‘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’ [‎38] (59/508)

'The Trd'vcls of Peter i3cli<i Vsllcj
have fome fufpicion ^ I do not yet know 5 becaufe the Indians
who talkt with uSj either in the Portugal or Ferjian-^L ongue, be
ing all Fadors or Merchants, and confequcntly unlearned, could .
not give us any account of thefe things 5 befides, they (peak
thofe'Languages ill, and are not intelligible faving in buying
and felling : With other learned Gentiles, to whom alone their
Indian Speech is familiar 5 we could not difcourfe for want of
Language 5 wherefore of all thele things, and all the particulari
ties of their Religion, I referve my felf to be further informed at
Goa i if it (hall pleafe God 5 where I (hall have better conveni-
eiace and more time, and meet with (ome learned Brachman,
perhaps turn'd Chriftian, and able to give me a more certain Re
lation hereof either in Portuguez or Latine > and if he be -a
Chriftian., he will, no doubt, give it me more truly then the
Gentiles, who I believe, talk with us concerning their own
matters neither willingly nor fincerely. Wherefore referring
my felf to the better intelligence which I hope to have there, I
(hall here only relate what I faw with mine own eyes, and fome-
thing more which I attain'd to underftand, without lufpicion of
error. Before the Idol without the Nieche hung a Bell, ( as
'tis the cuftom in all their Temples) which, aslfaid before, all
thofe who come to make their prayers ring at their firft entrance.
Within this and the other NiecAei-on the fides, were one or two
lighted Candles. In theother fides of the Temple, fomething
higher then the pavement, were in the wall certain little Nieches^
in each of which ftood an Idolet, or little Idol, fome in the
Ibape of Men, others of Women. One there was which had
many Arms on a fide, and many Faces > and this theyfaid was
call'd Brachma^ one of their chief falfe Deities. Another had the
head of an Elephant, and was calFd Ganefcio : They fay, he is
the Son of Mahadeu, who finding him one day with Parveti his
Wife, but Kisown Mother, and not knowing who he was, kiird
him out of jealoufie, cutting off his Head, but afterwards un-
derftanding that he was his own Son, he repented him of his
error, and relblv'd to bring him to life again : Wherefore
meeting with an Elephant, (as he had purpos'd to do witl^ what
he firft happen'd upon) he cutoff his Head and plac'd it on his
dead Son's Shoulders : Whereupon Ganefcio reviv'd , and
thenceforward liv'd immortal with an Elephants Head. But
behold another delufion. One there is with the Head, I know
not, whetherof aTyger or Lyon, probably'tis that
which I formerly writ that I faw in Combru, in the maritine parts
of Perfta, Some of thefe Idolets fate upon fundry Animals, as
Tygers and the like, and even upon Rats 5 of which things the
foolifti and ignorant Indians relate ridiculous ftories ; But i
doubt not, that under the veil of thefe Fables, their ancient
Sages (moft parfimonious of the Sciences, as all Barbarians ever
werej have hid from the vulgar manyfecrets, either of Natural
or Moral Philofophy, and perhaps alfo of Hiftory: And i hold
" for