Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/56

 are still obliged to wait upon them, to pitch their tents, and to look after the camels and mules which carry their provisions and necessaries. On occasion of a battle or skirmish they march in the van, and endeavour to surpass each other in valour and steadiness; nor are any of these boys taken into the number of the veteran janissaries till they have borne themselves like heroes. The younger are then bound to serve and attend upon them, as they did previously upon others. From these it is that the bravest and fiercest warriors that the Turks possess arise, and it is on these that the Turkish emperor places the greatest reliance. I have written this account of the janissaries, in recording the first occasion on which I saw them, because I was afterwards an eyewitness at Constantinople of the manner in which, from youth upwards, they are obliged to accustom themselves, not to pleasure, but to work, and are formed into the formidable soldiers which they are. I saw them here for the first time, when they kissed my lord the ambassador’s hands, and presented themselves for his service.

It was already late, so that we were unable to enter into any business on his Imperial Majesty’s behalf with the sangiak. He, however, gave orders to provide us with a sufficient supply of meat, wine, sturgeon, fish, and fowls. Here, having no feather-beds or mattresses, we for the first time began to lie on carpets and rugs, with which each prepared himself a place of repose for the night as he best could.

Early in the morning of Sept. 8 the sangiak sent to the boats fifteen extremely handsome Turkish horses, with splendid housings and saddles, all studded with