‘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’ [‎111] (132/508)

Into the EAST -INDIES.
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VJ.
set or be miftaken in any part of the leflbn, who correfted and
taught them, they being all Scholars without the affiftance ot
anyMafteri they anfwer'd me, and faid true, that it was not
poffible for all four of them to forget or miftake in the fame part,
and that they thus exereis'd together, to the end, that if one
happen'd to be out, the others might correct him. Indeed a
prety, eafie, and fecure way of learning.
Having feen this Curiofity, and our baggage being laden, we
all fet forth after the Ambaflador, and Vituli simy fee out to
gether with us. We travell'd firft Eaft-ward, then South-ward,
but many times I could not obferve which way our courfe tend
ed • we went upon the ridge of a Hill, and through uneven
waves, fometimes afcending, and fometimes defcending, but
always in the middle of great thick Groves full of Grafs and
running water, no lefs delightful then the former Fields. A little
more then half a League from the Fort, we found a of
theMwrs, built upon the way with a Lake or Receptacle ot
water,, but not very well contriv'd by the Captain of the laid
Fort, which his King had allow'd him to make as a great favour i
for the Gentiles are not wont to fuffer in their Countries Temples
of other Religions. Here we found our Ambaffador, who
ftay'd for us; and we tarry'd likewife here above an hour in
expeftation of our baggage, much of which was ftill behind. At
length continuing our journey, and having refted a good while
in another place, nigh,t came upon us in the midft of a Wood, lo
fliady, that although we had very clear Moon-light, yet we
were fain to light Torches, othervyife we could not fee our way.
The Torches us'd in India are not like ours 5 but made of metal
in form of thofe wherewith the Infernal Furies are painted, the
fire of which is fed with Bitumenj and other dry materials which
are put into the mouth or hollow at the topj into which alio
they frequently powre a combuftible liquor;, which the Man
that holds the Torch carries in his other hand in a metalline
bottle with a long (lender neck very fit for that purpofe ? for
when he is minded to recruit the flame, he diftills a little liquor
into ifr, the length of the neck fecuringhis hand from hurt. By
the light of thefe Torches we travell'd a great part of the night.
At length being unable to overtake the Horfes which were led
before, and the baggage being behind, for fear of lofing our way,
we ftay 'd under a great Tree, where fome in P a lane h woes ^ and
others upon the ground, fpent this night inconveniently and
fupper-lefs, having nothing elfe to eat but a little Bread, which
we toafted at the lire, that we might eat it hot $ and with the
fame fire which we kindled, we allay'd the coldnelsof the night,
which in the top of thefe Indian Mountains is very cold m re-
eard of their height 5 yet it was not (harper to us this night, then
it ufes to be at Rome in the beginning of September, even in tem-
^NovemUrthe third. As foon as it was day we follow 'd our
way
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