‘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’ [‎191] (212/508)

•V\ , \>v.v:
Into the EAST-INDIES.
8. A Door leading into the little Court.
9. Several Lodgings.
10. The little Court.
11. The place whence the wild Swine was brought.
12. The Ring denoted in fevcral places 3 according as he
mov'd whilft he twas fpeaking.
15. The Ring's two Neeces.
14. A great Man of the Ring's, who ferv'd for Interpreter,
15. The Queen in the higher Cloyfter.
16. Our Company, with a greater number of Courtiers on
each fide of us, than the place allows to be here denoted.
17. Our Captain in the clofe of the Audience, and when he
receiv'd the Lagne.
Being difmils'd hy t\\£Samort^ as is above-iaidj, we return'd
to the Sea-fide to go aboard, it being now night, but becaufe
there were but two or three very fmall boats, in each of which
not above two or three could go at a time, in regard the Sea
was £ome-what rough, and we were many, it came to be above
one a clock in the night before we all got aboard. Our Captain
was one of the firft, and he went prefently to give an account
of what had pafs'd this day between us and the Samort to the
General, who was minded to depart forth-with 5 but under-
ftanding that the Souldiers were not yet all embarqued, and
particularly, the Captain telling him that I was ftill on {hore 3
he gave order to move but llowly in expectation of me. In the
mean ume the Meflenger went to him to defire him to
ftay a little longer ^ whereupon the General, though he knew
it would be of little importance in reference to the Treaty of
Peace, yet not to appear difcourteous, and perhaps alio upon
account of lome expediency in order to our Navigation, he
determined to ftay all this night in the Port of C ale cut. The
Mefienger returning afhoar with this anfwer, found me alone
of all the Fleer, ftill there, where fome of the principal
kept me company all the while, and left me not till they law me
in the Boat, ufing much diligence, to difpatch all others as foon
as poffible 5 and in the mean time that we waited, which was
above an hour, holding me by the hand, and exprefling many
other careffes and demonftrations of kindnefs to me.
Before I leave CalecHt, I (hall here obferve one ftrange cuftom x
of the people of thefe parts. The Gentil Nairi have no pe- Va
culiar Wives, but all Women are common amon^t them ^ and
when any man repairs to vifit one of them, he leaves his weapons
at the door, which fign fufficiently debars all others from en-
tringinto diftu):b him > nor does this courfe beget any dHgufi / ^
or jealoufie. The Women are maintained by thofe men that
have to do V^ith them. The children neither feek nor many
times know, ^ho their Father is, but that defcent by the Mo- /u/ —
ther s fide is alone confidered, and according to that all inheri- ^
li
tances