‘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’ [‎245] (266/508)

Into the EAST-IN DIES. 245
cat when they infefted the leas with their Galleys^ which after
wards were deftroy'd by the Portugals, Another Piazza there is
before the Bafha's Houfe, which is always full of heaps of Corn^
Rice, and other Fruits, which are to be fold here 5 being kept
night and day without other (hops or inclofure then ordinary
mats, without fear of ftealing in regard of the ftridt juftice exer-
cis'd by the Turks in matter of Theft. The people are Arabians
with (bme Turks intermixed, fb that the Arabian Language is
moft fpoken, although the 7'urkijh and Perjian are not unfre-
quenr. As for Religion, the-Mwr/are partly and part
ly Scinai's, with Liberty of Confcience to both 5 yet in the
Mefchitas the Service is after the. manner of the Sonai's, and al-
fo all publick Ceremonies are perform'd after the Rite of the^c-
nats, which is that which the Great Tur^ who is King of this
Country, ohtexvzszt Conflantinoyle. There are alfo lome Hou-
fes of Chaldean Chriftians, call'd Chriftians of S. or Sabe-*
ans'^ though I believe they have little more befides the name of
Chriftians? for they have no Church except the Houfe of one
(ingle Prieft, who was there in my time, and he a very Idiot 3
nor could I learn that they ever aflembled there to be prefent at
any Divine Service. They have no Faft or abftinence from Flefti,
but eat every day alike. Nor have they any Sacraments, ex
cept fome Ihadow of them 3 and 'tis a queftion whether their
Baptifm be fuch as it ought to be, and not rather the Baptifm of
S. John then of Chrift. Andbecaufeinthis, and many other
things,they obferve S. John Baptiji more then any other,and have
himingreateft Veneration, therefore they are call'd Chriftians
of S. John^whh no fmall fufpition of being the remainder of thofe
Jews whom S. John baptiz d with the Baptifm of Repentance,
and who, without caring for any thing elfe, have continu'd in
that Rite ever fince. The Gofpels, and other facred Books, *tis
not known (at leaft) in Bajfora, that they have or ufe > but they
have a Book which they call Sidra, according whereunto they
govern themfelves in matters of Religion 3 but who is the Au
thor of it, I know not. They (peak aharfh Chaldee, befides A-
rabick. which is generally in ufe 5 which Language of theirs they
call Mendai^ asalfo for the moft part amongft themfelyes they
areftyl'd Mendai, befides the two other names of Chriftians of
S. John and Sabeans, by the firft of which they are known to us
Europeans, and by the latter to the Moors. What Mendai fig-
nifies, and whence it is deriv'd, I could not learn. They have
alfo particular Charaders different from the ordinary Chaldaick,
and Syrian^ both ancient and modern,wherewith they tranfcribe
their facred Books, but commonlynone can either read or write
this charader befides the Prieft,who byan-^r^/V^word is ufually
ftyl'd Sceich^thzt is,Old Man. I could not learn any thing more
concerning them, becaufe they are few and very Idiots 3 only I
think they may be thofe Sabean Heretick mention'd in Hiftories,
and particularly in the Eknchus Alphabeticus Hareticornm ofGa-