‘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’ [‎243] (264/508)

Into 'the EAST-INDIES.
which by fome carv'd work of the Frontis-piece 3 and the form
witbiti,feems to have been made for a Temple or place of burial,
but nbw 'tis ufed onely as a ftall for Cartel. The liland it felf is
low and plain , the Peafants fow it with Corn, Onyons 3 and a
few other fuch things 5 but 'tis poor enough, the wealth of the
Inhabitants confifting for the moft part in the fifta which they take.
They tpeak the Perftan Language, and indeed are Vaflals of
Perfta, though by realbn of their poverty they pay no Tribute to
the Perftam. They told me, that they are govern d by a Chief,
called, according the cuftom of the Arabians> Sceich, which dig
nity defbends from Father to Son 5 that in the war between the / 7 /
Per flans ztiAthzPortngaU, the former had intended to have built / / /y/
a Fort here, w hereby to hinder the Portugal Ships from watering 4
hcre a> tliey palTedby -, but the Inhabitants excufed themfelves
from it in th'. u poverty,and by treating all parties alike friendly^
thev have efeaped unmolefted by any, and enjoy their fweet
Liberty up6n no other account but their poverty. They told me
alfo tb&t free Trade was granted to all the Inhabitants of this
Perftan Goaft between Charg and Bajfora, both by the Portngals
and fhe people of , fothat they were not molefted by
any part y ; the ground of which I take to be., becaufe Bajjbra
hath not fufficient Visuals, the greateft part being brought thi-
the r from thefe Lands of Perfia^ and on the other fide, thePor-
mats need Provifion for their Fleet which they keep at Bafora
to affift the place againft the Perjtans. At night we return d
aboard, having exchanged the Pilot, which Rhji Freira
gave us for one of Charg, it being the cuftom fo to do. It rained
in the night, and the Sea grew high 5 wherefore for more le-
curity, we put off from the land further to Sea.
March the fixth, Very early in the Morning we departed trom
Chare* together with the other Ship of Ctatil^ yet each taking /
its own way ^ and we proceeded coalttng along Perjw, which /
lay on the right hand: The next day the wind failing we ca It
Anchor, fo far from thePe^lhore that it was out ot light?
yet we found no more water than about ten fathom* and in
deed we were fain to fail when the wind arofe, with plummet
conftantly in hand, by reafon of the (hallow which are here-
3 March the eighth, We failed ftill out of fight of land, yet had
but four fathom of water; and becaufe the (hallow isequal in
this place for a great way together, the Pilotscall it Met-
Om, that is, the Plain. The next day we failed a little, but moft
of the day lay at Anchor, becaufe the Pilots could not find the
mouth of the River of Bajfora, although it feem 'd to us to be
very near; and indeed, 'tis no eafie matter to find it, the Ihore
being ib low that it is not difcerned,unlefs very near hand
approach fonear the (hore as to difcern the River, is not late by
reafon of the (hallows. , ■' -j, . . VII r-
March the eleventhjln feeking the mouthofthe Riverjopimons
I i 2, were