‘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’ [‎405] (426/508)

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them with FlMU's, or Fans, of ftiffned leather, which keeps
off the flyes from annoying them, and cool them as they lye
Thus taking thejreafe, they call for Barbers, who very gently
gripe their arms, and ihoulders, and other parts, they can in
any meafure grafp, and they ftrike likewife very foftly thofe
parts with the fides of their Iian<is y it is very pleafingas they
doit, and caufeth their blood to ftir in their veins; it is there
fore very much ufed in thofc patts, to fuch as do not heat their
blood by bodily motion.
For their paftimes within doors, they have Cards, but much
different from ours in the figures made inthem, and in their
greater number of fuits. Thofe Cards I have often feen ; S
have been more often told, that they have very good skill in
that mofl innocent and ingenious game we call Chetie.
They delight themfelves fometimes with the Company of
Mountebanks, and Juglers. Fox their Mountebanks 5 they keep
venemous Snakes in balkets, and will fuffer themfelves* to be
bitten or ftung by them 5 which part thus bitten, or ftung, pre-
fently (wells, and immediately after that, they cure themfelves
again by Oyls and Powders, which they apply unto the place 3
and then offer to fell them unto the people ftanding by. *
Their Juglers are the cunningft that ever I (aw, to do ftrange
things by fleight of hand, as in this trick I (hall here name:
where I have obferved them to lay downfcuttles or broad opert
Wicker-balkets upon the ground, three or four one upon ano
ther, all which appeared empty, as they laickhem down 5 but
taking them up again one after the other, in the bottom of them
there would appear, three or four living Turtle-doves .• which
they would cover again with the fame Scuttles^ and toffing and
turning them as they took them off, and iu> the fecond time,
none of tho(e pretty creatures were to be feen any more. But
how they firft conveyed them thither, and how after thence 3 we
could not poffibly difcover.
For their Paftimes abroad they have Hawks of divers kinds,
greater and lefs, and Partridges, and other choice Fowl great
ftore to fly at. They have Hares, and Antilops, with other
wild Beafts to hunt, and the(e not a few. Their dogs for chafe
are made iomwhat like our Grey-hounds, but much lefs, who
never open in the purfute of their game. They huntlikewife
with Leopards train'd up and made fit for their (port, who by
leaping feize on that they pur(ue:but by reafon of the heat of the
Country , thofe (ports are not there much u(ed. The Mogol
when he hunts, carries Hawks and Dogs, and all things befide
with him, to make him paftime 5 that if one (port fail, he may
be plca(ed with another.
They (ay, that they have a curious Device to take wild fowls
that life the water 5 into which a fellow goes, with a fowl of that
kind he defires to catch, whofe skin is (luffed fo artificially, as
that with a noife he counterfeits that fowl, it appears to be alive,
the