‘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’ [‎9] (30/508)

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of Or muz,, made by himfclf during that time with the higbeft
exadncfs 5 for he had not onely taken the moft )ufl: meafures and
diftan<ies of all the adjacent places 3 but alfo founded all the Coaft
with a plummet, to find all the convenient places where great
fhips, fuch as theirsj might ride and caft anchor when occafion
fhould require.
On the Third of February> conceiving by our reckoning that
we were near India, in the Evening we let down the plummet
into the Sea, as we us'd often to do, and found it not above fe-
venteen fathom 5 whereby 'twas concluded;, that we were little
more then fix leagues diftant from land, although by reafon of
the darknefs of the Air none could be yet difcern'd 5 becaufe that
precife depth of water ufes to be found in thofeSeasat thatdi-
ftance from land. The Captain, who by well obferving the Sun
and the Winds, had every day diligently noted the (hips way
in the Map, as the cuftom is, hop'd that we might be near the
City of Daman, which lies within the Gulph ot Cambaia, on the
right hand as you enter into it, a good way inwards; hutl g j
without having fo much minded the Maps, laid, that I conceiv d ^
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we were much lower,and more without the Gulph towards Baf-
fain-j becaufe although we had always fail'd and kept the (hips
prow direded to Daman by the fhorteft line, yet for the two or
three laft dayeswe had had the Wind for that place contrary 5
which although it hinder'd us not from holding our courfe;, be
caufe we help'd our felves.with tjpe rudder,and fiding of the fails,
yet the violence of the Wind muft needs have continually driven
the (hip (bmething lower then we intended. Two hours after
midnight, the current of the Gulph of Cambaia being con
trary , againft which, by reafon of its impetuofnefs, there is no
failing for a while, but the (hip muftftay either for the turning
of it, Cwhich is known when it will happen, becaufe it regularly
changes according to the hours and days of the Moon) or for a
ftrong Wind wherewith to mafter the current 5 for this reafon 5
and alfo that the day-light might refolve us in what place we
were- we caft anchor, and ftruk fail, to wait for a more fitting
time. The Sea in this place began to be very rough, which
happens by reafon of the ftrong current which it hath. The
next Morning we difcernd land afar o(f, and, according to my
conjecture, it appear'd that we were lowfer, that is, more to th^
South of Daman about twelve leagues, in a place a little diftant
from Bajfain, which the Engliih call Terra di San Giovanni, but
in the Sea-Chart is noted in the Portugal Tongue with the name
of llhas das vaccas, or the Ijlands of Cows, About one a clock
in the Afternoon, the Tide being become lefs contrary, we fet
lail again by degrees, approaching ftill nearer the (bore oiIndia,
But a little before Night the current turning againft us, we were
oonftrain'd to caft anchor onfcemore* neverthele(s after mid-
night it became favourable again, and we fail d onwards by de
grees till day. This flow courfe through the Gulph of
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