Morning journal and courier., 1880-02-10
The Sultan's Household.
A Great Retinue With Ligh Duties
 and Heavy Pay.

ana HeaVY Pays
 A correspondent of the Journal de Geneve, writing from Constantinople, gives an inter esting account of the organization of Abdul Hamid's household, which he says he has ob tained directly from high officer of the pal ace. After remarking that the Sultan has converted the Yildiz Kiosk, his favorite resi- dence, into sort of Plessis les Tours, sur rounded by thick walls, defended by 80 guns and guarded by garrison of 8, 900 men, the correspondent goes on to say that, notwith- standing the present penury of Abdul Ham, ids civil list and the general poverty of the country, his wives, concubines, retainers and slaves are little less numerous than those of his predecessors, and the Turkish Court is still the most costly in Europe. The Sultan has four chief Chamberlains, exclusive of sew eral who figure in processions on gala days, carrying the emblems of their ofice-a bunch of keys-on their backs. Among the latter are the two chief black eunuchs, Bahr Ra- noun and Khereddin, who, besides their oth- CT titles. enjoy that of ''Highness," and are members of the most illustrious orders of the Ottoman Empire. Bahr Ramoun is supposed to favor the pretensions of Russia, while Khereddin is understood to be warm friend of the English alliance. Twenty three aides de-camp, at the head of whom is Namyk Pasha, who signed the preliminaries of the Yildiz Kiosk. Five "mussahibs" or takers are charged with the duty of relieving the te- dium of his Majestys unoccupied moments by lively conversation, by reading aloud, and by retailing in the royal ear the gossip of the capital, with which they are supplied by 60 spies specially told of for this purpose. The Sultans health is watched over by five phy- scians, the first of whom is 8 Greek, Dr. Mavrogeni, 0 member of the illustrious Phan- ariots family of that name. The imperial es- tablishment includes four chaplains, or 'im- aums," and four astrologers During the war, one of the latter became for awhile an i'm portant political parsonage. He predicted the capture of the Shipka Pass, and though it was held by the Turks for two hours only, the prediction was considered to have been full filled, and he was honored as a true prophet. It was on the advice of the same astrologer, himself native of Tunis, that the Sultan summoned Kheireddin Pasha from Tunis, and, at later period, made him Grand Vizier. Then, there are directors of the private apartments, of the imperial privy purse, and of the palace telegraph, (the last named of whom has the assistance of 10 employees, Dive librarians, and a secretary, who receives and reads the not very numerous petitions address ed to the Sultan by his faithful subjects. A buffoon, a company of Turkish singers, brass band, (the leader of which is an Ital- ian, enjoying the rank and emoluments of 8 Pasha,) and five pianists, who have the privilege of giving lessons to the princes and prineesses of the imperial family, complete the QlSFhrCuy LII Guo hAD61u, UT m0n D uo- partment, of the Sultans household. Tho menial duties of the palace are, for the most part, performed by women. The high officer who communicated these particulars to the correspondent of the Journal de Geneve, be- longing naturally to the Mebein, was unable to give him equally minute information touching the organization of the imperial ha- rem. The Sultanas, of whom there are four. and the odalisques. who are reckoned at 80, are guarded by 120 black eunuehs. Many of the latter are waited on by one or two women servants, and in former times the most highly placed of them lived ''as luxuriously as prin- ces.'' Among the inferior domestic servants of the Sultan there are 10 1O''tablemasters, "who cater for the palace kitchens and see that the imperial tables are duly supplied with food and properly served. Next come 10 maItres dhotel who superintend the ordering of the menus and the cooking of the meats. The cooks and turnspits who receive their con- mands number 300, while the services of 200 walters arc required in the different dining rooms of the Yildiz Kiosk. Besides the in mates of the palace, many persons living in it's immediate neighborhood draw by pre- scriptive right their daily supplies of food from the imperial kitchens. It is estimated that 800 families, including 4,O0O individuals, live in this way at the Sultan's expense. Ten servants are charged with the sole duty of carrying and unfolding the Sultans carpet when he goes to prayer. Ten others, called tutundjis, have the care of his Majesty's pipes and tobacco. Ten cafedjis give all their time to the roasting, grindingi and making of his Maiesty's coffee. The due order of the i'm perial wardrobe is assured by the constant att tention of 20 properly qualified employees; 13 others keep an eye on the imperial valise, five armorers are responsible for the perfect condition of the Sultan's arms, eight men look after the chandelier, torches and fam beaux, and eight take charge of the aviaries and aquariums. The expenses of such an establishment as that of the Yildiz Kiosk are necessarily enormous; the Sultan's civil list figures in the Turkish budget for 8 million sterling, but the writer from whose letter have quoted the foregoing facts states on the authority of his official informant, that the actual expenses of his Majesty's household, harem, and palaces reach @ total of at least @ 200, ,OOO annually.