‘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’ [‎361] (382/508)

A Voyage to EAST-INDIA, &€,
where good P^oots, as Garrets, Potatoes^ and others like them.
They have Onions and Garlick, and fome Herbs andfmall Roots
for Salads^and in the Southernmoft parts 3 Ginger growing almoft
in every placerthe large races whereof axe there very excellently
well prefervedj as we may know by our tafting them in EngUnd*
And all theie things I have laft named may be there likewife
bought at very low rates. And laftly 3 fome one kind or other
of their very good and choice Fruits may be there had at every
time or feafon of the Year.
And here I cannot chufe but take notice of a very pleafimt
and clear liquor, called Toddie, iflbing from a Spongie Tree,
that grows ftrait and tall without Boughs to the Top;, and there
Ipreads out in tender branches, very like unto thofe that grow
from the Roots of our rank and rich Artichokes, but much
bigger and longer. ThisToddie-tree is not fo big, but that it
may be very eafily embraced, and the nimble people of that
Countrey will climb upasfaft to the top thereof (the ftem of
the Tree being-rough and crufty) as if they had the advan
tage of Ladders to help them up. In the top-tender branches
of thofe Trees they make incifions, which they open and
flop again as they pleafe, und6r which they hang Pots made of
large and light Gourds, to preferve the influence which illues
out of them in a large quantity in the night-feafon, they flop-
ping up thofe vents in the heat of the day. That which
thus diftils forth in the night, if it be taken vety early in the
morning, isaspleafingto the tafte as any new White-wine, and
much clearer than it. It is a very piercing, and medicinable,
^nd inoffenfive Drink, if taken betimes in the day, only it
is.a little windy : but if it be kept till the heat of the day, the
Sun alters it foj as if it made it another kind of liquor, fork
becomes then very heady, not fb well relifhed, and un wholibm 5
and when it is fo, not a few ot our drunken Sea-menchule to
drink it 5 and I think they fo do, becaufe it will then prefently
turn their brains 3 for there are tod too many of the common
ibrtof thofe men who ufe the Sea, who lo ve thofe brutiftidi-
ftempers too much , which turn a man out of himfelf, and
leave a BeafHn the skin of a man. But for that drink, if it be
taken in its befb, and moft proper feafon, I conceive it to be of
it felf very wholfbm, becaufe it provokes urine exceedingly ^ the
further benefit whereof fome there have found by happy expe
rience, thereby eafed from their torture infiided by that fhame
of Phyficians, and Tyrant of all Maladies, theSt^pne. Andfo
cheaptoois this moftpleafing Wine, thatci man may there have
more than enough for a very little money.
At Snrat 0 and fo to dgra^ and beyond, it feldom or never
rains, but one fea(on of the year^ but yet there is a refrefti-
ing Dew during all that times the Heavens there are thus
fhut up, which every night falls, and cools, and comforts, and
refreflieth the face of the earth, fhofe general rains begin near the
A a a time