‘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’ [‎329] (350/508)

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A Voyage to EAST-INDIA,
be a fit Emblem of an ill race of people^ who under fweet couh-
tenanceS;, carry fharp tongues.
Bonttoes and Albicores, are in colour, fhapc 3 and tafte, much
like unto Mackrels, and as good fifti as they, but they grow to be
very exceeding large.
The Porpifces or ftogfiJh y are like the former, very large and
great, but better to look upon than to tafte 5 they ulually ap
pear at Sea in very great (holes or companies, and are (as if they
came of therac^ of the Swine, thatraQ violently into
the SeaJ very fwiftin their motion, and like a company march
ing in rank add file? Theyteapor mount very nimbly over the .
waves, and fo down and up again, making a melancholy noife,
when they are above the water. Thefe areufually, when they
thus appear, certain prefagers of very foul weather.
The have skinny wing? like unto Bats, but larger ^
they are ftiffhed and ftrengthned with many little bones, fuch as
are in the.back-fins of Pearches, by which they fly but a little
way at a time 3 they have fmall bodies like unto Pilchers, and
appear when they fly, in marvellous great companies, andfome
of them often fly into our (hips, by which we have tafted that
they are excellent good fifli. Of all other, thefe flying Fifties live
the moft miferable livesrfor being in the water, the Dolphins,Bo-
iiitoes,Albicores,andPorpifces,chale,perfecute3and take them,and
when they would efcape by their flight, are oftentimes caught
by ravenous Fowls, fomewhat like our Kites, which hover over
the water.Thefe flying Fifties are like men profeffing two Trades,
and thrive at neither. ^
The twelfth of June early in the morning, We efpied our long t/ curu- *
wiftied for Harbour the Bay of SouldaniA^ about twelve leagues
ftort of the Cape of good Hope, where we came happily to an
Anchor that fore-noon. In which Bay we found a DHtch-ftivp
bound for Bantam^ which had taken in her courfe, and brought /
thither, a fmall bound to a Colony belonging to / -
the Portngals, lying in the skirts of Africa^ about ten degrees
South of the Line, in which fmall Ship amongft many rich Com
modities fas we heard) to the value of five or fix thoufand
pounds fterling, there were ten 'Virgins (as they call d
themfelves) fent to that Colony, I fuppofe for Husbands. The
young women were well-favoured, and well cladinfilks^ but
luch were the courtefies ot thefe Dutch men towards them, as
that they took not only away all the goods,Artillery, and good
provilions of their Ship, but they rob'd thele poor captive Mai-
denbof all their apparel, (which they moft fadly complained of)
to one poor luit ( and I luppofe of their honour too, if they
brought it with them) then giving them water tor their wine,
and a very (cant proportion ot all other provifions, turn d them
with their unarm'd, leakie, and ill-man d (hip, to themeicy of the
Seas, the twentieth day following. , 1 ,£• r c u
This Bay of So Mam a lyeth in 34 degrees and halt Ot South
Uu ' Latitude
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