CHAPTER X. CONSTANTINOPLE.-SULTAN AND HAREM.-LADIES OF THE HAREM.-SCUTARI.-HOWLING DERVISHES.-NEW PALACE. -LIBRARIES.-SULTAN'S POWER. "numberless Barks, manned with revellers in their best garbs, Shot along the glancing tide: there were The long array, the clashing music, And the thundering of far artillery." WERNER. JUNE 15th. We were fortunate enough to be on the Bosphorus at the very moment when the Sultan was passing unexpectedly with his court and seraglio from the winter to the summer palace above Scutari. A salute from the batteries, and the manning the yards of all the men of war, announced his approach. First came in a line seven beautiful boats, of ten oars each, containing the favourite ladies, with their female slaves. They had white veils thrown over their heads, and parasols held above them. Our boatmen, who had rowed as near as possible to the pro SULTAN AND HAREM. 245 cession, were frightened and wanted to move farther off; at this instant a small boat dashed down towards us, and a Turk, in a voice of thunder, ordered us to retire. The principal wife was coming along in the last boat; a white veil fell over her head and shoulders, and a red parasol, held by four female slaves facing her, defended her from the sun,-two boats, filled with female slaves and attendants, closed the feminine part of the procession. About a minute afterwards two light boats, cleaving swiftly through the water, ordered the different caiques to clear away, and now appeared another boat, in which sat the Selictar Aga, or royal sword-bearer, followed by an elegant barge burnished with gold, and pulled by twenty-six rowers, under a canopy at the stern of which sat the Sultan, surrounded by some officers of his court, and the helm was held by the Bostangee Bashee. The style of pulling of the rowers was curious; they all got up simultaneously on a bar running behind each seat, and then fell back on their seats, dragging the oar through the water with the whole weight of their bodies. It has an awkward appearance, but seems to propel the boat with great velocity. Most of the large boats we saw appeared to be rowed in this man CHAPTER X. CONSTANTINOPLE.-SULTAN AND HAREM.-LADIES OF THE -LIBRARIES.-S "numberless Barks, manned with revellers in their best garbs, Shot along the glancing tide: there were The long array, the clashing music, And the thundering of far artillery." WERNER. JUNE 15th. We were fortunate enough to be on the Bosphorus at the very moment when the Sultan was passing unexpectedly with his court and seraglio from the winter to the summer palace above Scutari. A salute from the batteries, and the manning the yards of all the men of war, announced his approach. First came in a line seven beautiful boats, of ten oars each, containing the favourite ladies, with their female slaves. They had white veils thrown over their heads, and parasols held above them. Our boatmen, who had rowed as near as possible to the pro NIWAN AND HAREM. 245 va intranet and wanted to move far15. a ta nstant a small cat dashed down 12:1 The nice of thunder, The prepal wife was ner. We had no opportunity of judging of the features of the ladies during this procession, as we were too far distant from them; but their veils would not have afforded much obstruction to the sight, they were very different from those worn by the Turkish women, appearing like the thin muslin veils of Europe; they were thrown over both head and shoulders. It is said that the Sultan has 200 concubines; the favourite is reported to be an exceedingly beautiful Greek girl, bought when a child, and educated in the harem. The ladies of the harem wait upon one another in rotation; they sleep in separate apartments, and women slaves are appointed to watch their conduct. The Sultanas are the sisters and daughters of the Sultan, neither his wives nor concubines are ever allowed to assume that title, it being appropriated exclusively to the imperial blood. of We rowed across the water to Scutari, about four miles from Constantinople, for the purpose seeing the famous howling dervishes. We passed through a court into the college, and after waiting some time for the hour of the performance, were ushered into a hall, where were a considerable crowd of persons, and some odd dirty figures seated on the floor, continually shouting, " Yallah |