‘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’ [‎56] (77/508)

^577"
The Travels 0/Peter Delia Valle,
X V111.
a-
natural things 3 and alfo in Magick and Inchantments 3 where-
untothey are much addiftedj and boaft of doing great wonders,
I include their fpiritual exercifes herein, becaule according to
the aforefaid Book, they think that by the means of thofe exer
cifes, Prayers, Faftings, and the like fuperftitious things, they
come to Revelations 5 which indeed are nothing elfe but corre-
fpondences with the Devil, who appears to, and deludes them
in fundry (hapes, forewarning them fometimes of things to come:
Yea fometimes they have carnal commerce with him, not be
lieving, or, at leaft, not profefiing that 'tis the Devil 5 but that
there are certain Immortal, Spiritual, Invifible Women, to the
number of forty, known to them and diftinguifht by various
forms, names, and operations, whom they reverence as Deities,
and adore in many places with ftrange worfhip 5 fo that fome
Moorifco Princes in as one of thefe three pety Kings who
* reign'd in Decan^ Telengane^ and Mejle^aton^ ( Cntbftiach, as I
remember) though a Moor 5 yet retaining fome reliques of anci
ent Gentilifm, makes great Feafts and Sacrifices to one of thefe
; Women in certain Grottoes under high Mountains which are in
his Country 5 where'tis reported, that this Woman hath a par
ticular and beloved habitation^and He of the Cioghi^thzt by long
fpiritual exercifes can come to have an apparition of any of thefe
Women, who foretells him future things, and favours him with
the power of doing other wonders, is accounted in the degree
of perfedion , and far more if he happen to be adopted by the
Immortal Woman for her Son, Br.other,or other Kinfman 5 but a-
bove all,ifhe be receiv'd for a Hufband^and theWoman have car
nal commerce with him, the Giogko thenceforward remaining
excluded from the commerce of all other Women in the world,
which is the higheft degree that can be attain'd to 5 and then he
is call'd a fpiritual Man, and accounted of a nature above hu
mane, with promife of a thoufand ftrange things , which for
brevities fake I pafs over. Thys doth the Devil abufe this mife-
rable people. As for any thing more concerning thefe Gioghi^
I refer you to what I have formerly written of them, and the
Sami , who are another fort of Religious Indians who wear
Clothes, as I faw them in Bender otComhrii. And of the Scien
ces of the Gioghiy and their fpiritual exercifes, efpecially of a
curious way, rather fuperftitious then natural, of Divining by
the breathing of a Man, wherein they have indeed many curi
ous and fubtle obfervations , which I upon tryal have "found
true.^ If any would know more, I refer him to the Book above
mention'd, which I intend to carry with me for a Rarity into
h and if I fhall find convenience, I (hall one day gratifie the
Curious with a fight of it in a Tranflation.
On the fourth of March > I went out of Cawbaia toaTown
two miles off, call'd Hagra , to fee a famous Temple, built of
old by the Race of the Bantons^ and belongs to them 3 but yet
. the Brachmans poffefs it, and have care of it, as if it Were defcen-
ded