‘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’ [‎363] (384/508)

A Voyage to EAST-INDIA, &c.
They fow Tobacco in abundance 3 and they take it too 3 very
much 5 but after a ftrangc way much different from us: for firft
they have little Earthen Pots 5 (haped like our fmall Flower-
pots, having a narrow neck 5 and an open round top;, out ofthc
belly of which comes a fmall fpout 3 to the lower part of which
fpoutthey fill the Pot with water, then putting their Tobacco
loo[emthetop 3 and a burning coal upon it 5 they, having firft
raltned a very fmall ftrait hollow Cane or Reed (not bigger than
a fmall Arrow) within that fpout, a yard or ell long, the Pot
ftanding on the ground, draw that fmoak into their mouths
tvhich firft falls upon the Superficies of the water, and much dif.
colours it. And this way of taking their Tobacco, they believe
makes it much more cool and wholfom. The Tobacco^ which
growsthere, isdoubtlefs in the Plant as good as in any other
place of the world, but they know not how to cure and or
der it, likethofe in the tVeJi-Indies, to make it fo rich and
icrong.
The Countrey is beautified with many Woods and Groves of
Trees, in which thofe winged chorijiers make fweet Mufick.
In thofe Woods fome excellent Hawks make their neftsi and
there are very often to be feen great flocks of Parakeetoes, or
little Parrats, who have their breeding and lodging amongft
thofe Melancholy Shades. And (in the number of many other
Creatures covered with FeathersJ there are fcime very little
Birds lefs than our Wrens, who are exceeding pretty, for their
neat (hape, and their covering, with moft curious parti-colour'd
Feathers, full of variety of little fpots. I have feen there many
of thofe rare Creatures kept together in large Cages, who pleafe
the Eye with their curious Colours, and the Ear with their va- 8 -
riety of pleafant Notes. The Woods and Groves in the Sou-
thermoft parts of have great ftore of wild Apes, and
Monkeys, and Baboons in them $ feme of which I have feen as
high as our talleft Greyhounds, which live among thcTrees,and
climb them at pleafure. Thofe Apes, &c, are very terrible to
thofe little Birds, which make their Nefts in thofe Woods 5 and
therefore Nature hath taught them this fubtilty (to preferve
their young ones from thofe Creatures which would otherwife
deftroy them) to build their Nefts in the twigs, and the utmoft
boughs of thofe Trees, where fome of them hang like little
Purfe-nets, to which thofe Apes and Monkeys, be they never fb
little and light, cannot oome to hurt them.
Befides their Woods, they have great variety of fair goodly
Trees that ftand here a nd there fingle, but I never faw any there
of thofe kinds of Trees which England affords. They have
very many firm and ftrong Timber-trees for building and other
ufes 5 but much of their brufti, or fmall wood, I obferved to
be very (appy 5 fo that when we brake a twig of it, there would
come a fubftance out of feme of it, like unto Milk, and
the fappinefs of that underwood may ( as I apprehend it )
A a a 2 be