‘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’ [‎144] (165/508)

^ i.
The Travels of Peter Delia Valfe,
LETTER VI.
11
w
From Mangalor^ Decemb.
A ving already feen in ikker* as much as was there remark
able and being very deftrous of feeing Barfelor.Maftgalor^
and alfo principally the Q^of Okz^whofe Dominiop and
fVefidenceis contiguous to Mangalor 5 as well for that Iht is So
vereign of thofe parts.) (^a matter in other Countries not ordina
ry ) and a Princefs famous in our dayes 5 even in the Indian Hi-
ftorics of xhtVortugalS) asbecaufe (he is a Gentile in Religion >
as likewife all her Subjefts are 5 ("whence, I conceiv'd, I might
poffibly fee fome confiderable curiofity there) Hay d hold of
the occafion of going thither in company of thefeMenwho are
fent by the Ambaflador 5 by whofe favour, being provided of a
good Horfe,' (m regard there were noJ'alanchino's to be hir'd in
Ikkeri) and a Man to carry my baggage upon his Head, I pre
pared to fet forth the next Morning.
November the three and twentieth. Before my departure from
ikker)^ I was prefented from Vitnla Cofwhom I had before
taken leave^) with a little Book written in theC^^-Language,
* which is the vulgar in ikk^ri and all that State. It is made after
the cuftom of the Country, not of paper, Cwhich they feldom
ufej but of Palm-leavs ? to wit, ot that Palm which the Portu-
gals call Palmum brama, i. e. lVild-palm x and is of that fort whicli
produces the Indian Nut ^ for fo do thofe commonly in India,,
where Palms that produce Oates are very rare. In the leavs
of thefe Palms they write, or irather, ingrave the Letters with
an Ironftyle made for thepurpofeofan uncouth form j and 3 that
the writing may be more apparent, they ftreak it over with a
coal, and tye the leavs together, to make a Book of them after
a manner lufficiently ftrange. I being defirous to have one of
thefe Books to carry , as a curiofity, to my own Country for or
nament of my Library,and not finding any to be fold in the City,
had entreated Vitnla sinay to help me to one 5 but he, not find
ing any vendible therein, caus'd a fmall one to be purpofely
tranferib'd for me, (there being not time enough for a greater}
and fent it to me as a gift juft as I was ready to take Horfe.
What the Book contains, I know not, but I imagine 'tis
Veries in their Language, and I carry it with me, asIdoalfoCto
(hew to the curious) djvers leavs not written, and a ftyle or Iron
Pen, fuch as they ufey together with one leaf containing a Letter
Miffive after their manner, which was written by I know not
who to our Ambaflador > of whom taking leave with many
complements, as alio of Sig: Carvaglio, the Chaplain, MonUgro^
and all the company, I departed from ihferi a little before noon,
going out at the fame Gate whereat I had enter'd 5 and having no
other