‘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’ [‎217] (238/508)

Into the EAS r-INDIES.
217
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fuks affirm daily to be made in thofe Countries, being I know
nothing of themj but by the information of others, I refer you
to their Annual Letters 5 and it fuffices me to have touched
here what I faw concerning the fame, to wit, the expedition of /
this Patriarch, Bifhops, and many Fathers who werefent thither ^ ^
by feveral wayes, attempting to open a paffage into thofe 7
Countries, left fuch Commerce might be hindred by ther»r^
who are Maftersof fbme of thofe Pailes 5 So that the F.Vifitor
of the Jcfuits told me, they had this year fent many people for
JEthiopia, not onely by the Arabian Gulph, and the Territorias
of the bordering upon it, but alfo by Cafccnt a Country of
Arabia govern'd by Arabians themfelves 5 by Mozambique and
Jldotnbaza^ Countries of the Fortugals, in the Coaft of Afiicfa
by Cafaria, Angola^ and Congo 5 that fo by thefe»feveral wayes
they might fend enough, being the King demanded at leafttwo
hundred of their Fathers. And 'tis manifeft, that iftheCon-
verfion goes forward, as they prefuppofe, the Country is fo
large that there will be work enough for a greater number of
Fathers and Religious Catholicks.
the fecond. We accompany'd, with a fblemn Cavalcade^ IX»
Sig: Andrea de (guadro, from the Houle of his God-father Sig:
Gafparo di Melo, Captain of the City, to the Jefuits Col\edg 5
where, by the hands of the fame Fathers, was given him the de
gree of Mafter of Arts, that is, of Philofophy 5 the faid Fa
thers having by Apoftolical Authority juriCdi <ftion in India to con
fer the faid degree , and that of Doftorate 3 for which reafbnl
here have taken notice of this adion.
June the feventh. I viiited in the faid Colledge the Patriarch
of JEthioyia one of the (ociety, nam 'd Don Alfonfo Lnigi de Santi 5
he told me much News from Ronte^ and of (everaioi my Rela
tions whom he knew 5 but it was ftale News. 1 he Patriarch
and his Fathers had been inform 'd of me, both by the Fathers
of Coa^ and by a Souldier call 'd , whom I
knewinPer|w, and who went to with my Letters, where
he lodg'd many dayes in my Houfe, from thence palsd into
Spain^ and at length return 'd into Indian and came from Afr-
zambiquetoGoa^ in the fame Ship with the Patriarch. ^ To gra-
tifie whole defires of feeing me, upon their informations, I vi-
fited him 5 he not onely fhew 'd me many courtefies, an ^
offerving me, with like ceremonious words, but himielf and
all his Fathers enter'd into an intimate Friendihip with me, c ® n ["
dition'd to hold mutual correfpondence of Letters from
pia to Romej and where ever eHe I (hould happen to be.^ We
diicours'd of many things, and he inquir'd of me concerning his
Voyage,- and how Fathers mightpafsat any time into^^*0p^
from other parts, particularly, from I inform d him 01
the iEthiopick Language, and fome good Books for learning
it, &c,
June the fixteenth, Iflmiftake not in Computation, for ,
3 f f which
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