The nauigations, peregrinations and voyages, made into Turkie by Nicholas Nicholay Daulphinois, Lord of Arfeuile, chamberlaine and geographer ordinarie to the King of Fraunce conteining sundry singularities which the author hath there seene and obserued: deuided into foure bookes, with threescore figures, naturally set forth as well of men as women, according to the diuersitie of nations, their port, intreatie, apparrell, lawes, religion and maner of liuing, aswel in time of warre as peace: with diuers faire and memorable histories, happened in our time. Translated out of the French by T. Washington the younger.

Of the Solaquis, archers, and of the ordinarye garde of the greate Turke.

Chap. 7.

THe Solaquis are 300. in number,* 1.1 chosen and picked out of the most strongest and most excellent archers amongst the Ianissaries, for the ordinary garde of the bodye of the greate Turke: and are al clothed in one liuery of damaske or white sat∣ten, wearing their garment long behind, and before short, and tucked vp with a large & rich Turky girdle of golde and silke: and vppon their head a high hat of white felt, and set behynde a great plume of Estrige feathers of indifferent greate pryce. They weare for their armes a Cemiterre and in their hande a bowe guilded, being bent with an arrow ready to shoote, and a quiuer vpon their backe. And whensoeuer the Turk goeth into the fields, or to the Mosquee, they march in this order two and two about his person, to wit, a ranke on the right side, whiche are lefthanded, and another vpon the left being right handed, obseruing this order, because that if it shuld happen for necessi∣tye, or pleasure of the Lorde: it should behooue them to loose their bowes,* 1.2 they should not turne their backs towards him for that they take the same for a great vnreuerence, shame and dis∣praise, and vpon this occasion they are called Solaquis or Czola∣chers, which is to say left handed men. Now if that the Lord go∣ing through the countrey, must passe through a Riuer or brook, they must also wade through it, but true it is that if the water do come vnto their knees, the Lord giueth euerye one of them for a present fiftie Aspres, and if it passe aboue the gyrdlesteed, they haue a hundred Aspres: and if they must wade deeper one hun∣dred & fifty. But if the water be too furious & deepe, they passe through it on horsebacke, and is to bee vnderstood, that they haue not suche a present at euerye Ryuer whiche they doo passe: but onelye at the firste, and at the other nothing at al.

Their wages are from twelue to fifteene Aspres a day, and are cloathed and hoased twise a yeere as the other Ianissaries, but are not subiect as the other are to watch or ward, nor goe vnto the Sarail, but when the great Lorde meaneth to ryde into the fieldes or to the Mosquee. They haue two Captaynes called So∣lach Bassis, which haue euery of them threescore Aspres a day, their liueries and other necessaries, as other Captaynes haue and goe on Horsebacke.

[illustration]

Solachi or Solacler archer ordinary and of the garde of the great Turke.

Notes

• * 1.1

  300. Solaqu••••
• * 1.2

  To turne the back toward the great Tur•• is accounted great vnreue∣rence.