‘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’ [‎110] (131/508)

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/ he I fd'vcls of Peter Ocll^ V alic,
of the leaves of ^ef/e, fan herb which the Indians we always
nd tothe fi^ht net ti
e it to.the Aii.bafiaclc r, he told him that he (hould prefent
eating, and to the fl^ht not unlike the leaves oi our Cedars) and
giving k to.tht — t - r u 1 r '
j Vhe Captain, the cuftom being fo m Indta^ tor the perlon
U tOii*>v- — 0 - . • r
viiitcd'to give r^/t;-leaves to the vifitant, where-with thevifit
ends. The Ambaflador did fo 3 and the Captain without taking
any of.thefe leaves, whether it were the cuftom, or that being a
Moor he did not ufe it, C which yet I believe not ) gaveit to
certain perlcns of qualities who ftood befide hiiri;, and hadac-
coiiipanyd him ^.neither did any of them touch the leaveSj but
the bafket went from hand to hand till it was carry'd away as
full as it was prefented 5 which being done, the Captain firfl 3 and
then Vitulh sinay^ took leave and departed.
After we had din'dp about noon or foon after, our AmbafTa-
/dorwent away alone with his Chaplain, out of impatience to
fray longer in that place; the reft of us remain'd, expeding the
removing of all our baggage, which was very flow in departing,
becaufe the Men who carry 'd the fame upon their heads, were
not fufficicnt, and the burthens were too heavy 5 fo that it was
needful to hire more, and increafe the number of Porters to
thirty fix, befides mine , which I hir'd for ray {elf apart 5 and
becaufe neither were thefe enough^ it was needful to lade two
Oxen, who carry'd Goods for four other Men ^ and this took
up much time, bccaufe neither the Men nor the beafts which
were hir'd were ready, but were to be fought for here and there.
In the meantime, while the burthens were getting in order, I
entertain'd my felf in the Porch of the Temple, beholding little
boys learning Arithmetick afteraftrange manner, which I will
here relate. They were four, and having all taken the fame
lefibn from the Matter , to get that fame by heart, and repeat
likewife their former lelions and not forget them 5 one of them
linging mufically with a certain continu'd tone, (which hath the
torceof making deep imprtffion in the memory) recited partoi
the leflbn j as, for example,One by it felf makes one 5 and whilft
he wasthusfpeaking, he writ down the fame number, not with
any kind of Pen, nor in Paper, but (not to fpend Paper irc vain)
with his finger on the ground , the.pavement being for that pur-
pofe ftrew'd all over with very fine fand 5 after the firft had writ
what he lung, all the reft fung and writ down the fame thing
together. Then the firft boy fung and writ down another pare
ofthelefton, as;, for example. Two by it felf two make two 5
which all the reft repeated in the fame manner, and fo forward
in order. When the pavement was full of figures^ they put them
out with the hand, and if need were, ftrew'd it with new fand
from a little heap which they had before them where-with to
write further : And thus they did as long as the exercife conti
nue 3 in which manner^ likewife they told me, they learnt to
read and write without fpoiling Paper, Pens, or Ink, which
certainly is a prety way. I afk/d them, if they happen'd to fop
get