‘The travels of Sig. Pietro della Valle, a noble Roman, into East-India and Arabia Deserta. In which, the several countries, together with the customs, manners, traffique, and rites both religious and civil, of those Oriental princes and nations, are faithfully described: In familiar letters to his friend Signior Mario Schipano. Whereunto is added a relation of Sir Thomas Roe’s voyage into the East-Indies’ [‎21] (42/508)

Into the EAST-INDIES.
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' /sisz /-Ay
about the Idol, and that with great devotion, kiffing them, and
in token of reverence laying them upoe their heads. A-fide
of this T ree, ftands a very fmall fftpola^ or Chappel, with a very
narrow window for entrance y'l faw not what was within it, but
I was inform'd that Women^vho have no Children go in there
Ibmetimes, and after they have been there become fruitful by ^ y /
the virtue of the place 5 but as in falfe Religions every thing is "
impofture, fo 'tis the opinion here, that the attendants of the^^
Idol play fine pranks in this particular, either beguiling fimple
young Women, orlatisfying the more crafty^ whom indeed
they fometimes caufe to become pregnant, but 'tis by natural
means without miracle, thePriefts within the Chappel fupply-
ing the defeds of their Hufbands. Moreover, on another fide
of this Tree, ftands a fquare low Poft, on which certain figures
of Idols are engraven ; and at the foot thereof, there is a little
kind of trench or hole, where alfo they pour Milk and Oyle,
and make divers other Oblations. They are very folicitousin
keeping the Tree with every bough and leaf of it, not fuffering
it to be injur'd by animals or men, nor in any wife violated and
profan'd. They tell a ftory of an Elephant who one day by
chance eat but one (ingle leaf of this Tree, for which being pu-
niffrd by the Idol, he dy'd within three dayes; Which ftory I
underftood to be thus far true, namely that the event was in this
manner 5 but 'twas thought that for the reputation of the place,
the attendants of the Idol either poyfon'd or knock # d the Ele
phant on the head 5 in which Arts the Gioghi and Priefts of the
Gentiles ufe to be very dextrous. •
The Commendator of the Dutch, came one day to give me a
vifit, and after a competent converfation, carried me in his
Coach a little out of the City, to fee one ofthe faireft and famous-
eft gardens of Surht. The plot was level, well contriv'd and
divided with handfome ftreight W T alks: on either fide whereof,
were planted rowes of fundry Trees of this Climate , namely, / */'
Ambe 0 or, as others fpeak, before defcrib'd by me in my A
laft Letters from Perfta, in the maritine parts whereof I fa w Tome ^ ^
Treespf this kind^ Foufel^ whofe leaves are like thofe of the a.
Mm-tree^ but of a livelier and fairer green 5 Narghil, like the ^
Palm in the leaves alfo, and is that which we call Nuxlndica : 4$^*'<7 * ^ ^
%■
//
IX.
y
alfo,
and others, different from what are found in our parts. The
plots between the feveral walks was full of herbs and flowers,
partly fuch as we have, and partly not 5 amongft the reft they
(hew'd me a Flower, for bignefsand form not unlike our Gilly
flower, but of a whitifh yellow, having a very fweet and vigor-
ousfcent, and they call it Ciampa. In a convenient place there
is a fquare place, rais'd fbmewhat from the ground, and epver'd
with large fheds, toJQt there in the fhade,after the manner pf the
Eaft: and here we entertained our felves a while, and had a
Collation 5 other things in the garden worthy of remark I faw
none. As for the plants and ftrange fimples of India> and the