‘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’ [‎82] (103/508)

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The Travels of Feter Delia Valle,
Otranto, Mafterin Divinity. Of Fryers t alfo found many Ita-
JianSj namely^ in the Colledge of Frycr Jofeph Mafagna, a famous
Spicerer, and a Man of much bufinefs in the Profefs'd Houfcj a
Neapolitan, a Venetian, and a Thufcan, call'd Fryer Bartolemeo
Vontehnoni , a good Painter, and alfo a Man of much employ-
mcntj who were all my great Friends. April the eleventh", my
Birth-day, The Jefuits ffiew'd me all their Covent, which is in
deed a large and goodly Building, and though not much adorn'd
according to our cuffom, yet perhaps, is the beft thing that is in
Goa $ as alfo the front of their Church. April the fourteenth,
which was Holy Fry day. Being prefent at Holy Service in the
Quire Collection of papers folded in half and stitched together to form a gathering of folios. of the Jefuits, ( becaufel was ftill inmy Perfian Habit,
the Portugal Clothes which I had befpoken being not yet made,
and therefore I appear'd not in publick) Sig: Cenftantino da Sk,
( a Portugal Cavalier, or Hidalgo, defign'd General for thelfland
of Zeilan , whither he was preparing to go (peedily with his
Fleet) coming alfb to hear the Office in the Quire Collection of papers folded in half and stitched together to form a gathering of folios. , faw me
there, and underftanding who I was, was pleas'd to take notice
of me, and after the Office was ended, came together with the
Fathers very courteoufly to complement me, offering himfelf to
ferveme, (as he faid) in thelfland of Zeiland , if Ipleas'd to go
thither : Whereunto I alfo anfwer'd with the beft and moft cour-
/ /n V* teous words I could. This Sig: Conjiantino had been fent with an
V Armado of many Ships to relieve Or muz, when it was befiedg'd i
/ A but not arriving there till after the place was taken, he return'd
/X* /-W y cu^ back with his Fleet to Coa.
x. -dpril the fixteenth, being Eafter-Daji, I firft refum'd an Eu-
ropasan, to wit, a Portugal Habit, as 'tis the faftrion at Go*
amongft the graver fort, after I had worn ftrange garbs for
many years together, and ever fince the death of my Sig"
Maani, cloath'd my felf and my fervant in mourning. April the
feventeenth, F. Vincijlao rantaleon , my Friend above-nam'd
( who was fkill'd in the Chtn.i Language.having been many years
, in thefe parts 3 and intended to return thithcr)fhevv'd me the Geo-
graphical Defcription of all China, written very fmall, or rather
' printed in a China Charafter after their way very handfomdy .On
which occafion, I muft not omit to note that the Chinefes as'the
laid Father (hew'd me in their Books, are wont in writine to
draw the hneorverfeof their writing, not as we and the He*
brews docrois the paper, but (contrary to both) from the top
to the bottom , beginning to write at the right fide of the pa
per, and ending at the left 5 which to all other Nations feems a
very ftrange way. Moreover, their Letters are not properly
wnrH rS \. l? t SreatCharafters, each of which denotes anintire
word 5 whwice the Charafters are as many as there are words in
theLanguage, and they reckon to the number of eighty thou-
and 5 a thing indeed not onely ftrange and fuperfluous, but alfo,
in my opinion, unprofitable; yea, difadvantageous, and onely
for vain pomp 5 for in learning thdc Chatafters they fpend many
years