‘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’ [‎105] (126/508)

Into the EAST-INDIES.
« 105
LETTER V.
FromIkfcer/^ Novcmb. 22. 1^23.
I Write to you from lkh r ^ the Royal City and Seat of Ij
tapa Naieka 0 whither I am come 5 and where I am at prefent $
I fhall give you an account of the Audience which our A ith
batfador hath had of this King, who, in my judgment, (hould , //(/Czr-z
rather be cali'd a Regulus or Royolet, although the Forty gals and
Indians give him the honor of a Royal Titles being he hath in &
etfed neither State^ Court, nor appearance befitting a true King. &
I lliaJJ defcribe to you every particular that is not unworthy 1
your Curiofity, and adjoyn fome other of my Relations and
Defcriptionsof the Idolatrous , their vain Superftitions
and Ceremonies about # their Idols, Temples, Pagods. What I
fhall now fet down, mine own Eyes have witnefs'd to 5 and I fhall
not fear being too tedious in defcribing things, perhaps, over
minutely in thefe Letters 5 fince I know you are delighted there
with, and out of your great erudition can make refledions upon
the Rites us'd in thele parts of the world, which in m^ny things
are not unlike the ancient ^Egyptian Idolatry. Fori am per-
fwaded to believe, not without the authority of ancient Authors^
that the worfhip of Ifis and Ofirk was common to Mgy^t and this
Region, as in Philojiratus I find Apollonius affirming, that in In*
dia he faw the Statues not onelyof the ^Egyptians, but alio of
the Grecian gods, as of Apollo, Bacchus, and Minerva^ But to
return to the particulars of my journey j O&ober the one and
thirtieth. After one a clock in the Afternoon, we departed from
Onor with Sig: Gio: Fernandez in a Mancion or Barge, and the
reft of the Family in a lefs Boat. Vitnla Sinay who was to go
with us, we left in a readinefs to fet forth after us, I know not,
whether by water or by Land. We row'd up the River which
runs Southward to O»0r, againft theftream, making ufe both
of Sail qjid Oars 5 and a little before night having gone about
three Leagues,,we came to Garfopa and there lodg'd. This
place was fometimes a famous City, Metropolis of the Province 7 ^
and Seat of a Queen : in which State, as likewife in many others
upon the Coaft of tothiiday, a Woman frequently hath ,
the fovereignty 5 Daughters or other nearefl: Kinfwomen be-
gotten by what ever Father fucceeding the Mothers 5 thefe Gen
tries having an opinion, (as 'tis indeed ) that the IfTue by the /? <>/
Woman-fide is much more fure of the blood and lineage of the
Anceftors, then that by the Man-fide. The laft Queen of Garjbpa
fell in Love with a mean Man and a ftranger," into whofe power
Ihe refign d her felf, together with her whole Kingdom. In
which aft, (fetting afide her choofing a Lover of bafe blood,
upon which account fhe was blam'd and hated by the Indians
P who