The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years : giving an account of the present state of those countries, viz. of the religion, government, customs, and commerce of every country, and the figures, weight, and value of the money currant all over Asia : to which is added A new description of the Seraglio / made English by J.P. ; added likewise, A voyage into the Indies, &c. by an English traveller, never before printed ; publish'd by Dr. Daniel Cox

CHAP. IX. Of the Secret Treasury.

THE PRINCIPAL HEADS.

A Vault under ground, into which few Persons have access. The great frugality of the Emperour Amurat. Ibrahim, his Successor, charg'd with evil Conduct. The Grand Seignor's precautions for the security of his Treasure. His Liberalities to the Grandees of the Port.

WIthin the fourth Chamber of the Treasury, you find a door laid all * 1.1 about with good store of Iron-bars, which opens the first passage, to the place that contains the Grand Seignor's Secret Treasure. It is never open'd, but when he himself has a mind to enter into it; and he do's not enter into it, but when the Grand Vizir advertises him, that it is time for him to do so, and that there is a considerable Sum to be carried in. In the first place, by the light of Torches they go down a Stair-Case of ten or twelve steps, at the bottom of which, after an advancement of seven or eight paces further, they find a second Door, fortify'd with Iron-work as the former, but much less, so that a man is oblig'd to stoop ere he go into it. When it is open'd, and that they have made their entrance through it, as if they had pass'd through a Wicket, they are un∣der a great Vault, where they find a great many Coffers, of the same largeness, as those of the Chamber we came last out of.

In those Coffers they have, for these many years, layd up all that was not expend∣ed * 1.2 upon the Publick account, of the great Revenues of the Ottoman-Monarchs, and so it may be call'd his Private Exchequer, into which there is nothing but Gold has en∣trance, all the Silver being carried into the other Treasury, to be thence taken out again and dispos'd of as occasion requir'd. After the death of Amurat, Ibrahim, his Successor in the Throne, found in that Treasury four thousand Bags, which they call Kizes, and every Bag contains fifteen thousand Ducats of Gold, which amount to thirty thou∣sand Crowns, and those reduc'd to our Pounds, come to thirty Millions Sterling. 'Twas the same Amurat (a prudent and valiant Prince, a man of great Parsimony, and as great Conduct in Military Affairs, of whom I have often had occasion to make men∣tion) who enter'd into a War against the King of Persia, and besieg'd Bagdet, or Ba∣bylon, which he took on the 22th of December, 1638. I remember, that I was then but five days Journey from that place, in the Deserts of Arabia, as having left Aleppo,

in order to my going to Balsara, and that of the Threescore and five dayes, which the Caravan spent in that Journey, for nine of them, we were destitute of Water, which must needs press very hard, both on the Men and the Camels.

Ibrahim, therefore, at his coming to the Crown, found, in the secret Treasury, that * 1.3 prodigious quantity of Gold, whereto he could not make any augmentation; nay some, on the contrary, are of opinion, That he was forc'd to use some part of it, through his ill Conduct of the Warr of Candia. True it is, That the long continu∣ance of that Warre made a great hole in the Revenues of the Empire; but there are Two great Reasons, which divert me from giving absolute credit, to such as affirm, That those Exigencies reach'd the Secret Treasury. For, in short, it is as 'twere a fundamental Law among them, That, before any thing is taken out thence, it is re∣quisite, the Empire should be in imminent danger of ruine; And it is manifest, That though the Turks could not reduce Candia under their Jurisdiction, yet their Empire was so far from being near its decadence, that it still continu'd powerful. Besides, it is to be observ'd, That when the Grand Seignor loses a Battle, it is a dis∣advantage to his Provinces, upon the score of their being thereby depopulated, and so much the less cultivated; but that it is an advantage to his Coffers, in regard there's so much the less comes out of them. The reason of it is evident, because he payes the Veteranes, or Souldiers of long standing, seven or eight Aspers a day, and that those of the new-rais'd Forces do not stand him in above one and a half, or two at the most; their pay augmenting with the time, answerably to their services, and the Prince's good Pleasure. Whereto it is to be added, That when an Emperour dies, his Successor augments the pay of the Janizaries, by an Asper, or two, per diem.

