‘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’ [‎13] (34/508)

laid ^
lac One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees v ,llle
tmd ^(ke
f ca ®e toward,
a PP r oacb,ai(j
g re « ftiead
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hereupon
one the other
'friends, who
1 lo ng time 5
ir adventures
i misfortunes,
^ what be had
Coaches and a
Sohali^ where
invithaCol-
iveus, enter-
idian Women
'eby dancing
nents of their
ith very great
L little within
to their (hips,
; night in this
3re we could
in the night
ife, through
the City was
osoiCyu is
ito little Jcfi
is on the way
ire would be
■way would
of convej-
; known to
luggage in
as werere-
dde to the
t, wherein
d about the
[uts,Tania;
Into the EAST-INDIES.
esare 1
plentinil)
plentifuljunlefs near certain houfes^but the fields are every where
either ploughed, or full of living creatures feeding in them. We
arriv'd at the City in good time, in the entrance of which there is
a River call'd Tapi^oxTaptl^which was to be pafs'd over by boat:
On the other fide of which River, fomething on the right hand
as you go into the City, which hath no walls, ftands a Caftle
lately built, but very ill defign'd. Moreover, near the place
where the boats land ftands the Dogana^ or Cuftom-houfe, and
it took us up fome time to difpatch there, becaufe they obferve
very narrowly all goods that are brought in, ( although they
be but Clothes for change) to fee whether there be any thing
coming to the Cuftomes, nor will they fuffer ftrangers to enter
till they be firft known and have licence, as 3 tis alfo praftis'd in
Venice, In all things they proceed with fo great warinels and
good order, that it being known that I conduced with me
the Sig ra Mariuccia , although a girl very young, the Capo, or
Prefident of the Dogana, requir'd likewife to be inform'd of
her quality, and gave order that fhe (bould not be conduced
with any violence or other diforder: otherwife, in lawful things,
there is no difficulty, either through diverfity of Religion 5
or upon any other account. We were no fooner come to the
Dogana.) but the news of our arrival was, I think, by Sig: Al
berto's means, carried to the Houfe of the Dutch, many of which
have Wives there which they married in India, purpofely to go
with them and people a new col ony of theirs in ^ava Majoir^hich.
they call Batavia Nova 5 where very great priviledges are granted
to fuch of their Country-men as (hall go to live there with Wives
and Families : For which end, many of them, for want of Eur
ropasan, have taken Indian, Armenian, and Syrian Women, and
of any other race that falls into their hands, lb they be or can be
made Chriftians. Laft year the Fleet of the Portugals which
went to India was encountred at Sea, and partly funk, partly
taken by the Hollanders^ amongft other booty, three Maidens
were taken, of thofe poor but' ^ell defcended Orphans which
^ are \^pnt to be lent from Portugal every year at the King's
charge , with a dowry which the King gives them, to the end
they may be married in India, in order to further the peopling
of the Portugal Colonies in thofe parts. Thefe three Virgins fal
ling into the hands of the Hollanders, and being carry'd to Surat^
which is the principal feat of all their traffick, the moft eminent
Merchants amongft them ftrove who fhould marry them, being
all paffably handfome. Two of them were gone from Surat,
whether to the abovefaid Colony, or elfewhere, I know not. She
that remain'd behind was czWd Donna Lucia, a young Woman,
fair enough, and Wife to one of the wealthieft and eminenteft , r* y y J
Hollanders. The Prefident of the Hollanders cali'd by them
the Commendator, who refides in Surat, and has the general
fuperintendency of their affairs in all thefe parts of the Eaft, is at 7 7 y /z ;
this time Sig: Pietro VandeHhlreeckey a Gentleman of good breed -^^j^^A
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