‘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’ [‎135] (156/508)

Into the EAST-INDIES.
35
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a more eminent Church, fo confequently the fervice is more
pompous v befides that, they told me Venhztafa Naieka had a
great and particular devotion to the Idol Agorefukr ^ who is
here worfeip'd.
On the fifteenth of the fame moneth^ame firft in the day-time
and afterwards at night toourHoufe twelve or fifteen publick
Dancing-women, who by confequence, are alfo publick Strum
pets, although very young, being conduced by certain of their
men. In the day time they did nothing, but talkt a little 3 and
fome of them made themfelves drunk with a certain Wine made
of dry'd Raifins, or a fort of Aqu* Vit£ and other mixtures, call'd
m India ^ Nippa 5 I lay fomc of them, becaufe certain others of
lefs ignoble Race, as they are more abftinent in eating, fo they
drink not any thing that inebriates At night, they entertaki'd
us a good while with Balls, or Dancing, after their mode, accom
pany'd with finging, not unpleafant to behold 5 for they confifi:
of a numerous company of Women, all well cloth'd and adorn'd
with Gold, Jewels, andTreifesof feveral fafliions, who fing and
fnap their wooden inftruments. They begin all their Balls flow--
ly, and by degrees growing to a heat,at laft end with furious and
quick motions, which appear well enough : Amongft their other
Dances two pleas'd me well, one in which they continually re*
peated thefe words *-and another wherein they repre-
fented a Battel, and the aftions of flaughter 5 in the conclufion,
the Mafter of the Ball, who direds all, and was one ofthofe that
brought them, dancing in the midft of them with a naked Pony^
ard, wherewith he reprefented the anions of (laughter as the
Women did wkh their fhort fticks. But the end of this (hew
was more ridiculous: For when they were difmifs'd, theyqot-
cnely were not contented with the largefs of the Ambaflador,
although I added as much of my own to it, but went away ill
fatisfi'd, teftifying the fame by cholerick yellings, which to rae
was a new Comedy.
November thefixteenth, I was told that the above-mention'd
Woman who had refolv'd to burn her felf for her Hufband's
death'; was to dye this Evening. But upon further enquiry at
the WomansHoufe, I underftood that it would not be till after
a few dayesmore, and there 1 (aw her fitting in a Court or Yard,«
and other perfons beating Drums about her. She was cloth'd all
in white, and deck'd with many Neck-laces, Bracelets, and
other ornaments of Gold > on her Head (he had a Garland of
Flowers fpreading forth like the rayes of the Sun > in brief, (he
was wholly in a Nuptial Dre(s, and held a Lemon in her Hand,
which is the ufual Ceremony, She (eem'd to be pleafant enough,
talking and laughing in converfation, as a Bride would do in c^r
Countries. She and thofe with her, took notice of my ftanding
there to behold her, and con)e&uring by my ftr^oge Habit, what
the meaning of it was, fome of them Came towards me. I told
them by an Interpreter, that I was a Perfon of a very remote
Country^