‘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’ [‎218] (239/508)

21
8 The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
which I refer my felf to better diligence (which I (hall ufe with
0 their Ephemerides of this year, in cafe I can procure the fame)
J//Moors were to begin their Rafandhanox Faft of their|i633)
^ year of the Hegira.
June the twenty fourth. Being in a Window to fee the careers
of the Cavaliers who ran in the Street before the Vice-roy ac
cording to the yearly cuflom in Goa upon S. JohnsDay, I hap-
ned to meet with Sig. Lun He Mendoza General of the Fleet
wherewith I went to Calecut, and Sig. Bento or Benedetto, or
Freites Mafcarenhas, in a Portugal Habit, who a few years be
fore was taken by Pirats of Algiers, and carried a flave to Bar-
hary 5 whence being redeemed and return'd into his own Coun
try, he was favourably look*tuponby his King, andfent again
into Captain of aGaleon. This Cavalier, befides the re
lation of his own mifadventures told me how Qara SnltanXyiho
in my time wasfent Embaiiador from the King of Terfia. into
Spain in anfwer to the Embaffy of Don Garcia de Silva Figueroa,
and travailed in the fame Ship, before it was taken by the Pirats)
died by the way, having firft fubftituted another of his com
pany to perform his charge 5 which other Embafiadoir was taken
with the faid Ship, and carried a flave into Argiers 5 whereof
notice being given to the Terjian EmbafTador at Conjtantinople,
order was expeded from thence what to do with him 5 which
not coming before this Gentleman was delivered he could not tell
what the illue was, but left him ftill a prifoner in Argiers,
XI. Auguji the fifth , The Indians were to celebrate their
folemn Feftival of Wafhing and other Ceremonies accuftomed to
(y y ^ performed at Narva, and mentioned by me in the laft years
^relation to be'celeb rated on the feventeenth of the fame Month.
// / And becaufe this year the Feaft-day fell twelve day es fooner in
year then in the laft, I perceived that the Indian year muft
^7 / be Lunar 5 or if it be Solar, as I think I have heard, it cannot be
y / - juftor equal, but to be adjufted requires (bme great and extra-
^^vagant intercalation. I went not to Narva to lee theFeaft, be
caufe the place lies beyond the; River in the Territory of the
Moors, who at this time ftood not upon good Terms with the
Portugals, Neither did the Gentiles of Goa go thither, for the
fame reafon ^ and if I was not mif-enformed, they expeded a
fafe conduft from Idal-Sciah from Vidhiapor, to go thither ano
ther day.
the ninth. Two hours and forty minutes before Noon
(if the Calculation and Obfervation of Chriflofero Borano or Bo-
robe true) the Sun was in the Zenith of Goa, and began to de
cline towerds the South.
Atfguji the twenty fourth,On which day the FeaftofS 1 Bartho-
lomvpwtesto be celebrated, certain Officers deputed for that
purpofe with other Principal Perfons entrufted with the fuperin-
tendency of the Fields and Agriculture, offered to the Cathe
dral Church, and afterwards alfo to the Vice-roy, the firft-
fruits