Seer aenmerkelyke reys-beschryving na Constantinopolen, en Egypten, gedaan in het jaar 1605, en vervolgen...

1605.

that they display a Full Moon, then also half-round, to represent a Half Moon, wrapped around; so that those from afar, unaware of this, think nothing other than that the whole city stands in bright flames.

How Schmid was received in the house of the Bassa.

In the morning, I was led in shackles, with twenty-six other slaves, through the Wood Gate into Constantinople and guided to the house of my Bassa Turkish governor or official, who, having traveled by land, had arrived there three days before us. As soon as we arrived at the house of the Bassa, the chains and shackles that had been so burdensome to us on the journey were removed. After five days had passed, this Bassa had us brought before him, and sitting on a bench in front of his horse stable, he inspected us one by one to pick out the finest slaves, whom he would present to the Sultan the Emperor or Grand Lord for his Seraglio the palace where the Emperor's women are locked away.

Schmid is in danger of being castrated.

It happened that the fancy of our Bassa fell upon a Hungarian and two Germans, of whom I was one, because these two had already been in the service of the Bassa for three years and were beginning to understand the Turkish language. But for me, who was entirely ignorant of their language and customs, a certain Hungarian—who was one of the principal servants of the Bassa and whose father I had known when I was in garrison at Gran Esztergom—interceded; otherwise, I would certainly have been castrated, just as befell my companions.

Schmid becomes the Bassa’s stable boy.

This having been settled, the Bassa assigned each person to special duties and tasks. Several had to write and read, others to learn a trade, the finest slaves had to attend to the Bassa, and I was directed to the horse stable to serve as a stable boy.

The Bassa sends a present to the Emperor.

Shortly thereafter, our Bassa sent a present to the Turkish Emperor, which we slaves had to carry and bring into the Emperor's palace. Therefore, we were given new crimson red clothes,