‘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’ [‎343] (364/508)

A Voyage to E AS T-IN D I A,
ere
ere we could be poireded of a good Harbour 5 which enjoyed ?
we found the Hand called Mohilia, very pleafant, full ofTrees 5
and exceeding fruitful, abounding in Beeves^ Kids, Voultrey of
di vers kinds 3 Rice^ SugAr-Cams, rlanfens (of which Fruit more
ftall be fpoken hereafter) Oraffges^ Coquer-nutf, as with many
other wholfom things ^ o[ all which we had fufficient to relieve
our whole Confipany, for little quantities of White Paper, Glafs-
beads^ low-prized Looking-GlaJJes, and cheap Knives* Forin-
ftance, wc bought as many good Oranges as would fill an Hat
for one quarter of a fheet of white Writing-P^r 3 and fo in pro
portion all other Provifions.
Here we had the beft that everltafted, which were
Httle round ones, exceeding (weet and juicy, having but a little
fpongie fkin within them, and the rind on them almoftas thin
as the paring of an Apple : We eat all together, R^nd and Juice,
and found them a Fruit that was extraordinary well-pleafmg to
the Taft.
Much of their Fruits the Ilanders brought unto us in their
little Cmws Cwhich arelong narrow boats,but like troughs out
of firm trees) but their Cartel we bought on the (hore 5 Where
I obferved the people to be ftreight, well limb'd^ ftout, able
men, their colour very tawny 5 rrioft of the men, but all the wo
men I faw uncloathed, having nothing about them but a Co*
vering for their Jhdnte. Such as were qloathed had long Garments
like unto the Arabians, whofe Language they fpeak, and of whofe
Religion they are, Mahumetans, vei'y ftri6l: (asif ftiouldfeem)
for they would not endure us to cortienear their Churches. They
have good convenient Houfes for their Livingj and fair Sepulchres
for their Dead. j i
They feemedtolive fbriftly under the Obedience of a King,
whofe place of refidence was fome miles up in the Countrey ^
His leave by Meflengers they firft: crav'd, before they would lell
unto us any of their better Provifions^- T heir ; K:/^ [hearing of
our arrival;, bad us welcome by a Prefent of Beeves, and Goats,
and Foultfeji, and the chief and choice Fruits of his Countrey,and
was highly recompenced as he thought again, by a &uire or two
of white Pv/per, a pair of low-prized L&0kjttg*GlaJjes,\c>v&t ftrings
<£lGhVs*Beads, fome cheap Knives, and with foir^ other Enghih
toys.
We fawfome Spanifti Money amongft them, of which they
feemed tomake fo little- reckoning, that fome of our men had
from them niiny Refills of Eight, in exchange for a little of
thofe very low and very cheap Commodities which before I
named. . . ^
TUeCoquef-nut-tree (of which this Hand hath abundance) ot
all other i rees may cbefHenge the preheminence : for, meeily
with thefe Trees, without theleaft help of any other Timber, or
any other thing (unlefs a little Iron-work) a man may hula,
and furmjh. and k, and vitfual a fmali Ship to Sea. For the
J * > J < - Heart
s