‘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’ [‎258] (279/508)

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258
The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
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my fervant Michtl to Baffora. , with Letters to F. Fra:B<iflie 3
S\%:Confalvo Martins de Cafielbranco^zdLox of the Tortugals^b
Chogia NegcWj earneftly entreating them to procure that the chief
Camelier might come away forth-with 5 or 5 in cafe he muft ftay
yet longer for the Capigi, that he would give order to his under-
Cameliers to condud us forwards 5 and I would go without
him i ^ not, I would return to Bajfora, Two dayes after, my
Servant return'd from Bajfora with this account, That theCdp/g*
would come away the next day without fail , and that F.F jmj
Gregorio Orfino, a Dominican, formerly known to me, and Vicar
General at Confiantinefle ten years before, was arriv'd at Bajftra
from Armenia [where he had been Apoftolical Vifitor) in
order to go fpeedily into Italy , and hearing of my being upon
the way to Aleppo^ intended to come along with the chief Came-
lier ; Which laft News was fo welcome to mejthat I accounted all
the time of my pafs'd, and yet future, waiting at well
fpent % for I imagin'd the Capigi would not come fb foon as they
faid, becaufe the Moors never fpeak truth.
May the thirtieth. At dark night the above-faid F, Fra\ Gre-
gorio Orfino arriv'd with the chief Camelier Hhaggi Ahhamed, I
receiv a him with fuch contentment as you may imagine 5 and,
though he civilly declined it, caus'd him to lodg with meinmy
Tent. The Capigi came not; and though they faid, he would
come prefently after, yet I conceived we were to wait for him
yet a good while , and, perhaps, till the New Moon ^ it being
the cuftom of the Moors almoft ever to begin their journeys at
the New Moon.
June the third, Early in the Morning the Cafigi arriv'd at the
place where we waited for him 5 whereupon, in order to our
further progrefs, we difcharg'd fuch duties of Gabels orCuftoms
as were to be paid at this Town.
You muft know that in the whole way of thisDefart, we were
to pay four Toils or Cuftoms, f if he that conducted us did not
deceive us) namely, to Sceicb AhdnUah^ Lord of Cuwbeda, for
every Camel's load of fine Merchandize, valu'd at the rate of
Indian Cloth, five Piaftres ^ for every like load of any other
Goods whatfoever, valu'd at the rate of Tobacco, a muchlefler
fumm, but I know not how much. Another Gabelwastobe
paid to a Chieftain of the Arabians of the Defart, whom
they call Ben Chaled $ he takes for every load, be it what it
will, five Lart, which amount to one Piaftre and a Sciahi be-
Gdes, of which eight and a third part go for a Piaftre at Eajfora,
but at Aleppo onely eight. The third Gabel was to be paid to
another Head of the Arabians^ firnamed il Ciec$^ who takes for
every load whaf foever, iix Sciabi ^ and laftly, fix other Sciabi,
wtre in like manner to be paid for every load to another Captain
of Arabtaxs, Coulin to the fore-faid Cieco, Scich Abdullah, Lord
of Cuvebeda, laid, he would take nothing of me, in regard of
two Letters which I brought him j one from the Bafha of Bajfou^
and