‘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’ [‎92] (113/508)

92
The Travels 0/Peter Delia Valle,
felves into the Arm of the Sea, Men and Women together all
naked, without any refpeft at all, even perfons of quahty,
and cafting Fruits, Perfumes, and other things into the water,
as it were in Oblation to the Deity of the water of this place,
with orher Ceremonies, Devotions, and the like $ which I re-
late not more particularly, becaufe I was not prelent at them,
becaufe the great Rain kept me from going to fee them, as it alfo
was the caufe that the concourfeof the Gentiles was not very
gteat. Neverthelefs I could not but (peak thus much m g e ne-
ralofit, as beirtg a confiderable thing amongft thetn. This
Feaft, and their Devotion, lafts two days, but the firft is moft
rennrkab] e»
r, t Jvpfl th * e one and thirtieth, A Galeon coming from Mafcat,
( beltf2 the firft Ship that came to Goa this year fmce the Rain,
and the fhutting up of the mouth of the Port J) bi ought News
liow Freyvd having been a few Moneths before at Addjcdt
, ^ ^with the little Fleet which he had of fixteen Ships, was gone to
*1 - ' attempt Soh^r 0 which place being formerly abandon d by the
Tortmalf) was now fortift'd by the Ferjians with a ftrong Garri-
' ^ fon ^and that after he had landed, he affaulted the Fort, but
could not take it, though many Moors were Gain in the encoun
ter and about twenty five Portngals 5 amongft which,were three
or four Captains, Men of Valor and Efteem: in which adion,
fbme conceiv'd^ that had not done well in hazarding
and lofing fo many people upon a place of fmall importance j but
he continuing to befiege it, it was deliver d to him upon Arti
cles, the Garrifon which was within marching away with their
Arms and Baggage 5 after which heraz'd the Fortifications, and
attempted another place of that Coaft o£ Arabia^ which they
call Galfarcan $ and having taken it, out of indignation, as I
believe, for the many good Souldiers which they had kill d of
his at Sohkr, and to caft a terror, left no perfon alive, fparing
fteither fex nor age. Which cruel manner of proceeding I cannot
approve 5 becaufe on the one fide, k will alienate the minds of
the people of that Country, and on the other, it will incite Ene
mies to fight againft more obftinately and valoroufly, as ^.now-
^8 they are to expeft no quarter. This is as much as hath been
done hitherto in thofe parts about Ormuz,^ the doing of greater
matters requiring new and greater lupplies from the Vice-Roy $
but they fay likewife, that Ormk% and Kefciome are extreamly
well fortifi'd by the Moors, September the fix and twentieth,
Sig: Don Garcia de Silva y Figueroa, Ambaflador in Perfia from
the Catholick Ring in my time, who by reafon of fundry acci
dents, and the oppofitions of the Portugals to him as to a Cafiili*
an 9 (as himfelf faith) or, (as other Iky becaufe it was his
own mind to do fo ^ fince the year before being fent away in a
Petache or Shallop according to his own delire, he return'd
back for fear of a tempeft, (though without reafon) had never
return'd home into Spain to his King^but when larriv'd in India,
1 found