‘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’ [‎273] (294/508)

Into the E AS TJ N D I E S.
273
might l ?
Cuftomer Abedik_ , an Armenian Chriftian^ theConful intend
ing by their means to render my entrance more facile, and lefs fu-
1'peded. All of them conduced us to the Conful's Houfe, where
by all means he would have me lodg 3 having invited me fo to do
by a moft courteous Letter -jWhich he had written the day before,
and his Faftor prefented to me ^before my entrance with
many good Reafons now urging the fame 5 whereunto I knew
not in civility how to gain-fay. The Cuftomers came to fearch
tny Goods, and to fee whether we had any jewels conceal'd 5
which they did civilly enough: As for the Chefl: wherein the
Body of Sitti Maaxi was, and the Books 5 partly^ by the autho
rity of the Conful , and the good management of my Friend
Sig: Gio van Maria de Bona his Interpreter 5 and, partly, by a
Prefent to the Dogankr Abedick of fifty Piafters, and a veftment
of Dama(k 3 worth thirty Piafters more to the Searcher, ("who
onely open'd the outward Cheft, wherein the Coffin lay under
many Indian medicinal Herbs, and faw nothing elfebut themj
and above thirty Piafters to feveral other Officers, it was brought
about that the Turks knew not what it was, and nothing was
fpoken of it. The Conful at firft intended to receive my
Women into his Houfe , but afterwards being told that it was
not convenient by reafon of the churliftinefs of the T urks, who
were now become more exorbitant than ever, he thought to lodg
them in another decent place , but Sig: Giovan Maria de Bona,
was pleas'd to take them to his Houfe, where-with I was very
well contented , becauie they could not go to a better place
whilft feparated from me: They werereceiv'd there, and treated
by the Women of Sxq . Giovan Mart a, with very great kindnefs*
F. Orfino and I remain'd in the Conful's Houfe, being entertaiiul
with the greateft Love and Courtefie imaginable : And indeed
he hath been extreamly obliging tome, not onely in this par
ticular, but in all other matters occurring about my departure
from Ale$$o ^ which we have determin'd to be, ihortly, in fome of
the Dutch or French Ships, which are now in the Port of Akx*
andretta, ready to fet failupon the next fair wind 5 and, perhaps,
together in confort: which, in regard of the many Pirates now
infefting the Medeterranean, would be the fecureft way.
w
LETTER XII.
From a Ship-board in the Port of Delia Saline m
of Cyprus, Sept. 6. 162$.
.Uring my ftay at Aleppo, from whence I writ my laft to
you, on the feventh of I took the Altitude ot the
Sun with an Aftrolabe, and found him decline South
wards from the Zenith, 19 degrees, 20 minutes. He was that
day, according to the Ephemerides of David Origano, which I
- Nn much
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