‘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’ [‎50] (71/508)

The Travels Peter Delia Valle,
vanjerai, or Inns in Ahmedabkd, and other great Cities of
are not, as in Terfia. and Turkey> one (ingle habitation made in
form of a great Cioyfter 5 wich abundance of Lodgings round
about;, feparate one from another, for quartering of ftrangers^
but they are whole great ftreets of the City deftinated for
Grangers to dwell in, and wholbever is minded to hire a houfe
and becaufe thefe ftreets are lockt up in the night time for fecu-
rity of the perfons and goods which are there, therefore they
call the Cavanferai.- Notwithftanding the wearifomnels of
our journey, becaufe we were to ftay but a little while at
Ahmedakady therefore after a little reft we went the (ame Even
ing to view the market-place, buying fundry things. It difpleas 'd
me fufficiently that the ftreets not being well pav'd, although
they are large, fair, and ftrait, yet through the great drynefi of
the Earth th^y arefodufty, that there's almoftno going a foot,
becaufe the foot (inks Very deep in the ground with great defile
ment 5 and the going onHorfe-back, or in a Coach, is likewife
very troublefome in regard of the duft 5 a thing, indeed, of great
difparagement to fo goodly and great a City as this is. I
faw m Ahmedabad, Rofes, Flowers of Jafwin, and other forts,
and divers fuch fruits as we have in our Countries in the Sum
mer 5 whence I imagin d,that probably,we had repafs'd the Tro-
pkkof Cancer^ and re-enter d a little into the temperate Zone 5
\vhich doubt I could not clear for want of my Aftrolabe, which
r -had left With my other goods at Snrat, On Tnejday following.
Which t*)us was the day of CarnAv&l^ or shrovc-Tuejday^ walking
in the Morning about the Town, I (aw a hand(bme ftreer, ftrait
long, and very broad, full of (hops of various Trades; they call
# that is, the Great Jllerkat, in diftinftion from
others, than which this is bigger. In the middle is a ftru(W of
itone athwart the ftreet, like a bridge with three Arches, almoft
reiembling the Triumphal Arches of Rome. A good wav be
yond this bridge, in the middle of the fame ftreet is a great
r[ c l l 5 l" oun ^ about which ls a fquare Piazzetta, a little
higher then the ground. The Water of the Well is of great fer-
vice to all the City and there is always a great concoLvrfe of
the^ark ^ T* ^ V*' t0 theend ^
^ ru n * We ca J ril 1 eto the 8 reat which ftands confront-
two an be ^ tlfi l d Wlth many Ornaments between
' 7 g n ! y T ° wers ? «s the Gate of a fmall Caftle which
Sin/ii/in Jh WOr r u Nor let feem ftrange,
^ y that 111 m the Coimtnes of the MoghoUhc Perfau Toncue b
^ 4 ^ PrincTh'- Perh - P - 3 t 1 t , ,enthe/W ^ itfelf ' fi"ccthe MoghoUan
, / r "^ T ng ™g" al, y Tm and of where the
^ X .* U a J be^wiMiru^f natural . of the Country, have therefore
been willing to retain their native Speech in India ; in brief the
Sin aTl n M a i! §Uag • 0f the Coun ' fpoken and
us d m a ii p ub i lck wrltlDgs Near th . s C3ftle Gflte a
place ofthe ftreet are two pulpitshandfomely built of ftone,
(bmewhat
km*