‘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’ [‎84] (105/508)

The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
<?* a^r aj -
LETTER III.
From G^, Oclob. 10. 1623.
I. | TAving a fit opportunity 9 according to my defire to
| I make an excurfion from Goo, farther into India, more
« Southwards to Canark ^ upon occafion of this Vicc-
'.X Roy's difpatching Sig: Gio Ternandcz, Uiton^ Ambaflador to
Fankfapa Nick*-, a Gentile-Prince of that Province, and concei
ving that my journey will begin within three or four days, I have
^ therefore determin d to write this Letter to you , that it may be
convey'd by the firft occafion of the Ships which arc now pre*
paring for a Voyage from India 'into Europe > for I know not cer- 1
tainly, how far 1 (hall tarvel, nor how long I (hall ftay out before
my return to Goa, whether moneths or years. As little do I know
what other opportunity, or convenient place I (hall meet with-
all to write to you 5 neverthelels I {hall omit none that offers it
felf, and in the mean time prefent you with the continuation of
my Diary .Having been here in Goa too much ihut up in the Houfe
of the Jefuits, On the firft of May, I parted from them after many
civil treatments and favours rcceiv'd of them, according to their
moft affeftionate hofpitality 5 and went to the Houfe prepard
for me right over againft that of Sig" Lena da Cugna^hich ftands
between the Covents of the Bare-footed Carmelites, and the
Converted Nunns of S. Mary Magdalene, in a remote but not in
convenient place, ,nor far from the commerce of the City, and
the more acceptable to me, becaufe near the refidence of Mariam
Tinattn, May the third. The City of Goa, lying, as they fty,
/jStho in the Altitude of fifteen degrees and forty minutes,agreeably to
the good Rule of Aftronomy and the Tables of Tycho^ accord-
ingta*which, F. ChrifioforoBrono told me, this City is in a Meri
dian different from that of Francfurt, about four hours more
Eaft ward ^ yet the Sun came to be in the Zenith of Goa, that is,
in the declination of the Zenith at eleven a clock of the ni'ght fol
lowing the faid day, (fpeaking futably to the Spanijh and Por
tugal Clocks.J Yet at this time it was the height of Summer,
and the greateft heat of the year, as we found by experience,
f or there may be faid to be two Summers and Winters every
year in Goa, and thefe adjacent Regions % becaufe the Sun paffes
over their heads, and departs from them twice a year, once to
ward the North, and once towards the South. May the eleventh,
A Portugal Gentleman coming from the Court oiSpain by Land,
to wit, by the way of Turkic, and, as they faid, in a very fhort
time, and with Letters from the Court dated in the end of the
laft O&ober, brought news amongft other things of the Canoni-
" zation ot five Saints made together in one day,namely,ofS. Igna~
t*o 3 the Founder of the Jefuits, S.Francefco Xavtrio, a Jelliit,
and