‘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’ [‎8] (29/508)

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TheTravels of Peter Delia Valle,
humour of that Nation) will be alone to make their obfervati-
ons 5 and for the moft part perform them in fecret, without any
Aflociate to fee them : Should any other perfon in the (hip offer
to take the altitude of the Sun, or look upon theMaporCom-
pafs, or do any thing that relates to the well guiding of the VeP
fel, and knowing its courfe 5 they would quarrel with him 5 and
by no means fuffer him to do it 5 being averfe that any other
fhould meddle with what they fay is their office and belongs to
them alone* From their being fo little communicative, and very
averfe to teach others, it happens that few amongft them un-
derftand any thing of the Art of Navigation, there being none
that will teach it experimentally, and they underftand little
enough, becaufe they have no conference about the practical
part, and learn much lefs of the Theory. This is the reafbn
that their (hips frequently mifcarry, to the incredible detriment
both of particular perfonsandof the Kingdom : And which is
worfe, 'tis faid that not onely many of them are loft through
the ignorance or negligence of thofe that guide them, but alfo
fometime by malice ; For the Portugal Pilots have got a cuftom
when they are to make a Voyage, to take up great fums of mo
ney at Lisbon upon intereft, the moft they can get to trade with-
alU and they take the fame by way of Venture upon thefhips
which they guide: Now when by the way any fmall difafter
befalls them, they not onely avoid it not, as many times they
might do , but, if they be of evil intention, they cunningly run
the (hips aground either in thefe Coafts of Africa or elfewhere 3
fo that though oftentimes the people, and aifo the arms, goods,
efpecially of the greateft value be lav'd, yet (b it is, that fbme-
times many perifti or fuffer exceffive lofs, and this onely to the
end, that the fhipwrack may be the occafion gf their remaining
gainers of the monies taken up at intereft upon the hazard afore-
laid 5 which monies they carry not with them to trade withall 3
but leave all at home in Portugal: A practice indeed very per
nicious, and which ought to be moft rigoroufly punifti'd : but
the Portugals have now no King in their Country to mind their
affairs, and the government depends upon Madrid, whei^ per
haps they that adminifterit, being more intent upon their pri
vate interefts then the publick, thefe and infinite other dilbr-
ders pafs unredrefs'd. The Englifh, on the contrary, and other
Europeans which fail upon the Ocean, are moft diligent and
ftrift obfervers of all exadt difcipline, and of what concernes
the good conduft of their (hips 5 and becaufe they well under
ftand all the moft exquifite points of Navigation, and are ex
tremely curious, as well in the Praftice as in the Theory, they
ipare no pains, and negled not the doing of any thing whereby
they may render their Navigations in all places more eafie and
(ecure : Infomuch that Captain upon occafion of his
having ftaid a year and odd moneths with his (hip in the Perfian
Gulph, (hew'd me a Chart or Plat-form of the whole Streight
of