‘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’ [‎373] (394/508)

. falls 3 are fo extremly hotjas that the wind when it blows but gent
ly^ receives fuch heat from the parched'ground, that the refledi-
on thereof is ready to blifter a Man's Face that receives the breath
of ir. And if God did not provide for thofe parts 3 by fending a
breezej or breath, or fmall gale of wind daily 3 which lome-what
tempers that hot fulphureous Air, there were no living in that
Torrid Zone for us Englifli^ who have been ufed to breathe in a
temperate Climate 5 and, notwithftanding that benefit, the Air
in that plate is fo hot to us EngHdi, that we fhould be every.day
ftewed in our own moifture, but that we ftir very little in the
heat of the day, and have cloathing about us as thin as we can
make it. And no marvel, for the coldeft day in the whole year
at noon (unlefsitbe in the time when thofe Rains fall) is hotter
there then the hotteft day in England.
Yet I have there obfervcd moll: ftrange and (udden changes
of heat and cold within few hours, as in November znA December
the moft temperate months of their year (as before) and then at
mid-night the Air was fo exceeding frefh and cold, that it would
produce a thin Ice on the water,and then as we lay in our Tents,
we would have been very glad ofthe warmth of a Rugg upon us,
and the noon of that following day would be fo extream hot, as
that it was troublefom then to keep on the thinneft cloathing.
Sometimes there, the wind blows very high in thofe hot and
dry feafons, not long before the Rain begins to fall, raifing up
into the Air a very great height, thick Clouds of Duft and Sand,
which appear like dark Clouds full o^moifl:ure,but they deceive
like the brook in Job, Job 6.15. that hath no water in it, Thefe
dry (bowers Cwhich Almighty God threatens to fend among a
people as an heavy judgement. Dent. 28. 24. When he will wake
the Rain of a Land powder and duji ) moft grievouily annoy all
thofe amongft whom they fall, enough to fmite them all with
a prefent blindnefs ^ filling their Eyes, Earsj Noftrils, and their
Mouths are not free if they be not-alfo well guarded 5 fearch-
ing every place as well within as without our Tents or Houles, fo
that there is not a little key-hole, of any Trunk or Cabinet, if
it be not covered, but receives fome of that dufl: into it, the duft
forced to find a lodging any where, every where, being fo driven
and forced, as it is, by the extream violence of the wind.
But there is no place nor Country under Heaven, nor yet ever
hath been, without fome difcommodities. The Garden of Eden
hada Serpent in it 0 Gen. 5. He that made all things byhis Ab-
folute Command, hath fo mixed and tempered, and ordered
all things here below by his infinite Wifdom, that either too
much Hear, or too much Cold ^ either the barrennefs of the
Soyl, or the unwholiomnefs of the Air, or fome thing e}fe 3 mi-
nillers matter of exception more or lefs againfc every place^ that
the Sons of Men might hence learn, that there is no true and
perfeft content to be found in any Kingdom^but in that of Heaven j
For while we are here, trouble and peace, mourning and joy^
comrort
A V.oyage ft? E A S T-IN D I A,
II