‘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’ [‎121] (142/508)

Into the E A S T-IN D I E S.
131
XI I,]
like Groves, fo that k feems to confift of a City, Lakes, Fieldsj
and Woods mingled together, and makes a very dehghtful fight , /
We were lodg'd in the Houfe, astheyfa.d, wherein the King of S
Keliehl loda'd i I know not whether Kmfman, Friend, or Vallal /
toFenk-fpaXaieka, but probably one of the above-mention-d
Royolets s and to go to this Houfe we went out of the third In-
clofure, puffing through the inmoft part of the City by another
Gate oppohte to that by which we enter'd. The Houfe indeed
wa s fuch as in our Countries an ordinary Artifan would fcarce
have dwelt in, having very few, and thofe fmall and aark Rooms
Which fcarce afforded light enough to read a Letter 5 they build
rem fo dark, as a remedy for the great heat of Summer. How-
evt this muft needs have been one of the beft, finceitwasaf-
fian'd to the faid King firft, and now to our Ambaflador ; al
though as we pafs'd through the midft of the Cuylobfervd
fome that made a much better fcew. , r. 1 n. j
At nicht thev brought the Ambalfador a couple of bed-fteads
tofleeo upon, and fome ftools for out ufe , fome of them made
of Canes intervoven, infteadof coverings of Leather or Cloth,
being much us'din Goa and other places of 5 but fome
others were cover'd with Leathen . .,
November the feventh, Fitiili Sinay came in the morning to
vifit our Ambalfador, and in his Kings Name brought him a
Prefent of Sugar -Canes, Fruits, Sugar, and other things to eat,
but not any Animal > and, if I was not mifintorm d, ( for I was
not prefent) he excus'd his Kings not fending him Sheep or other
Animals to eat, by faying, that he was of a or Noble
Race, who neither eat nor kill any Creatures; as it helhould
have fin : d and defil'd himfelf, by fending any to the Ambaffador
who would have eaten them. With this Prelent he lent a piece
ofTapiftrv, not as a Gift, butonely fortheAmbafladortomake
life of in his Houfe, and it was us'd in fuch fort that at length
it had a hole in itOThe Ambaflidor, as not prizing it, having
aiven it to his Interpreter to deep upon* as indeed, he leem d
not very well pleas'd with it or his Donatives 5 for, fpeaking ot
the R^CfPtion which Ven&aph Naiek* made him, he would ot-
ten fay, ( according to the natural and general cuftom ot his
Nation ^ ; Let him do me lefs honour , and give me lomc-
thine more, and itwill be better. However, J believe Venkctafa >
Naiek*, who is not liberal, will abound more mCourtefie tothe
Ambaffador then in Gifts. Vitul* Sinay faid, that the next day
the Ambaflador (hould be call'd to Audience three hours a ter
noon; wherefore Himfelf and all his Attendants continued un-
drefs'd till dinner-time. I knowing the cuftom ot Courts, and
that Princes will not wait but be waited for, and that the hours
of Audience depend upon their pleafure, not upon his who is to
have it, drefs'd my felf in the morning leifurely, that 1 might
not afterwards confound my felf with hafte j and though m ludi
folcmnities others cloth'd thetnfelves in colours, and with orna-
ments