‘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’ [‎164] (185/508)

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& C^C^XJ! /ZyC^i^-t
The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
there all the rooms are cover 'd with Carpets, but there was not
any in thele of the King, onely the pavement wasglofs'd with
Cow -dung. Wherefore as to have put off my {hoes, fbefides
thnt they are not fo eahly flip'd off as Pantofles, nor docs it ihew
well) would have been an exorbitant and unneceflaryliumility •
fo to enter with them on, was to me convenient and decorous,
without any lyablenefs to be accus'd of uncleanlinefs, being the
fioore was not cover J d 5 if it had been fo with Carpets or the
like, as 'tis ufualin Turkie and Perfta^ then, (to avoid feeming
ilovenly by foiling the place with my dirty ftioes, and my fejf
by fitting upon them, which indeed is not handfome ) I fhould
have caus'd my ihoes to be pull'd off, for which purpofe, I had
accordingly caus'd a pair of flippers of our fafhion to be brought
along with me, in cafe there fhould have been need of them 3
our kind of fhoes being not fo eafie to be put off by (baking the
foot alone without the help of the hand, as thofe which forthis
end are us'd by all the Eaftern people. Entring in this mannetj
and faluting the Ring as I pafs'd, I went to fit down at the upper
end of the Chamber, ( as tis above defcrib'd J where they had
prepar'd a little (quare board of the bignefs of an ordinary ftool,
which might ferve for afingle perfon,but rais'd no more then four
fingers above the ground ^ upon this I fat down,crofling my Legs 5
one over the other 5 and that little elevation help'd me to keep
them out from under me, with fuch decency as I defir'd. Right be
fore the feat upon the bare floor, (the Indians not ufing any Ta
bles they had fpread inftead of a diCh, (as their cuftom is } efpeci-
a ly to us Chriftians, with whom they will not defile their own
vcilels ^ it not being lawful fortl em ever to eat again inthofc
wherein wehaveeatenj a great Leaf of that Tree, which the
Arabians and Terfuns call JMohk 5 the Portugals in India^ Fichi d'
Indian Indian Fig-trees $ and upon the (aid leaf they had lay'da
^ good quantity of Rice boyl'd after their manner , onely with
water and fait ^ but for fauce to it, there (food on one fide a little
vefiel made of Palm-leavs,full of very good butter melted.There
lay alio upon another Leaf one of tho(e Indian Figgs, clean and
par d 5 and hard by it a quantity of a certain red herb,comrnonly
eaten in India , and call'd by the Vertugals Brcdo^ ("which yet is
the general appellation of all (brt of herbsj. In another place lay
feveral fruits us d by them, and, amongft the reft, (even of the
Bambu' i or great Indian Cane $ all of them preferv'd in no bad
manner, which they call Acciao \ befides one (brt pickled with
V inegar , as our Olives are. Bread there was none, becaufe
they uicnone, but the Rice is inftead of it j which was no great
defed to me, becaufe I am now accuftom'd to want it, and eat
very little. The King very earneftly pray'd me to eat, excufing
nn itif often that he gave me (b fmall an entertainment on the
uc den \ for if he had known my coming before-hand, he would
have prepar'd many Cartl^ and divers other more pleafing meats.
C^rz/is a name which in India they give to certain Broths made
with