modern travellers, it is sufficient to observe, that "the laws and
customs relative to the treatment of slaves in Turkey divest their
condition of its worst features, and place the slave nearly on a level
with the free servitor: nay, in many instances the condition of the
slave, especially of white slaves, is superior to the other; as the
path of honour and fortune is more accessible to the dependent and
protected slave than to the independent man of lower degree." It is
well known that many of those holding the highest dignities of the
state--Halil Pasha, brother-in-law of the Sultan--Khosref, who for
many years virtually ruled the empire, with numberless others, were
originally slaves: and in all cases the liberation of male slaves,
after seven or nine years' servitude, is ordained by _adet_ or custom,
which, in Turkey, is stronger than law. This rule is rarely
infringed:--and excepting the slaves of men in the middle ranks of
life, who frequently adopt their master's trade, and are employed by
him as workmen, they in most cases become domestic servants, or enter
the army, as holding out the greatest prospect of honour and
promotion. The condition of white female slaves is even more
favourable. In point of dress and equipment, they are on a par with
their mistresses, the menial offices in all great harems being
performed by negresses;--and frequent instances occur, where parents
prefer slaves educated in their own families to free women as wives
for their sons:--the only distinction being in the title of _kadinn_,
which may be considered equivalent to _madame_, and which is always
borne by these emancipated slaves, instead of _khanum_, (or _lady_,)
used by women of free birth. Female slaves are rarely sold or parted
with, except for extreme misconduct; and though it is customary for
their masters, in the event of their becoming mothers, to enfranchise
and marry them, "the facility of divorce is such, that women, if
mothers, prefer remaining slaves to being legally married: as they are
aware that custom prevents their being sold when in the former
condition: whereas their having a family is no bar to divorce when
married."

The guilds, or corporations of the different trades and professions,
to which allusion has more than once been made, and which constitute
what may be called the municipality of Constantinople, were formerly
mustered and paraded through the city, on every occasion when the
Sandjak-Shereef (or holy b