‘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’ [‎232] (253/508)

2 The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
by Arabians, At night we were troubled with rairi;, which paf-
fing through all covers, wetted us fufficiently, and kept us from
fleeping. The next day we hois'd fail;, and had fcarce dry'd our
Clothes, but more rain furpriz'd us 5 and through want of wind
all the day, we did not get fo far as which lyes eight
Leagues forward, and twelve fhort of Mafcat.
On the eleventh of the fame Moneth, having no wind, we
made ufe of Oars, till we came to an Anchor a little beyond
Curiat 5 and the next day hoiiing fail, we pafs'd by an Ifland call 'd
Scoglio di Curiat, failing through a narrow arm of the Sea which
divides it from the Continent, which is all ftony and full of
Cliffs, like the fair Mountain Pojilippo near Naples in Italy. Before
night we caft Anchor a little beyond 5 for our Oars helpt the
Ship but little ^ being only ferviceable to fuch heavy Veflels tofui'
pafsa Cap6, or get into a Port, or the like, in cafe of need for a
(hort way. At night we weigh'd Anchor, and fbon afterwards
caft it again, having made but little way.
January the thirteenth. Having fail'd all day, and pafs'd the
Tropick of Cancer, we enter'd the Northern Temperate Region,
and towards night arriv'd at the Port of Mafcat, which is well
clos'd and encompafs'd about with little Mountains, but lyes
open to the North-weft, whereby it receives much dammage.
The Town, whereof the leaftpart are wall'd Houfes, and the
greateft onelyfheds made of Palm-boughs, ftands direftlyin
the innermoft recefs of the Port, furrounded behind with Moun
tains 5 amongft which, neverthelefs, there want not wayes of
accefs to it from the in-land parts 5 fo that 3 to fecure their Houfes
from the incurfions of the Arabians, they had in my time begun
to raife an earthern wall, but plain and weak, with a few Bafti-
ons, very diftant one from another 5 which wall, drawn from
Mountain to Mountain, inclofes and (ecures their Houfes on that
fide, as the Sea doth on the oppofite and inacceffible little Moun
tains on the two other fides. On the top of one of thefe Moun
tains, on the right hand as you enter the Port, ftands the Caftle,
difficult indeed to be taken by aflault or otherwife then by Fa
mine, if well defended ; (or though the wall be not very ftrong,
yet the natural fituation fecures it, and it hath a Plat-form le-
velldto the Sea, whereby it defends the Port with Artillery,
and is defcended to from the Caftle by a cover'd Ladder, which
is very good. On the other fide of the Port, upon another
Mountain ftands another Port of left confideraiion, having been
ar.ciently the Caftle 5 yet it hath Artillery, and may be of (bme
advantage. The Town is fmall, but for its bignels fufficiently
peopled, efpecially (ince the lofs of Or/w/s, from whence many
repair hither. The people ismix'dof Portugals, Arabians, In-
dians, Gentiles, and Jews, It hath onely two Churches 5 one
which is the See of the Vicar, who is no Prieftbut an Auguftine
Fryer 5
one of their Covent, alwayes coming to officiate there,
and to difcharge the place of Vicar and Parifh-Prieft .* the other
. is