Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-29
THE SULTAN AND HIS WIVES.
Gossip About the Imperial Harem
at Constantinople.
MAMMA MAKES THE MATCHES
How Beautiful Circassians Are
Bought and SoId-Peculiar Duties
# vaiide SuItan-Power
of the Eunuohs.
This Beats Brigham Young.

This Beats Young.
Copuighted 1889 bu Frank a. CdrpcnterJ
CoNsTASTINoPLE, Sept. 10. Especial to
TuEBEE. There was more than a thousand
women in the harem of the last sultan, and
there were probably as many in The imperial
seraglio of Abdul Hamid. The number is
recruited every year by slaves from Georgia
and Clrcassia, and it is a curious thing that
none but slave girls can be a part
OF the s~ultan's female establishment I.
All of the sultans of the past have
had slave mothers and it IS con.
trary to the custom of Turkey for the sui
tans to marry. The reason for this is the
prevention OF political intrigue which might
arise from an extended royal family, and
Mahmoud H., the grandfather of the pres
ent sultan who died wher Martin Van
Buren, was president, in order to make his
throne more safe, sewed up the IVA wives of
his predecessor in sacks, loaded them with
shot, and dropped them into the cool
WATERS OF THE B~osPHoRoUs.
He had n royal harem himself, however,
for all that, and when l visited the
treasury of the sultan the other day
/ saw dozous of mirrors set in diamonds
which his ladies used in doing up their back
hair. / saw several pecks Of pearls which
belonged to his slave favorites and those of
his successors, and / looked AT a little gold
cradle set with jewels, in which his children
were rocked. The father of the present
sultan was very fond of women and he
spent several fortunes in building palaces for
them. He had his furniture made in Europe,
and it is said that he was especially fond of
blue-eyed beauties with golden hair.
Abdul Azziz, who was dethroned in 1876, and
who with the exception of the three months
reign of Murad, was the predecessor of the
present sultan, had
l,2O0 FEMALE SLAVES
in his harem and he spent as high as 81. co.,
600 - year In decorating his seraglio and
in gratifying the wants of his ladies. The
expenses of his barem for presents and
dresses consumed $500, 900 a year and during
some of the years of his reign he paid as high
as $500, 600 for Jewels.
The expenses of the present sultan in the
same respect are undoubtedly and
though 1 am told ne overlooks the accounts
himself they can not but run high into the
hundreds of thousands .of dollars. There
are thousands of servants about the palaces
OF the sultan. He has several hundred
eunuchs and these receive salaries &C
cording TO their position. The chief
eunuch is quite as important a man as the
grand vizier. He takes part in the imperial
councils and is a mar of great influence. |
saw him on the day that the sultan took his
yearly visit when he went to kiss the mantle
of Mahomet. A tall, broad-shouldered negro
with dull black eyes. but with features ex-
pressive of intellect and will. He was dressed
in clothes embroidered IN gold lace. and he
rode a magnificent Arabian horse. The sui
tan probably bought him as a slave and the
most ordinary eunuchs are
COSTLY ARTICLE.
They are imported by slave dealers from
Africa, where they are raised. They are Of
as different grades as are other men, and the
sultan has all kinds. The more important
OF them have separate establishments of
their own In the palace. Each of the more
favorite slaves of the harem must have
her ennuchs to wait upon her. She uses
them as her servants but they are guards as
we'll. This chief eunuch has charge of all
the women of the palace and it is through
their power with the sultan that much of
his influence comes. He is new to his posi-
ton, and he will probably amass a fortune
before he dies. The last chief eunuch wore
a uniform of scarlet and gold, and he built a
mosque to serve as his tomb. He was
conrted during his life time, and il Is said
that his influence was purchasable.
The eunuchs, however, form but a small
part of the servants of the palace. There
are something like seven thousand people
about the sultan and the greater part of
these are employees. The kitchens of the
last sultan had three hundred servants, and
1t must take q number of hands to attend to
the thousands of horses and TO keep the two
hundred royal carriages in good con-
dition. The sultan has his BARRIERS, his
musicians an dhls boatmen, and | am told
that there are 100 porters at YildZ who do
nothing else but carry burdens. Thu ladies,
of the harem have their servants and the
hard ressers and the dressmakers must be
numbered by the hundreds. The less favored
among the women sometimes act as the ser
wants OF the others, but many of these ladies'
have their separate establishments with
their " eunuchs, slaves, doctors and bog
gars. They receive visits in their own
apartments and make visits to the other
ladies OF the imperial city, which is hidden
behind the walls Of the oultau's palace
grounds. The feeding of six or seven thous-
aud people every day, year in and year out,
costs u fortune, and q good part vi the sui
tan's ten millions q year passes
THROUGH THE HANDS OF HIS COOKS.
Tn chief part of the cooking for The palace
IL done la the grounds where the emperor
lives. The food is prepared at the great pal
nee of Dolma Bagtche, about a mile away,
and it IL carried on trays on the heads of tho
porters to the harem on the hill. 1t is safe
to say that a large part of the best of its
0anties are served cold.
The sultan never cats with his harem and
1t is not the custom for the sexes to eat to-
gether in Turkey. HIS majesty sits down to
his meals with his officers OF state. He
drinks his coffee out of gold CUPS and he uses
q Turkish article which Is as thick rs mo-
lasses and as strong as I've. He has his min
listers of state often TO dine with him, and he
pives dinners frequently TO the diplomats
Mt Constantinople. At such dinners he sits
down with his foreign guests save when
their wives arc present, and he Is said To be
q very good
DIENEn~rABLE COMPANION.
There are o number of little rooms in the
palace to which he retires with such of his
friends as he wishes TO engage ia private
conyersatian, and he carries on conyersa.
tion with foreigners through interpreters.
He can sneak French, but prefers ID use the
Turkish and an interpreter in his conversa-
ton. He believes in educating, aud he has q
school connected with his harom where the
little princes are taught French anu the
modern sciences as well as the Koran.
The guests of the Sultan never get a peep
into his ha.enl. Tn man who would at
tempt TO enter tho apartments reserved for
the women would he punished with dealt
and n eunuch in Constantinople has q right
10 knock down any man who speaks 10 u
lady under his charge. a foreigner was
nearly killed not long ago for addressing a
lady of high caste on the bridge which
crosses from Slambout TO Pera, and no one in
Constantinopie save the sultan has d
right 10 ask n lady 70 take of her veil.
The Sultan can 80 anywhere, and he eau
penetrate the harem of his officers IL he wit
This right. however, is never enforced, aud
he has quite enough TO do 10 keep the peace
In his own family. OF late years his ladies
have been by no means so secluded as in the
mast aud much Of their restrictions are