Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-12-07
SERVING THE SULTAN.

SERVING THE SULTAN.
OVER SIX THOUSAND PERSONS FEp
THREE TIMES a DAY.
An Army Of Servants and Onicers-Ex.
ecutive Ability in the Management Of
the Enormous Household The Purchas-
ing Department-The Harem.
There are over 5000 persons fed three
times day at Dolrha- Bagchee palace while
the sultan is there, which makes housekeeping
rather serious affair, particularly when we
know that these meals are served in nearly
half as many places, there being no regular
dining room nor place which could render
the labor little lighter. Though there are
tables in some Of the departments, the ma
jority prefer to eat from their knees, and
thus their meals are handed around, which
makes an enormous amount of unnecessary
work. TO keep all this great machinery Of
supply in perfect order, so that no matter
how many mouths there are to fill nor what
sudden caprice may seize the sultan or any
of his numerous women, it may be instantly
satisfied, is a tax upon the best capacity,
backed by unlimited money or credit. No
matter how unreasonable or almost impossi-
BILE the demand may be, there is no allow
ance made for delay in the service
That there is good executive ability in the
management of this enormous household is
clear, for there is scarcely ever jar or a
hitch, even under the impulse of the most
untimely demands. Every different depart
ment is under the control Of person who is
directly responsible for that, and he has a
corps of servants and slaves under his order
who obey him only, and he is subject to the
treasurer Of the household. Women have no
voice whatever in the management of any
thing in any department.: Their sole occupa-
tion is to wait upon their respective mis-
tresses, or to serve the sultan in some speci-
fed capacity.
The sULTAN's cAPRIcEs.
The chamberlain is mostly occupied in
ministering to the wants and caprices of the
sultan, and is in almost constant attendance
upon him, SO the treasurer of the household
has the burden Of the housekeeping on his
burly shoulders. He has an organized force
of buyers, who are each charged with the
purchase of certain supplies for their indi-
vidual departments, each having his helpers,
servants aud slaves. One man is charged
with the duty Of suppl lying all the fish, and as
to furnishing fish for certainly 6,OOO persons
is no light undertaking in place where there
are no great markets, as there are in all other
large cities. He has to have about twenty
men to st.our the various small markets and
buy of the fishermen, and each of these men
has two others to carry the fish they buy. 1t
requires about ten tons Of fish week.
There are nearly 200 pounds of bread
eaten daily, for the Turks are large bread
eaters, and this is all baked in the enormous
ovens situated at some distance from the
palace. The kitchens are detached from all
the palaces and kioaks It requires a large
force Of bakers to make the bread and an
other to bring it to the palace and another
force Of buyers who purchase the -four and
fuel. The bringing of the most of the wood
and charcoal is done by the unhappy camels,
who carry it on their backs There is cook
for each separate course, and he has his as
sistants andsculions, so that there are in all
nearly 400 men working in the kitchens. In
addition to the aids each chief cook has q
body servant.
The lord high chamberlain chooses his
| corps of buyers and the chiefs of different
departments to suit himself, usually making
such choice more from some occult reasoning
than fitness for the position. He then trusts
the departments to those persons and trans
mits his imperative orders through the second
chamberlain. After him in importance il
the treasurer of the household, who receives
all the bills, looks them over and then for.
wards them to the sublime porte, where they
are paid-in time.
THE PURcHAsING DEPARTMENT.
The providing for the material wants of ali
these persons, then, really falls upon the
chamberlain. He appoints chibouk- -kiass
who provides all the pipes used in and about
the palace, both for the men and the women
including the narghiles. Then there is q
tutunkaiassi, who sees that the whole palace
is literally supplied with tobacco. The
espar-kiassi furnishes the clothes for the sui
tan's wear-that is, he buys them. Anothe,
buys the sultans shoes and slippera Those
who buy the personal effects Of the sultan
have by no means sinecure, as he never
wears the same garment or pair of shoes
twice, nor does he ever sleep in the same
sheets or bedding second time. It is sup
posed that all clothing and bedding which
have touched the sacred person of the sultan
are destroyed Immediately after be has dis
carded them.
| The chamberlain has chief of the buyer.
for the Kitchen supplies and another for each
Of the household departments. and thest
have from ten to twenty aids, and these
again have underlings, who all must be fed
by the royal bounty, and they all receive
their salaries, large or small. The chief Of
each department receives and weighs or ap
praises the value Of all the articles Of food
purchased, and then, attesting to the correct
ness Of the weight or value, hands his &C
counts to the treasurer Of the household. In
this way stealing is not SO easy as foreigners
imagine it.
The buyers of the furniture, of the carpets
the glassware, silver and gold plate, the
jewels, the soap, perfumery and cosmetics
the candies and dried fruits, the kitchen
utensils, and, in short, for every department
are all subject to the same strict system
| The buying for the harem is done by thu
same persons, with the exception Of dresses
and other feminine toilet articles, which the
women now buy for themselves generally,