A CURIOUS' CEREMONY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 368, 31 March 1881, Page 2

A CURIOUS' CEREMONY.

A correspondent ' of the Allgemeine Zeitung, writing from at , length, a remarkable - ceremony whiql£' seems to be curiously out c of placed* Europe—the installation of the new chi|r of the eunuchs over'the harem • of- the Sultan. It was a genuine.piece of old Turkish conservatism. The* name of the new ‘AEislar Agassi,” or*head eunfifeKjis Stasis Behrasnr Aga:.; Thee journals give long ,descriptions of the,function, (and .publish’ pdps ;and chronograms in honor jcL the. hero and of .the great event. - The poets expect to gain 'sbmetHing in tion? The hew bolds lofty and influential position in the system of the Porte ; only three persons stand’- 1 higher the s h%#3'e unbelt—namely, the Sultan himielf, the ' Grand Yizier, and the Shiek-ul-Islam; but be, from hisi,position, ! frequently exercises a more direct influence over the Sultan, and so upon Turkish than either of the other two eminent officials. The hew *• Kislar Agassi ” was received at the Imperial palace o£ with the most .gorgeous _pomp^,-AU—lhe-een-tinels of the Imperial h'a>em, armed with hellebards, formed—a—spalier, and “ his Excellency : Behram :A^a } fchief' efJttje eunuchs;’ rode past ‘on a ; magnificent charger, the orders v? of ;osmanie and Medschidje glittering on his breast, followed by Abraed Bey ’and-a number of adjutants of the Sultan. Wlieu; he- arrived at the gate of the palace, lambs were slaughtered before him as awoken of welcome. He was received with the greatest awe by the religious and domestie servants of the Imperial houaeliold, including the most reverend the Imaun of the palace and several distinguished mollahs—-perhaps chaplains in ordinary to bis Ottoman Majesty... The Sultan sent across to his new official two symbols of' office—a written document and a magnificent silver pastoral staff worked in relief, which is never handled by any but the agas of the-Imperial -harem. The new bead eunuch solemnly Jfche_ -parchment and the staff .' The Imperial “ hast” was read, some prayers for the blessing of Islam upon the new pastor of the Sultan’s women were’said by the clergy, and thfsn the new “ Aga of the Sublime Hbnaeof Blessedness, ” as the Sul fcm’s “ Hast"calls him, was allowed to enter the harem and inspect his future dominion. ’ 1 ' -