‘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’ [‎18] (39/508)

m
■ y*
/
7
s? is' ayfi* t <
Lifa.z. c. $.
The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
other running waters and fprings there are Icarce any , efpecially
in the more in-land parts remote from the Sea 5 Rain likewife
very feldome through the whole year, faving in that feafon call'd
by them Paujecal, which fignifies. The time of rain, being about
three monethsj beginning about the middle ofjtee 3 and during
which time 3 the Rain is continual and very great: whence fome
upon this account call thefe three monethsWinterj although the
weather be then hotteft , as well in India as in all the reft of the
northern Hemifphere. And this 3 no doubtjproceeds from the Pro
vidence of God ^ (incejWere it not for this great xzinjndia would
be in regard of the great heat and drought at this time^nhabita-
ble > as likewife the whole torrid Zone, in which moft of India
lies, was believ'd by the Ancients, who had no knowledge of
thele marvellous rains, which render it not onely habitable, but
alfo fertile and moft delirious. Now, for that the Country is
in ibme parts fo fcarce of water,many Cities and inhabited places
have no other but the rain-water gather 'd in thefe great Ci-
fterns, which are fo capacious, that one of them fuffices a City
for a whole year and more : And it not onely affords drink to
men and animals, but alfo they wafti clothes and beafts in it
when occafion requires, and make ufe of it to all purpofes -
whereby it comes to pafs that in fome places the water they
have is not over clear , and the rude Indians care not for fuch
delicacies, but 'tis enough for them if they have what is barely
needful. XheCiftern, or Lake Surat, hath a great Trench
adjoynd to it on one fide, long, large, and deep, over which
certain fmall bridges are built, and it falls into another lefs
Ciftern a good way off, which though but fmall here compara
tively, would yet be a very large one in our parts 5 'tis built with
many fides of ftone like the former, as alfo the banks of the
Trench are. Between the great Lake and the lefs, upon the
1 rench, ftands a fmall Cupola, or arched Strudure, made for
the lepultureof Ibme principal Mahometans of the Country;
a r u of two brethren who kill'd one the other, and
ot their Wives. Tis no long time fince this Ciftern was made
according to the common report, by a private man ofthie Citv'
but fufficiently wealthy, whofe Daughter, they fay, or rather
if f r 0m 318 ftl11 llVlng5 and 1 know not b y what
toe.r WK Tlr P 00r ' fo that ^ hath bread
of Surkt Yr ff'" 1 ol ?, rer 1 v ^ a great ingratitude of the Citizens
£r^ lngh ^ towant food ' who for their pub-
callM rliV / T a - 0 P" ex Pence. This Poole of Surkt is
who m.X Jt Tw I P00le of which w as his name
Tn rhZ A h !. S J 0Wn char 8 e - And although the King, who
cailM aft rU OVer GHZardt = £l,d wh at he could to have it
retain VTK h " own 1 namei y« that of the Builder has beeniuftly
am d by the vulgar, and remains to this day. not im-
fei^whom r thiS ^ Who ,nade this Pifcina of^rat, is the
fame whom Giovanni dt Barret in his feeond Decade of AjU
frequently