CHAP. I.

dies were going to take the air. In order to do this, it was necessary to pass the gates adjoining the gardener's lodge; where an arabat (19) was stationed to receive them, in which it was usual for them to drive round the walks of the Seraglio, within the walls of the palace. Upon those occasions, the black eunuchs examine every part of the garden, and run before the women, calling out to all persons to avoid approaching or beholding them, under pain of death. The gardener, and his friend the Swede, instantly closed all the shutters, and locked the doors. The black eunuchs, arriving soon after, and finding the lodge shut, Description of supposed the gardener to be absent. Presently followed the the four prin- Sultan Mother, with the four principal Sultanas, who were cipal Sultanas. in high glee, romping and laughing with each other. A small scullery window, of the gardener's lodge, looked directly towards the gate, through which these ladies were to pass; and was separated from it only by a few yards. Here, through two small gimlet holes, bored for the purpose, they beheld very distinctly the features of the women, whom they described as possessing extraordinary beauty. Three of the four were Georgians, having dark complex'ions and very long dark hair; but the fourth was remarkably fair; and her hair, also of singular length and thickness, was of a flaxen colour: neither were their teeth dyed black, as those of Turkish women generally are. The Swedish gentleman said, he was almost sure they suspected, they were seen, from the address they manifested, in displaying their charms, and in loitering at the gate. This gave him and his friend no small degree of terror; as they would have paid for their curiosity with their lives, if any such suspicion had entered the minds of the black eunuchs. He described their dresses as rich beyond all that can be imagined. Long spangled robes, open in front, with pantaloons embroidered in gold and silver, and covered by a profusion of pearls and precious stones, displayed their persons to great advantage; but were so heavy, as actually to encumber their motion, and almost to impede their walking. Their hair hung in loose and very thick tresses, on each side their cheeks; falling quite down to the waist, and covering their shoulders behind. Those tresses were quite powdered with diamonds, not displayed accord

ing to any studied arrangement, but as if carelessly scattered, CHAP. I. 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. necks, and even their breasts, were quite one of them having any veil.

Their faces, exposed; not

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 (20),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 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 South-eastern side, where the entrance to the Seraglio gardens and the gardener's lodge are situated. A Bostanghy, Interior of as a sort of porter, is usually seated, with his attendants, the Seraglio. 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. C

CHAP. I. 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 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 disposed 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 trelliswork 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 windows look into it. Below these windows are two small 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, CHAP. 1. 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.

Kiosk.

X

Having thus completed the tour of this small and insig- Sultan's nificant 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 the sea, advances a raised platform surrounded by windows, and terminated by a divân(21). 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

CHAP. I. 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.

CHAREM, OF

the Women.

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 of the wall, are placed the Sultan's slippers, of common yellow morocco, and coarse workmanship. Having entered the marble chamber immediately below the kiosk, a marble bason presents itself, with a fountain in the centre, containing water to a depth of about three inches, and a few very small fishes. Answering to the platform mentioned in the description of the kiosk, is another, exactly of a similar nature, closely latticed, where the ladies sit during the season of their residence in this place. I was pleased with observing a few things they had carelessly left upon the sofas, and which characterized their mode of life. Among these was an English writing-box, of black varnished wood, with a sliding cover, and drawers; the drawers containing coloured writing-paper, reed pens, perfumed wax, and little bags made of embroidered satin, in which their billets-doux are sent, by negro slaves, who are both mutes and eunuchs. That liqueurs are drunk in these secluded chambers is evident; for we found labels for bottles, neatly cut out with scissars, bearing Turkish inscriptions, with the words, "Rosoglio," "Golden Water," and "Water of Life." Having now seen every part of this building, we returned to the garden, by the entrance which admitted us to the kiosk.

Our next and principal object was the examination of Apartments of the CHAREM; and, as the undertaking was attended with danger, we first took care to see that the garden was cleared of Bostanghies, and other attendants; as our curiosity, if detected, would, beyond all doubt, have cost us our lives upon the spot. A catastrophe of this nature has been already related by Le Bruyn.

Having inspected every alley and corner of the garden, we advanced, half-breathless, and on tip-toe, to the great

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