‘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’ [‎262] (283/508)

The Trave Peter Delia Valle,
fore doubting left he might fend to do us feme difpleafure^ al
though it was night, weremov'd our Quarters, andtravelldin
hafte till midnight.
June the twenty WeTet forth by day-light, and journied
till Noon, and after two hours reft, continued our way till night
over Lands ibmetimes moorifti with abundance of little canes 3
fometimes whitifh with ralt 3 aud fometimes cover'd with thick
ets of Shrubs.
« the twenty fecond. We travell'd again till Noon ^ and
as we were repofing in thefe Plains which were all cover'd with
fmall dry grafsj a little fparkle falling from fome of the Came-
• Hers, whoj according to their enftom , ftood fucking the fmoke
of 'lohacco^ fet'this grafs on fire, and the flame increas'd To fud-
denly that we had much ado to fave our Goods from burning •
but at length we extinguifh't it by cafting cloths and thick cover
ings upon it 5 for water the place afforded none, and we had
only enough for drink. Departing thence two or three hours
before night, we quarter'd in another place callM Ehathuer )
where two or three men whom we met with their laden Camels,
inform'd us that the great Cafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. , which went fo many days before
us from Ba/fora, had incounter'd many difficulties, and was ftopt
by Emir Najir, who;, befides taking a great fum of money from
them, alfo conftraind many of the people to go to Mefched Hhuf-
fiinto fight with the grzilhafci, with whom he was now at en
mity 5 in which conflict, which .prov'd little fuccefsful to the
Arabians^ the chief Leader of the Cafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. was (lain, his Sou fuc-
ceeding him in his Charge > with other like news, which made
me doubt of the good eftate of our Francks who went along
with that Cafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. ,
V. Jnne the twenty third,the twenty fourth^and the twenty fifth,
W« travelled and refted at our ufual hours, during which dayes,
we had the Hand of the Chaldean Lake on our right
hand , and on the laft of them, we repofed at a place wherein
grew certain low and thin plants, which to me feemed to be Ju
niper.
June the twenty fixth. We travelled from day-break till two
hours before Noon, and then refted near certain Pits, where wc
had on the right hand afar off Mefched-Ali^ the place where an
ciently ftood the City of Kitfa, and where Ali the Son-in-law of
Mabhammed wasllain 5 the name Adefched-Ali fignifying the place
oi the Martyrdom of Alt, whom they hold a Martyr. And
though the City of Kufa is no longer in being, yet^upon account
of the faid Sepulchre, venerated by Mahometans, and adorned
with a noble Fabrick, the place is frequented and inhabited;
when w 7 e pafled by, it was in the power of the gizilhafet, where-
asitufed to be in thatofthe Turks whilft they were Maftersof
Baghdad, From hence we continued our Journey till two hours
within night.
jf^ethetwenty feventh, We fet forth by day-light 3 and at
Sifli _ Noon