It must be acknowledg'd indeed, That there died a great number of Turks in the Warr of Candia: but it is certain also, That if we consider the great number of King∣domes and Provinces, whereof the Empire consists, among which there are some very fertile, and very well peopled, it is an easie matter to raise numerous Armies, and to recruit them, when they have been weakned, by a Defeat, or by some Sickness, which often happens among them. Upon these two grounds, I cannot be induc'd to be∣lieve, that Ibrahim was oblig'd to make any diminution of the Secret Treasury: but I am very apt to believe, that he made not any great additions thereto, because he had not either the good Conduct, or good Fortune of Amurat, and ordinarily, the one avails not much without the other.

All the Gold that lies interr'd under that Vault is in Leather-bags, every Bag con∣taining Fifteen thousand Ducats, that is Seven thousand five hundred pounds sterling: and 'tis with his own hand that the Grand Seignor puts his Seal to them, which is the same that his Predecessors had us'd before him, save only the name, which must be that of the Prince then reigning. Amurat's Seal had these words graven upon it, Nasrum min allahi abdihil melekil Mourath: Which signifies, The as∣sistance of God is upon his Servant the Emperour Amurath.

And this is the manner how the Bags of Gold are brought into the Secret Treasury. All the Gold and Silver which come into the Seraglio, is first carried into the Cham∣ber * 1.4 of the Treasury, and each of them is dispos'd into the Coffers design'd for them. When there is as much Gold as will amount to two hundred Kizes, the Grand Vizir gives notice of it to the Grand Seignor, who appoints a day, for the disposal of it in∣to the Secret Treasury. The day being come, the Grand Seignor, led under the Arm by the Chasnadar-bachi, who is on the left hand, which is accounted the more honou∣rable amongst the Turks, and by the Seligdar-Aga, who is on the right, comes into the Chamber of the Treasury, where the Sixty Pages expect him, ranked in order on both sides, with their hands cross their Breasts. The Grand Seignor, having pass'd through the Chamber, and order'd the first Door of the Secret Treasury to be open'd, enters into it, by the light of several Torches of white Wax, and is follow'd by the Pages, two by two, till they are within the Vault, into which the Bags are brought, ty'd with a Silk-string. Upon the string they put a piece of red soft Wax, whereto the Grand Seignor sets his Seal himself, which is upon a Gold-Ring, wherein are en∣graven

the words before-mentioned, with the name of the Prince then reigning, after which they put the Bags into the Coffers, which are all double chain'd.

Before they come out of the Valut, the chief Officer of the Treasury, does ordinarily * 1.5 make this Complement to the Grand Seignor; Seadetlu padichaim eumijd dur quibou bendelerignus euzre ihsan cherijfgnus izhar idesis: That is to say, My Emperour, we hope, that you will make a discovery of your Li∣beralities to your Slaves. According to the humour the Grand Seignor is then in, he orders, That there should be a distribution of Twenty or Thirty Purses, amongst all those who have accompany'd him, every Purse, as I told you before, amounting to Five hundred Crowns. The Grand Vizir, and the other Grandees of the Port, are permitted to enter into the Chambers of the Treasury, where the sumptuous Har∣nesses and the Precious Stones are kept, when the Grand Seignor comes thither him∣self; but they are not to go as far as the Secret Treasury. They stay for him in the Fourth Chamber, when he is to come out of the Vault, and then he orders the Coffer of his Jewels to be opened, to shew them the most precious things there are in it. And whereas there are alwayes some Favourites attending there, as also divers other persons, whom the Prince looks upon kindly upon the score of their merit, it seldom happens, but that they all receive some Present or other from him, and he makes not any, but what is of very considerable value. The Treasury being shut up, the Grand Seignor returns to his own Quarter, and all the Grandees accompany him to the Gate of it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A Vault under ground, into which few have access.
• * 1.2

  The great fruga∣lity of the Em∣perour Amu∣rat.
• * 1.3

  Ibrahim charg'd with ill management of the Treasury.
• * 1.4

  The Grand Seignor's Pre∣cautions for the security of his Treasury.
• * 1.5

  His Liberali∣ties to the Grandees of the Port.