to the waist, and covering their shoulders behind. Those tresses were quite powdered with diamonds, not displayed according to any studied arrangement, but as if carelessly scattered, by handfuls, among their flowing locks. On the top of their heads, and rather leaning to one side, they wore, each of them, a small circular patch or diadem. Their faces, necks, and even their breasts, were quite exposed; not one of them having any veil.

The German gardener, who had daily access to different parts of the Seraglio, offered to conduct us not only over the gardens, but promised, if we would come singly, during the season of the Ramadan', when the guards, being up all night, would be stupefied during the day with sleep and intoxication, to undertake the greater risk of shewing us the interior of the Charem, or apartments of the women; that is to say, of that part of it which they inhabit during the summer; for they were still in their winter chambers. We readily accepted his offer: I only solicited the further indulgence of being accompanied by a French artist of the name of Preaux, whose extraordinary promptitude in design would enable him to bring away sketches of any thing we might find interesting, either in the Charem, or gardens of the Seraglio. The apprehensions of Monsieur Preaux were, however, so great, that it was with the greatest difficulty

I could

CHAP. I.

(1) The Ramadan of the Turks answers to our Lent, as their Bairam does to Easter. During the month of the Ramadan, they impose upon themselves the strictest privation; avoiding even the use of tobacco, from sun-rise to sun-set. They feast all night during this season, and are therefore generally asleep during the day

CHAP. I.

Interior of the Seraglio.

I could prevail upon him to venture into the Seraglio; and he afterwards either lost, or secreted, the only drawings 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 southeastern side, where the entrance to the Seraglio gardens and the gardener's lodge are situated. A Bostanghy, as a sort of porter, is usually seated, with his attendants, within the portal. Upon entering the Seraglio, the spectator is struck by a wild and confused assemblage of great and interesting objects among the first of these are, enormous cypresses, massive and lofty masonry, neglected and broken sarcophagi, 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 right hand of it. The avenue extending from it, towards the west, offers a broad and beautiful, although solitary, walk, to a very considerable extent, shut in by high walls on both sides. Directly opposite this entrance of the Seraglio is a very lofty mound, or bank, covered by large trees, and traversed by terraces, over which, on the top, are walls with turrets. On the right hand, after entering, are the large wooden folding doors of the Grand Signior's gardens; and near them lie many fragments of antient marbles, appropriated to the vilest purposes; among others, a sarcophagus of one block of marble, covered

with

with a simple, though unmeaning bas-relief. Entering the
gardens by the folding doors, a pleasing coup d'œil of trellis-
work and covered walks is displayed, more after the taste of
Holland than that of any other country. Various and very
despicable jets d'eau, straight gravel-walks, and borders dis-
posed in parallelograms, with the exception of a long green-
house filled with orange-trees, compose all that appears
in the
small spot which bears the name of the Seraglio Gardens.
The view, on entering, is down the principal gravel-walk;
and all the walks meet at a central point, beneath a dome
of the same trellis-work by which they are covered. Small
fountains spout a few quarts of water into large shells, or
form parachutes over lighted bougies, by the sides of the
walks. The trellis-work is of wood, painted white, and
covered by jasmine; and this, as it does not conceal the
artificial frame by which it is supported, produces a
wretched effect. On the outside of the trellis-work appear
small parterres, edged with box, containing very common
flowers, and adorned with fountains. On the right hand, after
entering the garden, appears the magnificent kiosk, which
constitutes the Sultan's summer residence; and further on is
the orangery before mentioned, occupying the whole extent
of the wall on that side. Exactly opposite to the garden
gates, is the door of the Charem, or palace of the women
belonging to the Grand Signior; a building not unlike one of
the small colleges in Cambridge, and inclosing the same sort
of cloistered court. One side of this building extends
across the upper extremity of the garden, so that the win-
dows look into it. Below these windows are two small

VOL. II.

D

green

CHAP. I.

CHAP. I.

Sultan's
Kiosk.

green-houses, filled with very common plants, and a number
of Canary-birds. Before the Charem windows, on the right
hand, is a ponderous, gloomy, wooden door; and this,
creaking on its massive hinges, opens to the quadrangle, or
interior court of the Charem itself.
We will keep this
door shut for a short time, in order to describe the Seraglio
garden more minutely; and afterwards open it, to gratify
the Reader's curiosity.

Still facing the Charem on the left hand, is a paved ascent, leading, through a handsome gilded iron gate, from the lower to the upper garden. Here is a kiosk, which I shall presently describe. Returning from the Charem to the door by which we first entered, a lofty wall on the right hand supports a terrace with a few small parterres: these, at a considerable height above the lower garden, constitute what is now called the Upper Garden of the Seraglio; and, till within these few years, it was the only one.

Having thus completed the tour of this small and insignificant spot of ground, let us now enter the kiosk, which I first mentioned as the Sultan's summer residence. It is situated on the sea-shore, and commands one of the finest views the eye ever beheld, of Scutary and the Asiatic coast, the mouth of the canal, and a moving picture of ships, gondolas, dolphins, birds, with all the floating pageantry of this vast metropolis, such as no other capital in the world can pretend to exhibit. The kiosk itself, fashioned after the airy fantastic style of Eastern architecture, presents a spacious chamber, covered by a dome, from which,

towards.

towards the sea, advances a raised platform surrounded by windows, and terminated by a divân'. On the right and left are the private apartments of the Sultan and his ladies. From the centre of the dome is suspended a large lustre, presented by the English ambassador. Above the raised platform hangs another lustre of smaller size, but more elegant. Immediately over the sofas constituting the divân, are mirrors engraved with Turkish inscriptions; poetry, and passages from the Korân. The sofas are of white satin, beautifully embroidered by the women of the Seraglio.

Leaving the platform, on the left hand is the Sultan's private chamber of repose, the floor of which is surrounded by couches of very costly workmanship Opposite to this chamber, on the other side of the kiosk, a door opens to the apartment in which are placed the attendant Sultanas, the Sultan Mother, or any ladies in residence with the sovereign. This room corresponds exactly with the Sultan's chamber, except that the couches are more magnificently embroidered.

A small staircase leads from these apartments, to two chambers below, paved with marble, and as cold as any cellar. Here a more numerous assemblage of women are buried, as it were, during the heat of summer. The first is a sort of antechamber to the other; by the door of which, in a nook

CHAP. I.

(1) The diván is a sort of couch, or sofa, common all over the Levant, surrounding every side of a room, except that which contains the entrance. It is raised about sixteen inches from the floor. When a Divan is held, it means nothing more, than that the persons composing it are thus seated.