The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1844-03-28


travels, and they are conveyed by litters closed
by curtains, or in boats with small cabins, admit
ting the light and air through narrow Venetian
blinds. The apartments ofseraglo are very splen-
did, always, however, of course, in proportion to
the wealth Of the priace; and the favorite object
of his affections exhibits the dignity and enjoys
the privileges of queen in captivity While
her beauty lasts, she is frequently regarded with
2 feeling almost amounting to idolatry; hut when
That beauty passes away, the warmth Of love
subsidies, her person no longer charms, her voice
ceases to impart delight, her faded cheeks and
shafpened tones become disagreeable memorials
lot the past. Neither her song nor her lutte is now
heard with pleasure, for, in the beautiful imagery
lof the Persian poet: "When the roses wither
laHd the Hover loses its sweetness, you have no
longer the tale ofthe nightingale" The favorite
lAoweyer, while she continues her ascendency
lover the heart of her lord, is treated with sover-
leign respect throughoutthe harem. She smokes
lher golden tubed hooka, the rnouthpiece studded
with gems, and enjoys the fresh morning breeze
under verandah that oyerlooks the gardens of
the palace, attended by her damscls, only second
to herself in attractions of person and splendour
4 of attire.
"Her smiling countenance resplendent shines
j With youth and lovelness; her lips disclose
i Teeth white as jasmine blossoms; silky curs
Luxurant shade her cheeks, and every limb
l VI slightest TEXTURE moves with natural grace,
Like noonbeams gliding through the yielding air''
Here she rcclnes in obvious repose upon a rich
embroidered carpet from the most celebrated
looms in Persia. Thro' an atmosphere of the rich
estincense, he breathes the perfumes ofArabia the
happy, and has every thing around her that can
a1r niSior to ol; e-L4 :.
orally an unhappy being She dwells in the
midst of splendid misery and ungratifying pro-
fusion, while all within herself is desolaton and
: hopelessness. Her sympathiesare either warped
or stif1ed; her hearts is blighted, and her mind
: degraded. She cannot join in the enthusiasm
. of the inimitable Hafix-"the breath of the wes-
: tern gale will soon shed musk around--the old
: world will again be young;" but languishes, as
the seasons return, in the most debasing capiv.
: y, and feels that the western gale breathes up
: on her neither the freshness of freedom or of 10Y
description of the harem of the celebrated
! ! Mogul Emperor Akbar, by the noless celebrated
= = Abul Fazel Moharck, his minister, will, trust
: be not unwelcome to the reader.
J "The harem is an enclosure of such an i'm
q mense extent, as to contain separate room fol
= y every one of the women, whose number exceeds
five thousand. They are divided into companies
and proper employment is assigned to each in
: dividual. Over each of these companies wo
J ! man is appointed darogha; and one is selected
for the command of the whole, in order that the
: : affairs of the harem may be conducted with the
: same regularity and good government as the de,
partments of the state. Every one receives
! ! salary equal to her merit. The pen cannot mea
= :. sure the extent of the emperors largesses; bu
here shall be given some account of the monthly
stipend of each. The ladies of the first quality
receive from one thousand six hundred and tel
: rupees, down to one thousand and twenty-eigh
= rupees. Some of the principal servants of the
: presence have from ffty-one down to twenty ru
pees and others are paid from rupees up to DO
. At the grand gate is stationed mushref, to taxi
. account OF the receipts and expenditures of tn,
= = harem in ready money and in goods. Wheneve
= any OF this multitude of women want any thing
they apply to the treasurer ofthe harem, who ac
y cording to their monthly stipend, sends memo
!" randum thereofto the mushreff of the grand gate
!. who transmits it to the kings palace, who pay
:; the money. The inside of the harem is guardet
ii by women, and about the gate of the royal apart
= ments are placed the most confidential Imme
u diately on the outside of the gate, watch the eu
Il much of the harem, and at proper distance tn
= RaIpoots, beyond whom are the porters Of th
y gates, and on the outside of the enclosure, tn
= = omrahs, the ahdeans, and other troops noun
= = guard, according to their rank. Whenever tn
: begums, or the wives ofthe omrahs, or other VIC
J, men of character, want to pay their compliment
= they first notify their desire to those who wait
i the outside, and from these their respects az
sent in writing to the officers of the palace, afte
I'LL s-lA Al
y And some women of rank obtain permission [
5 + remain there for the space ofa month. But, b.
= sides all the precautions above described,
- majesty depends on his own vigilance, as well
: on that of his guards. ."-Oriental Annual
=, Death of General Bertrand.