‘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’ [‎376] (397/508)

976
A Voyage to E AS T-I N DI A, &€.
he will find a time to call home this people again to himfelfj
when they lhall receive honour above all the contempt they
have been long under j after they fhall fee with forrow, and with
the eye of faith. Him;, whom their Fore-fathers, outofigno-
rance, and dcfpite 3 and unbelief pierced.
For the Stature of the Natives of Eafi-India^ they are like us
but generally very freight > for I never obfcrved nor .heard of
any crooked perfon amongft them ; And one reafon may be, be-
caufe they never lace nor girt in their Bodies 3 and when they
fleep, they accuftom themfelves to ftretch out their Bodies at
their full length 3 without any thing to raife up theii 4 heads. And
further, among many other things I took fpecial notice of there,
I never oblerved any deformed Perfon , nor Ideot or natural
Fool, in thofe Parts.
Now for the Complexion of this People, they are all of them
of a fad tawney or Olive-colour, their hair black as a Raven,
very harfh, but not curl'd. They like not a man or woman
that is very white or fair,becaufe that (as they lay) is.the colour
of Lepers, common amongft them. Moft of the Aiahumtans,
except the Moolaes (which are their Priefts) or thofe which are
very old and retired, and have (as it were) given the World
quite overj keep their chins continually bare, but fuffer the hair:
on their upper lipps to grow very long; 5 and they keep it in its
natural colour , by combing it continually with black -lead
Combs, till they ^e of t g99d years v b^t afterward, when Time
hath fo fhowed upon them, that thej can no longer keep in nor
conceal their gray hairs, they ufe the Rafor (as they did) no
more, but let the^air of their chins grow long and large, which
makes many gray-beards amongft thenij and I conceive that there
are of thofe many Old men.
And further, it is the manner of the M^humetans to (have all
the hair from of! their Heads, referving only one lock on the
Crown of them, for Mahomet to pull them up to Heaven with (as
they fondly conceit). Tl]e Hi#does ftjave their Heads likewife,
but cut all off3 and both of them fhave thus, and that very often;
but however their baldnefs appears not at all,becaufe their Heads
are continually covered with a Shafh, or a wreath of narrow Cal-
o-Cloth, many times wrap'd about them 5 (ufually for their
colour white or red) which they never pull off, as we do our
Hats m Complements. Their much and often fhaving makes
many excellent Barbers amongft them, who belides their Sciflers
p ■ ^ a ^> rs 3 u ^ e a little Inftrument about the length of a fhort
Bodkin, very Iharp, made like a Chizel, but not broader at the
cutting end than the fhankofa fix-penny nail, with which they
pare and clenfe the nails on their fingers and toes. Every Barber
carries always about him a round Looking-glafs made of fteel,
about the compafs of a large trencher-plate, made fbmwhat hol-
ow, and kept by them exceeding clean and fleek, fo that it will
repiefent the Face of him that beholds it on the convex fide very
well.