 
SERAI, a village of Anatolia, in Asiatic Turkey; 24 miles 
east of Castamena. 
SERAI, a village of the desert of Syria ; 30 miles east of 
Aleppo. 
SERAING, a very large village of the Netherlands, on 
the Maese, with 2000 inhabitants. Here is a castle belonging 
to the bishop of Liege, and a number of villas; 3 miles 
south of Liege. 
SERAM1CA, or Suramaca, a large river of South 
America, which rises in the mountains of Guiana, and, 
after a winding course of about 100 miles, falls into the 
Atlantic Ocean. It is from two to four miles broad, and is 
much encumbered with shallows, rocks and falls, so that it 
is hardly navigable for vessels of any burden. 
SERAMPEI, a country or district in the interior of the 
island of Sumatra, bounded on the north and north-west by 
Korinchi, on the east, south-east, and south, by Pakalang, 
Jambee, and Sungei-tenang; and on the west and south¬ 
west by the greater Ayer Dikit river, and chain of high 
mountains bordering on the Sungei-ipu country. It com¬ 
prehends 15 fortified and independ.nt villages, besides 
talangs, or small open ones. Their intrenchments consist of 
large trees laid horizontally between stakes driven into the 
ground, about seven feet high, and six feet thick, with loop¬ 
holes for firing through. The inhabitants further defend 
themselves by planting ranjaus, which are small sharp 
pointed rods in the paths, and carefully concealed, which 
wound the feet in a distressing manner. They decapitate 
the bodies of their enemies, stick the heads on poles, and 
address abusive language to them. Those taken alive are 
made slaves. In general the inhabitants seem to be quiet 
and inoffensive. The women are ugly, and their manners 
are uncouth. These people are apparently very strong, 
being capable of carrying heavy loads during journeys of 20 
or 30 days. They acknowledge themselves the subjects of 
the sultan of Jambee, who sometimes, but. rarely, exacts a 
tribute from each village, of a buffalo, a tail of gold, and an 
hundred bamboos of rice. This cofintry produces cocoa 
nuts and cassia, which latter is to be obtained in quantities. 
The rhinoceros is common, and in the woods are myriads 
S E R 
of small insects, described to be leeches, which, dropping 
from the leaves, immediately fix on the skin, and there gorge 
themselves with blood. They do not exceed an inch in 
length, and are as slender as a needle; therefore they can 
penetrate any part of the clothes, and travellers must some¬ 
times strip, and go into the water in order to wash them off. 
Part of Serampei is hilly; it is intersected by several rivers, 
and contains hot springs, near which columns of smoke 
are seen to issue from the earth. The inhabitants are Maho¬ 
metans. 
SERAMPORE, a town of Bengal, belonging to the 
Danes. It is pleasantly situated on the western bank of the 
Bhaggarutty or Hoogly river; 12 miles north of Calcutta,. 
Its territory extends about a mile along the river, by half a 
mile in breadth. The houses are built of brick, plastered 
with mortar, and have flat roofs, with balconies and Vene¬ 
tian windows, but few of them are more than two stories 
high. There is a handsome church, and a battery of twelve 
pieces of cannon near the flag-staff, but the towm is not for¬ 
tified. It carries on a trifling trade with Europe, China, 
&c., but is principally supported by the missionaries, and 
British subjects who take refuge here from their creditors. 
About the year 1676 the Danes obtained this situation for 
their factory, from the Nabob Shaista Khan, who gave great 
countenance to European and other merchants, and encou¬ 
raged them to settle in the vicinity of Hoogly. During the 
short war with the Danes, it was taken possession of by the 
British, but soon after restored. Lat. 22. 45. N. long. 88. 
26. E. There are several other places of this name in Hin- 
dostan, called after Siri Ram, one of the Hindoo deities. 
SERAN, a small river of Savoy, which rises near Cham- 
berri, and joins the Rhone above Seissel. 
SERANGANI, a cluster of small islands in the Eastern 
seas, situated about five leagues from the southern extremity 
of Magindanao, and between the 5th and 6th degrees of 
north latitude. There are three principal islands ; the largest, 
named Hummock, is about 30 miles, and the next in size 
about 25 miles in circumference. There is also another of 
inferior dimensions. This island, which is the most westerly, 
is very high, making a sugar loaf. Its north coast is bold. 
It is well cultivated, and is called Belk. It produces most of 
the tropical fruits, and also rice, sugar-canes, pine-apples, 
mangoes, sour oranges, limes, jacks, plantains, cocoa-nuts, 
sago, sweet potatoes, tobacco, Indian corn and honey. The 
eastern has not near so good an appearance, neither are 
there any cocoa-nut trees to be seen on it, though they are 
so numerous on the western island. These islands abound 
in refreshments, with which they abundantly supply the ships 
that pass by them. The articles most in request among the 
natives are white or printed cottons, such as loose gowns or 
jackets, coloured handkerchiefs, clasp-knives, razors, and 
bar iron. Metal buttons are also much in demand, and a 
coat is soon stripped. The inhabitants speak the same 
language, and are of the same description, as those on the 
sea coast of Magindanao, being complete Malays, both in 
appearance and disposition. They have canoes, and also 
larger boats, armed with small brass cannon, and, like the 
other natives of the eastern isles, are much'addicted to piracy. 
Their prows are covered with an awning of split bamboos, 
and can conceal a great many men. The Dutch East India 
Company claimed a sovereignly over these islands, but do 
not appear to have exercised any of its functions, or esta¬ 
blished any settlement on them. 
SERANGODES, a word used originally as an epithet 
for the pumice-stone, and expressing cavernous, spungy, or 
full of holes. It has been hence applied to sinuous ulcers, 
and to all sorts of things that are cavernous, or of a spungy 
texture. 
SE'RAPII, s. [tnw, Heb.] One of the orders of angels. 
As full, as perfect in vile man that mourns. 
As the wrapt seraph that adores and burns. Pope. 
Seraph is also said to be the name of a Turkish gold coin, 
worth about 5s. sterling. 
SERAPH’S HEAD, in Heraldry, is used to denote a 
child’s 
