‘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’ [‎75] (96/508)

Into the EAST-INDIES.
felf, I affirm not for true. The Ambadadorofthis Nizam-Sczafr
in Perfia^ is that Hhabefe Chan, an Abyffine alfo, whomlfaw a
my being there. Of ftfange things, they relate that Niz>am-Sciah y
hath I know not where in his Country a piece of Ordnance fb
vart 5 that they fay it requires 15000. pound of Powder to charge
it 5 that the Ball it carries^ almoft equals the height of a Man 5
that the metal of the piece is about two fpans thick, and that it
requires I know not how many thoufand Oxen^beddes Elephants
to move it 5 which therefore is ufelefs for war 3 and (erves onely
for vain pomp. Neverthelefs this King fo eftecms it, that he
keeps it continually cover'd with rich cloth of Gold, and once a
year comes in perfon to do it reverence, almoft adoring it ^ and
indeed, although thefe Kings are Mwrs , yet they ftili retain
much of the ancient Idolatry of the Countries, wherein Ma-
hometifm is little , or not yet univerfally fetled. The (ccond of
the three pety Kings, whofe Country joyns to that of the Mogh s oly
but borders upon the Sea Eaftward in the Gulph of Bengalaj* he
who (for the fame reafons mention'd concerning Nizam-Sciah) Is ^ S
call'd by the hereditary firnameofCw^-^fi^^jWhich fomeerrone-
outly expound Tolo d' i Re^ the Vole of Kings, being deceiv'd by
the Arabick word Cutb, which fignifies the I^ole, and is us'd by
the Arabians and Verfians, to denote fupream excellency ^ un-
derftanding (e.^. ) by Folo de i Savii, 0 di Sapienza, ihe Pole of
Wife-men, or of Wifdom, the wifeft Man in the world 5 by Polo
di Sant 1 ta 0 della Legge ^ ibePok ofSanffityand the Law, the
greateft pitch, and the higheftobferver of thedivine Law^ and
io in all other like Cafes • but, t fay,! believe they are miftaken ^
jmd there feems to me more truth in the expofition of others,
who interpret RedeiCani, King of Dogs, from£«M, which in
the Language of India fignifies a Dog, becaufe he was Mafter
of the Dogs to that fupream King. Under his jurifdiftkn is ^
Gnlcondalar, where, I think, he hath his Royal Seat, and Mifli- *
fatan, a famous Port in the Gulph of Bengala, Laftly 3 the
third of the three Regtdi, is he who hath his Seat in Fifipor, and
reigns in the Country of Telongane , bordering upon the Portu-
gals Territories atG^, more Southwards then the two before
mentkm'd. Some will have Vifayor and Coa belong to the Pro
vince of Dacan, and that Telenga much more remote,toward the
South. The truth is, India and the Provinces thereof is very
confus'd 5 forafmuch as the Indians themfelves being illiterate
cannot diftinguilh it aright, and the Portugals have all their
knowledge thereof from the vulgar of the ignorant Indians,
whofe Language they underftand not well, and extreamly cor
rupt in pronuntiations 5 therefore I cannot fpeak any thing cer
tain concerning the fame, as neither have the Portugal Writers
been able to do, though perfons very exadt and fufficient. But
to return to my purpofe, the proper name of him that now
reigns is Ibrahim , but his hereditary firname (as the others) is
Jdil-Sciah, or idalSciah, which fignifies not giufto Re, a Jnfl
L 2 King,
<7-(fa.
A
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