The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-11-26

decided what demands they ShOuId dG-
dress to the Sultan, and these demands
were almost commands. But WIFI Will
| finally the Sultans recovered their lnde-
| pendence and destroyed the power OF the
JAM ssaries, the chief among them were
executed by changing from the branches
| OF this SELF same tree.
We entered the private part OF the ser
algio by the middle gate with Its tWp
doors and two towers, between winch
| the heads of Ministers, who haa In
CURED the displeasure OF the Sultans,
| were skilIfuIly removed Immediately
| after the disgraced Minister had his last
audience with the Sultan. There were
but few steps from tie Council Cham
Der to the Chamber of Execution. In
| those days the fruits of office were not
all sweet. By this gate there is also the
mounting stone, and no one but the
| Sultan was allowed to pass this stone
oa horseback. There is low gallery
| with marble columns around the court,
| and here under small domes, with holes
| in the centre to permit the escape OF
some, were situated eight Kitchens. A
| fabulous amount Of cooking was cone
for the Sultans, the Commander of the
Gate, the Ministers of the Divan, the
pages. the officers, and the various ser
wants and attendants. 1t is said that
| the meat of as many as 10000 oxen was
cooked here in the course of year, not
to mention sheep, poultry. etc.
| From the middle gate we proceeded to
| the Gate of Felicity, where white eunuchs.
if not actually on guard, are still pres
| emf. Here we saw the Hall of the Divan,
| built by Suleiman l., where the foreign
| Am bassadors used to be received, coun-
ellis held, and final judgment given in
all causes tried. 1t was. in fact, court
of final appeal. There is large divan,
| or~ e 80. szt, 10
the council of Ministers. In England
we talk of Cabinet council because the
Ministers meet in a small room or cabi-
net. In Turkey we hear Of the Divan.
because the Ministers or tie Sultan
himself sit on sort of sofa named divan.
But In the Hall of the Divan there is a
Iatticed window. behind which former
Sultans used to sit and could see with
out being seen, and were thus won't to
receive the foreign Ambassadors. Close
to the Hall of the Dfvan there is
library, which contains some 5000 very
valuable Arabic, Persian and Turkish
manuscripts
The Treasury, l must say, was genu-
inc disappointment 1t consists of three
Undou btedly there are some OBJ
iects of great value. For instance, the
great throne is OF beaten gold, ornament
ed by several thousand pearls, rubles,
and emerlads Then there is an old
Turkish divan of ebony and sandalwood,
inlaid with mother-of-pearl, tortoise
shell, and gold, which is very good
specimen of old Turkish art. There are
some splendid and artistically ornament
ed weapons, many interesting old gold
coins, fine inlaid brass bowl that be-
longed to Sultan of Egypt in the fif-
tenth century fine clocks, many gaudy
China vases, musical boxes, watches,
a number of state robes, old armor, tg-
ured silk under garments; in fact, such
a strange and varied collection that the
Treasury seemed like some very we'll
stocked curiosity shop The amateur OF
bric-a brac could spend hours here with
delight, but the ordinary of mortals soon
gets tired of the things exposed to his
view IN the Treasury. For the most
part, we were more impressed by the
Bagdad Kiosk, a small but most beau
tiful pavilion. which, II is said. was built
by Murad Nv. in imitation OLA similar
kiosk he saw at Bagdad. The inner
walls are covered with most artistic blue
tiles, the approaches, the steps, are OF
marble, the doors inlaid with Ivory and
moJher-of-pearl. Inside the most valua-
BILE carpets and drapery blend with that
perfect harmony of color that distin-
cuisines Oriental taste. Then amid
marble terraces outside the kiosk there
are cool pools of water, where the Sultan,s
household might have bauhed, but which
are now sadly neglected. Whether stand
ing out in the glare of the marble ter
races, or shetering In the cool OF the
kiosk, or strolling amid the foliage OF the
trees and the flowers, a magnificent view
is obtained of the sea, the port, the
Asiatic shores, the shipping, and the dis
tant blue mountains.
Even more extensive is the view to be
gained from the terraces and windows of
the Mejideyeh Kiosk, for it is situated
OH a somewhat higher altitude his
kiosk was built by Abdul MeJd, who
reigned from 1889 to 1861. 1t was also
built of marble, but is furnished abso-
lutely in the European style. There is
nothing whatsoever Oriental in the Me-
iideyeh Kiosk, excepting the unequalled
surrounding view. The gardens of the
Seragl1o surround the kiosk, stretching
downward to the mouth of the Golden
Horn, Right beyond them the Bos-
phorus winds in and out between mills
and valleys richly studded with palaces,
villas and villages. From this point we
can see nearly third ofrthe way up the
Bosphorus, as far, indeed, AS the S.w eet
Waters of Asia which face Robert College,
that excellent American education in
sitution founded by G. Robert, Esq, of
New York.
AS, in visiting the Seraglio, we were not
mere tourists, for tourists are not ad
mitted, but were present by special order
of the Sultan and as guests of his Ma
iesty, refresh ments were offered to US at
the Mejideye Kiosk. These refreshments
were as curious as they were welcome.
Their chief recommendation rests in the
fact that they are admira hl. suited to
the climate OF couse there was Turkish
coffee and cigarettes; but we bad besides
variety of sweets to be taken with
large glasses of deliciously cool and clear
water; not iced water which is very Of
ten contaminated by the ice, and, in any
case, is too cold to be wholesome-a fact
which accounts for many of the digestive
troubles from which Americans suffer
but water that had simply been kept in
a very cool place. With this water we
had, among other things an extremely
delicate jam made of rose leaves. 1t con-
waved to the water delicate perfume
and flavor, with sweet taste that was
most pleasant, though it would have
nIayed havoc with the impaired diges-
tive faculties of iskey drinker.
These refreshments, in word, were in
keening with the temperate habits of the
Turkish people. They Impaired a small
toncb of Orientalism To our mornings
experience at the Observation-Disclosures