The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-06-28
Treasures in the Seraglio at COnstan.
tinOple

Let us drop in at the Seraglio." The
tongue of Stamboul is thrust into the
midst of the waters of the Golden Horn,
the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmora.
1t is an oblong hill crowned with white
walls, domes and minarets, and hedged
about with groves of black, funereal
expresses. Here stands the Seraglio,
which was for fifteen centuries the abid-
ing place of the Ottoman Emperors. 1t is
now used only on state occasions, and
the palace, the courts and the innumer-
able tenements that cover the promon-
tory-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 any
thing but sublime. The buildings that
cluster about the several courts have
not, for the most part, the slightest pre-
tension to architectural beauty or even
dignity. The second court is flanked by
row of nine kitchens, looking very
much like nine lime-kilns. They are
domed, but without chimneys, so the
smoke passes out through hole in the
| roof Here the Sultan and the court
consumed annually 10000 oxen, and
there were daily brought to the table 200
sheep, 100 lambs, 10 calves, 200 hens,
200 pairs of pullets, 100 pairs of pigeons,
and so green geese. The late Sultan
Abd-ul-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 formerly
stalled; and among the cannon that
sweep the sea and the mouth of the Bos-
phorus is one huge old fellow at whose
hoarse voice Babylon surrendered to Sui
tan Murad. The chief attraction of the
Seraglio is the treasury. Here, in
chamber by no means large, is gathered
treasure such as one reads of in tales of
the genii. The actual value of this store
of Jewels is almost beyond conception.
Each Sultan seeks to exceed his prede
cessor in the richness of his additions to
the collection, and the result is daZ-
zling but not very expressive array OF
theatrical looking properties, that might
Just as well 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; a throne of
gold, frosted with pearls; draperies for
| uno uOTSt ny euC Ciii-
broidered with pearls and rubies; a era
die coated with precious stones; inlaid
armor, jeweled helmets, sword-hilts--
one of these is decorated with fifteen
diamonds, each one as large as the top
of mans thumb; coffee trays of ebony,
with double row of enormous dia-
monds, set close together; pipe-stems,
nargilehs, sword-belts, ,caskets and BUSH
els of necklaces of the most splendid de-
scription, heaped together in glass show
cases and flashing like fire-fiies in the
dark. The most costly article in the
treasury is toilet-table, of lapis lazuli
and other valuable material, richly in
: laid with precious stones of every de-
!. scription. The pillars that support the
, mirror are set with diamonds; the
stem and claws of the table are
J covered with diamonds, emeralds, ru-
, bies, carbuncles, etc.; along the edge
of the table hangs deep fringe OF dia-
! monds, with immense solitaire tassels
' The whole is a gorgeous-bore. Multi.
tudes of attendants are stationed
= through the apartment, and you may be
9 sure that YOU are never left for second
: unobserved by these watchful guardians
OI tHc w iidt q lClOA l.
J is to withdraw into the Kiosk of Bag
. dad, the private library of the Sultan
sit within eight walls that close abou
! you like the exquisite panels of an ivor.
! or tortoiseshell fan, under dome o
II rose-tint and gold mosaic, and, shutting
- the doors of bronze inlaid with pearl
II against the world, to think how pleasan
- a thing it is to be poor but honest. Oh
~ ~ the shelves of the library there are sev
- eral codices brought from the collection
! : Of King Matthias Corvinus at Buda, AM
= there are dainty rolls and folios of parch
- ment laid away, each in its separat
4 case, and all looking very much as
- they were not often disturbed. Fror
=, a. the Kiosk of Bagdad it is pleasant t
= look down into the deep garden OF tn
u Houris, sloping to the swift Bosphorus
~ :. and to mediate on the lights of the hs
I" rem that have suddenly gone out foreN
er, auenched in that fatal flood, bu
tx thinking on the stifed cries and the 81
a. my shrouds dragged down into the pit
s. less deep, it is still pleasanter to rise 81
0, perior to the situation, fee and custod
a. dian, and thank heaven that you are M
MT a girl.-C ". Stoddard, IN San Fra'
ed casco Chronicle.
BY tsl