‘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’ [‎196] (217/508)

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The Travels Peter Delia Valle,
Capla of Barfelor 5 we not entring there our felves, that it might
difpatchthefooner. . . ;
January the fifth 3 Whilft weftay d at expecting the
coming forth of all the of Barjelir, in the Morning wedif-
cover'd twelve Ships coming towards us from the Souths and
knowing that they were not Merchants but Men of War, and
having no News of any Armado that was to come from Coa at this
time;, we judg*d them to be Faroes of Malahar-Pirats 3 as indeed
they appear'd 5 for the faid Faroes are almoft like the Ships of the
Tortugals 3 but fomewhat lighter. And becaufe we faw them
make diredtly up to us 3 we prepar'd for fight, and failed forwards
to meet them ^ affuring our felves 3 that if they were Faroes,
they came to affault us 5 fmce they could not but know that the
Ships of our Armado, which alone were fit for fight, were fewer
then theirs, and that the other Merchants Ships of the CafiU,
whom weconvoy'd, could ferve for nothing elfe but either to
fly away, if they were able, or to increafe their booty in cafe
our few arm'd Velfels (hould be beaten. The Ship wherein I
was, being the Captain of the Vant-guard, was far before the
reft, and alone towards that part whence the abovefaid Ships
were coming. Having betaken our felvcs to our Arms, (which
yet was not done without fome confufion, becaufe the things in
the Ship were out of order, and the Souldiers unprovided of
Powder, which Was to be fetch'd out of the place where it was
kept and diftributed thus haftily in fmall quantities, being our
ftore was but fmall J we confulted a while what to do, whethe
to wait for our other Ships which were behind, and fo joyn all to
gether in encountring the Enemy 5 or elfe to begin the fight,as wc
were, alone, till the reft came up to us. The firfi: courfe feem'd
fafeft and moft confiderate ^ the latter was more magnanimous,
but with-all temerarious, becaufe we were fo diftant from oui
company,that before they could come to fuccor us ? ourShip might
be wholly deftroy'd > as being but one it might very eafily be by
fo many, efpecially in that extreme furious way of fighting
pradis'd here, wherein there is great ufe of fire-works. Yet our
Captain and the reft of us thought it was no time to demurr
longer and confult > becaufe the Enemy was fo near, that to wait
for our Company would have little advantag'd, but might much
have prejudic'd us, giving them thereby prefumptions of our
weaknefs and fear:Wherefore we all cry'd out to go on, that fince
we were come to this pinch, 'twas better to incurr our lofs alone
witha valorous temerity by doing our duty, then to hazard the
lols of the whole Armado and its Reputation, if the Enemy per
ceiving us timorous and weakfhould take heartagainft usfrom
our imprudent fear : That as it was our duty to go forwards, fo
it was the duty of our Companions to follow us and fuccor us,
and not let us perifti alone ^ that this care belong'd to them, that
if they did otherwife, the fault would lie upon them,not upon us^
that (in fine) let us give theonfetj and leave Heaven to take
care