‘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’ [‎285] (306/508)

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Into the EAST-INDIES.
to continue in the fame Ship till I came either to Malta or Sicily,
and the rather becaufe the Captain was a Perfon to my likingjand
all his people honeft Cathoiicks, with whom I promis'd my felf
mod fatisfadtion. Befides 3 though the Flemiih Ship was greater^
better arrnd, and accompany'd with two others 3 and Confe-
quently, as to danger of Pirats 5 more (afe 5 yet'twas known
too that the Flemmings were at Truce with the Pirats, and fome-
times will not fight with them, but being fecure not to lofe any
thing of their own, ufetofubmit to them, and let them take
all the goods of other people that they have in their Ships with
out the leaft conteft: So thatlhadfome reafon not to truft my
felf with them., ( although much perfwaded thereunto by the
JVlafter of the Ship) becaufe, perhaps, in fuch cafe they would
not have much car'd for fecuring me, whom they hated upon the
account of Religion. On the other fide, though the French
Ship wherein I imbarqud was fmall and unprovided of Artil
lery, yet it was an excellent Sailer, and fafe enough from being
overtaken by any Pirate, provided it defcryU him firft at a little
diftance, and had but the leaft advantage: For which purpofe a
Man was conftantly plac'd upon the main-fail to make difcoye-
ries s and as for being furpriz'd by the Pirats without fore-feeing
them, as 'twas pofiible we might be in a Morning at day-break,
falling among them unawares 5 fo,we hop'd, God would preferve
Us from fuch misfortune. Of this change of my Refolution, I
gave account in my Letters to Aleppo 5 and I mention it here, to
the end, that it may appear that my pafling into Italy in fo
fmall and difarm'd a Ship, was not folly or ralhnefs, ( as, per
haps, it may otherwife feemj but a confiderate determination
prudently made upon weighty and important Reafons^ Accord
ingly, after Sig: Antonio Grandi had prefented us many refrefti-
ments for the Voyage, the fame Evening a little before night we
fet fail.
September the firft. In the Evening we pafs'd by CapoChanzir,
or, as'tis now commonly call d. Capo Porco, lying thirty miles
from Alexandretta , and the next Evening we diicover'd the
IHand of Cyprus, where we were to touch and ft ay fome dayes.
September the third. In the Morning we doubled the Capeot
S. Andre*, on the South of the faid Iftand, being to put in at
?orto del/a Saline, or the Port of the Salt-pits, which is now the
principal and moft frequented landing-place ot Cyprus.
September the fourth. We enter'd the faid Poi r, which lyes on
the South part Cyprus in a Urge Bay, furrounded with Land,
fpacious and fecure enough for all fort of Ships. It lyes two
hundred miles from Alexandretta , and is the Port where rhe
Turkilh Army landed when they took the Ifland. As foon as
we had enter'd, we were vifited in the Ship by Sig:
Todorini, a prime Greek Merchant, but not a Cyprior, who
offer'd me his Houfe ^ and Sig: Giovan Francefco Parente, a Ve
netian my ancient Friend and correfpondent in Aleppo, ^frcm
5 J whesce
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