‘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’ [‎35] (56/508)

le,
? (1 >e
lnthe Galp l( ;-
a ps becaufe 'j.
^mafioftL
l« '"fe-
ll()on andFul
^ j and, without
^ the Tides are
er thentherel
«ore theNew
in a feafonabic
from the City
Bering mates
thers iinplov'd
and know
cal troop, tlie
^ (pace of
ng that in four
ie RiVer, wijidi
f the Sea over-
lich we waded,
m higher then
intowhidine-
Roar, andefpe-
ccording tothe
ut hanging tlse
deryou. For
5 who held die
hat (bin regard
carry'd away;
ds 3 that lb dsc
i come into the
in this pa%
t their pfivitis
:b,asIfaidjisof
tandfci ^
e, they care set
[chesand Cki-
n d alio wan®
tocle, nodo^bt,
ingover, thef
5, cwh^
{hore) toatr^
3 re dinner-tt^)
.ndherett^
Into the EAST-INDIES.
we went to lodge intheHoufe vyhich belongs to the Dutch
Merchants, by whom we were receiv'd with great kindne(s 5 and
treated continually with exquiflte chear 5 for fuch was the
order of the Commendator concerning us in all places.
Camhaid is a City indifferently large.* though moft of its great-
nefs confifts in Suburbs without the walls, which are fufficiently /^ /
fpacious. 'Tis feated on the Sea-fliorej in a plain, almoltin the / /
utmoft recefs of that great Gulph, whereunto it gives name, ^ .
The City, that is the inner part, without the Suburbs is incom- ^ ^
pafs'd with walls, built with plain cortines and round battle
ments. The Houfes within, are brickt with coverings pfTiles^
and Cifterns, which is the cuftom m India for provifion ot
Water, which falls in fuch plenty during tfiofe three moneths
of the great Summer rains. In our Countries they would be or
dinary Houfes,but in thefe parts they are counted good, and per
haps, the beft of the whole Province ^and they are made (hady
and cool, as the heat of the place requires. The City hath no
form d Port, becaule it ftands in a low Plain, but tis call d a
Port, by reafon of the great concourfeof VefTels thither from
feveral parts 5 which neverthelefs for the mo^l part are Frigots,
Galeots, and other (mall ones of that make, which go either
by oar or fail > becaufe great ones cannot come near the Land by
a great way. The people of are moft part Gentiles,
and here, more then ellewhere, their vain fuperftitions are ob-
(erved with rigor. Wherefore we, who came particularly to
fee thefe things, the fame day of our arrival, after we had din d
and refted a while, caus'd our felvesto be conduced to fee a
famous Hofpital of Birds of all forts, which, for being fick, lame ?
depriv'd of their mates, or otherwife needing food and cure,
are kept and tended there with diligence ^ as alfo the men who
take care of them, are maintain'd by the publick alms; the In- 5
dian Gentiles, (who,with Pythagoras and the ancient ./Egyptians,
(the firft Authors of this opinion, according to Herodotus') be
lieve the Tranfmigration of Souls., not onely from Man to Man,
but alio from Man to brute beaft} conceiving it no le(s a work
of Charity to do good to beafts then to Men. The Houfe of this
Hofpital is-fmall, a little room fufficing for many Birds: Yet I
(aw it full of Birds of all forts which need tendance, as Cocks,
Hens, Pigeons, P^tcocks, Ducks, and fmall Birds, which during
their being lame, or^ick, or matelels, are kept here , but being
recover'd and in good plight, if they be wild, they are let goat
liberty 5 if domeftick, they are given to fome pious perfon
who keeps them in his Houfe. The moft curious thing I faw in
this place, were certain little Mice, who being found Orphans
without Sire or Dam to tend them, were put into this Hofpi
tal 5 and a venerable Old Man with a white Beard keeping
them in a box amongft Cotton , very diligently tended them
with his fpedacles on his nofe, giving them milk to eat with a
Bird's feather, becaufe they were fo little that as yet they could
F 2 y cat
a
£ t >
7-1, j
Lib. 23