‘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’ [‎128] (149/508)

The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
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whereupon we weredifmifs'd, and lb going out to Horfe again,
we were reconduded home with the lame folemmty and com-
1 ^After this, as we were walking through the City late in the
Evening without the Ambaffador, we faw going along the ftreets
feveral companies of young girls well cloth 'd after their manner,
namely, with fome of the above-mention d wrought and figur'd
Silk from the girdle downwards 5 and from thence upward either
naked, or elfewith very pure linnen, cither of one colour 5 or
{trip d and wrought with feveral, befides a fcart of the fame work
caft over the (houlder. Their heads were deck'd with yellow
and white flowers form'd into a high and large Diadem, with
fome flicking out like Sun-beams, and others twifted together
and hangingd own in feveral faftiions 5 which made a prety fight.
All of them carry'd in each hand a little round painted Stick,
about a fpan long or little more, which ftriking together after a
mufical meafure, befides the founds of Drums and other inftru-
ments, one of the Ikilfulleft of the company fung one verfe of
a fong at once .at the end of which they all reply 'd feven or eight
times in number of their meter this word, Cole, Cole, C^,which
I know not what it fignifies, but, I believe, tis a word ot joy.
Singing in this manner, they went along the ftreet eight or ten
together, being either friends or neighbours, follow'd by many
other women,not drefs'd in the fame fa{hion,but who were either
their Mothers or their Kinf-women. I imagin'd it was forfomc
extraordinary Feftival, and I was willing to have follow d them
to fee whither they went, and what they did 5 but being in the
company of others, I could not handfomely do it, nor had my
Companions the fame Curiofity^ as indeed the Portugals are not
at all curious. I underftood afterwards that they went to the
Piazza of the great Temple, which is moderately large, and
there dane'd in circles, finging their fongs till it was late , and
that this was a Feftival, which they keep three dayes together
at the end of a certain Faft in Honor of Gaurt, one of their
Goddefles, Wife of Mobedaca j and therefore'tis celebrated by
girts*
November the ninth. Walking about the City, I faw a beam
rais'd a good height, where, in certain of their Holy-dayes
fome devout people are wont to hang themfelves bytheflelh
upon hooks faftned to the top of it, and remain a good while fo
hanging, the blood running down in the mean time , and they
flouriftiing their Sword and Buckler in the Air, and finging verfes
in Honor of their Gods. Moreover, in a clofe place oppofite
to the Temple, I faw one of thofe very great Carrs, or Gharri-
ots, wherein upon certain Feafts they carry their Idols in Pro-
ceffion, with many people befides, and Dancing-women, who
play on mufical inftruments, fing, and dance. The four wheels of
this Carr were fourteen of my (pans in diameter and the wood
of the fides was one fpan thick. At the end of it were two great
wooden