West-Jersey pioneer., 1877-10-25
A SIGHT In STEAMBOAT.

Leu US crop IN at Cno SerdSllO. Inc
tongue of Stamboul is thrust into the midst
of the waters of the Golden Horn, the Bos-
phorus and the Sea of Marmora. 1t is an
oblong hill crowned with white walls, domes
of black, funereal expresses. Here stands
the seraglio which was for fifteen centuries
the abiding place of the Ottoman Emperors.
It is now used only ON state occasions, and
the palace, the courts and the innumerable
tenements that cover the promontory-the
ground plan of the seraglio is nearly three
miles in circumference-are battered, dusty
and out of repair.
The Sublime Porte is singularly ugly and
anything but sublime. The buildings that
cluster about the several courts have not
for the most part, the slightest pretension
to architectural beauty or even dignity.
The second court is fanked by row of
nine kitchens, looking very much like nine
limekilns They are domed, but without
chimneys, so the smoke passes out through
hole in the roof. Here the Sultan and
his court consumed annually forty thousand
oxen; and there were daily brought to the
table two hundred sheep, one hundred
lambs ten calves, two hundred hens, two
hundred pairs of pullets, one hundred pairs
of pigeons, and fifty green geese. The late
Sultan Abdul Aziz was accustomed to
feeding his family as bountifully, and still
! he was not happy! In the stables by the
water side thousand horses were formally
stalled; and among the cannon that sweep
the sea and the mouth of the Bosphorus is
one huge old fellow at whose hoarse voice
Babylon surrendered to Sultan Murad.
| The chief attraction of the seraglio is the
treasury. Here, in chamber by no means
large, is gathered treasures such as one
reads of in tales of the genii. The actual
value of this store of jewels is almost be-
yond conception. Each Sultan seeks to
exceed his predecessor in the richness of
his additions to the collection, and the re-
suit is dazzling but not very impressive
! array of theatrical looking properties, that
| might Just as we'll be made of glass and
tinsel-the effect upon the spectator would
be as pleasing. Imagine to yourself car
pet crusted with pearls, many of them as
large as sparrow eggs; throne of gold,
frosted with pearls; draperies for the horses
ridden by the Sultans, embroidered with
pearls and rubies; cradle coated with pre-
cious stones, inlaid armor, jeweled helmets,
sword -hilts-one of these decorated with
fifteen diamonds, each one as large as the
top of mans thumb; coffee trays of ebony,
with double row of enormous diamonds,
set close together; pipe-stems. nargilehs'
sword-belts, caskets, and bushels of neck
laces of the most splendid description,
heaped together in glass show cases and
flashing like fire-fies in the dark.
The most costly article in the treasury is
toilet table, of lapis lazuli and other val
liable material, richly inlaid with precious
stones of every description. The pillars
that support the mirror are set with dia-
monds, the stem and claws of the table are
carbuncles, etc.; along the edge of the table
hangs deep fringe of diamonds, with i'm
mense solitaire tassels. The whole is a
gorgeous-bore.
Multitudes Of attendants are stationed
through the apartment, and you may be
sure that you are never left for a second
unobserved by these watchful guardians of
the treasure house What relief it is to
withdraw into the Kiosk of Bagdad, the
private library of the Sultan, sit within
eight walls that close about you like the
equisite panels of an ivory or tortoiseshell
fan, under dome of rose-tint and gold
mosaic, and, shutting the doors of bronze,
inlaid with pearl, against the world to think
how pleasant thing it is to be poor but
honest! On the shelves of the library there
are several codices brought from the collec-
ton of King Matthias Corvinus at Buda,
and there are dainty rolls and folios OF
parchment laid away, each in it's separate
case, and all looking very much as if they
were not often disturbed. From the Kiosk
of Bagdad it is pleasant to look down into
the deep Garden of the Houris, sloping to
the swift Bosphorus, and to mediate on
the lights of the harem that have suddenly
gone out forever, quenched in that fatal
blood but, thinking on the stif1ed cries
and the Shiny shrouds dragged down into
the pitiless deep, it is still pleasanter to rise
superior to the situation, fee the custodian
and thank heaven that you are not girl!