‘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’ [‎360] (381/508)

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A Voyage to E A S T-IN D I A, &c.
of gi ifly flefh which grows upon the meeting of their fhoulders.
Theflefti of their Beeves is much whiter than the fiefh of ours
and Very fweet, tender and good. Their Sheep differ from ours
by their great fle(hy Bob-tails, which/evered from their bodies,
are very ponderous. Their Wool is generally coarfe,bnt their
fledi is not fo.
Now tofeafon all their good Provifions, there is great ftore of
Sak^ and to fweeten all, abundance of Sugar growing in that
Countrey 5 which after it is well refined, may be there had at a
very low rate 5 out of which they make very pure white
Sugar-Candy, which may be had there at a fmall eafie Price,
hkewife.
Their Fruits areevery way anfwerabletothe reft, the Coun
trey abounding in Musk-Melons (very much better, becaufe
they are better digefted there by the heat of the Sun, than' thefe
with us.) They have many Water-Melons, a very choice good
Fruit, and fome of them as big as our ordinary Pompions,
and in (hape like them; the fubftance within this Fruit is fpon-
gy, but exceeding tender and well-tafted, of a colour within
equally mixed with red and white 5 and within that an excel-
lent cooling and pleafing liquor. Here are likewife ftore of
Pome-granats, Pdme-citrons§ here are Limons and Oranges,
but I never found any there-fo . good as I have feen elfwhere!
Here are Dates, Figs, Grapes^ Prunellods, Almonds, Coquer-
nuts (of which lobferved (bmething before) and here they have
thofe moft excellent Plums called Mirabolans, the ftdne of
which h ruit differg very much from others in iti (hape, whereon
Nature hath curiouily quartered feveral ftrakes equally divided,
veiy pretty to behold 5 many of which choice Plums (^they
write), are very cordial, and therefore worth the prizing, are
there yvell-preferved, and (ent for England, -
They have to thefe another 'Fruit we Englifli there call a
PI an ten , of which many of them grow in Clufters together j
longithey are in (hape, made like unto (lender Cucumbers, and
very yellow when they are Ripe, and then tafte like unto a Ator-
vPich Pear, but much better. Another moft excellent Fruit
they have, called a Manggo, growing upon Trees as big as our
Walnut-trees^ and as thefe here, fo thofe Trees there, y^ill be
veiy full of that moll; excellent Fruit, in (hape and colour like
unto our Apricocks, but much bigger 5 which taken and rol
led in a man s hands when they are through ripe, the fubftance
within them becomes like the pap ot a roaded Apple, which then
fuck d out from about alarge ftone they have within them, is
delicately pleafmg unto every Palat thattafts it. And to con
clude, with the beft of all other their choice Fruits, the Amana's,
like unto our Pine-Apples, which ObnW to the Tafter to be a
moft pica ling Compound made of Straw-berries, Claret-wine,
Role-water andSugar,well tempered together.Tn the Northermoft
parts of this Empire they have variety of Pears and Apples,every
•J v . where