‘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’ [‎382] (403/508)

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that comes in their way , and their ftrength is fuch (as before I
obfervM) that there is no blow they give which lights either up
on men or beaft, but carries death with it. At thofe times to
prevent mifchief they are kept apart from company, fetter'd
with ftrong chains unto Trees 5 but if by chance in their phren-
fie they get Ioofe(as fometimes they do) they will make after
every thing they fee ftitj in which cafe they have no means to
ftop them in their violent courfe, but by firing of Crackers made
of Gun-powder, whofe fparkling, and noife makes them to ftand
ftill and tremble. When thofe creatures are in that mad diftem-
per, they fweat much, which makes their favour exceeding rank
and filthy like that ill fmell of a Boar when he is fatting in his
Stye, but, by much, more ftrong and more offenfive than that.
An Englifh Merchant there , of good credit upon his own
knowledg, reported this thing which follows, and is very ob-
fervable, of an Elephant in Adfmer (the place then of the JMogols
refidence) 5 who being brought often through the Bazar or Mar
ket place, a woman who ufually fat there to fell herbs, was wont
to give this great Elephant an handful, as he many times pafled
by 5 this Elephant after, being mad, brake his fetters, and took
his way through that Bazar 5 the people being all of them much
affrighted, made hafte to fecure themfelves by getting out of his
way, amongft whom was this Herb-woman, who, for fear and
hafte, forgot her little Child which (he had brought thither 5 the
Elephant came to the place where this woman ufually fate, ftopt,
and feeing a little Child lying there about her herbs, took it up
gently with his Trunk, not doing it the leaft harm, and prefent-
ly after laid it down upon the ftall of an houfe that was hard by 5
and then proceeded on in his furious courfe. Acojia^ a Jefiiit,
relates the like of an Elephant in Goa from his own experience.
The Elephant, though he be vaft, and terrible, yea and cru
el too, when he is fet to do mifchief, or when he is mad 5 yet
otherwife is a tame gentle Creature, fo that the dread of this
huge beaft, moft appears to the eyes. But notwithftanding his
terriblenefs, I once there faw a Creature compared with an Ele
phant , not much bigger tl\an a fmall Fifh compared with a
Whale, boldly to encounter one of them. The occafion by
which this fo c&me to pafs offers it felfthus .• that year I went for
Eaji-India, the Merchants here (as from the Ring of England^
in whofe name they fent all their Prefents) amongft many other
things, then fent the Mogol fome great Englifh Maftives, and fome
large Irifh Greyhounds^ in all to the number of eight, difperfed
in our feveral Ships 5 one of thofe high fpirited Maftives in our
Voyage thither, upon a day feeing a great Shoal or company of
Porpifc.es (before defcribed) mounting up above the waves, and
coming toward that Ship wherein he was, fuddenly lept over-
boajd to encounter with them, before any did take notice of
that fierce creature .* to prevent that engagement, wherein he
was irrecoverably loft, the Ship then having fuch a frefh gale of
winde.
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