‘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’ [‎98] (119/508)

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The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
Brachman Ambiflador, for whatreafon \ know not, unlefs, pcr-
haps 5 he was minded to make us ftay tor him,, as we had made
him ftay for us. At length being got out of the mouth of the
River, we continu'd failing all night, but with afmallwind.
Our courfe was always Southward almoft direftly, and we
coafted along the land at a little diftance. Ottoher the fixteenth,
Ja the Morning we difcern d four Ships otMalabar Rovers, near
the ftiore (they call them Faroes^ and they go with Oars, like
Galeots or Foifts) we gave them chafe for above an hour, in
tending to fight them, but we could nqt overtake them 5 onely
we loft much time and much of our way. Night came upon us
near certain Rocks, or uninhabited little lilands, whkh they call
Angtdiva, which fignifies, in the Language of the Country, Five
Jjlands^ they being fo many in number^ We found frefh water
in one of them, they are all green and have fome Trees. We
fet fail from thence the fame nighty but had little or no wind
and violent rain. Offober the feVenteenth , Continuing our
courfe the next day with a very fmall gale, we faw the bound
of the States of Adil-Sciah and Vent^tafa Naie^a, which is onely
a brackifti River, fuch as are frequent upon the Coaft of India,
The wind was but fmall ftill, ib that all this day we could not
arrive at Onor ^ but when it was night, becaufe 'tis no good
cntring into the Port of Onor in the dark and with ebbing water,
as it was now, we caft Anchor, and remain'd all night under
an uninhabited fmall Rock, which they call the Rock of Omr,
After mid-midnight the Tide began to flow, but yet we ftirr'd
not. Offober the eighteenth, About break of day we mov'd
along , and by the help of Oars finifli'd the remainderof the
way, arriving at in good time. This whole Voyage from
Goa to is not above eighteen Leagues, but it took us up lb
much time, becaufe we had onely a very fmall wind.
Onoris a fmall place by the Sea-fide , but a good Port of in
different capacity, which is form'd by two arms of Rivers, which
( I know not whether both from one or feveral headsj) running
one Southward, and the other Northward, meet at the Fortrefs,
and are difcharg'd with one mouth into the Sea. The habitati
ons are rather Cottages then Houfes, built under a thick'Gfove
of Palms, to wit, thofe which produce the Indian Nuts, call'd
by the Portugals, Coco 5 and by the Arabians^ Narghil. But the
Fortrefs is of a competent circuit 5 though the walls are not very
well defign d,- being juft as the Portugals found them made by the
people of the Country. It ftands upon a high Hill of free ftone,
and being very capacious, not onely the Captain lives there,
but mod of the married and principal Portugals have Houfes in
it, very well accommodated with Wells, Gardefls, and other
conveniencies. The ftreets within the Fortrefs are lar^land
fair, befides a great Piazza fufficient to contain all the people
of the place in time of a fiege. There are likewife two Churches,
one dedicated to Saint Catherine the other to Saint Anthony 5
but