‘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’ [‎409] (430/508)

M
A Vioyage /^EAST-INDIA,
At this entertainment we Hit long, and much longer than we
could with eafe crofs-leg'd, but all confidered, our Feaftin that
place was better than Apciut^ that famous Epicure of Rome.;
with all his witty Gluttony ( for fo Vatercuius calls it, ingeniofd
Gula^ could have made with all provifions had from the Earth,
and Air, and Sea.
My Lord Ambafladour obferved not that uneafie way of
fitting at his meat, but as in his own Houfe had Tables and
Chairs, &c. Served he was altogether in Plate , and had an
EngliQi;, and Indian Cook to drefs hisdyet, which was very
plentiful, and cheap likewife 5 fo that by reafon of the great va
riety of provifions there, his weekly account for his Houfe-keep-
ing came but to little.
The meaner fort of people thjere eat Rice boy led with their
green-Ginger and a little Pepper, after which they put Butter
into it, which is their principal difli, and but feldom eaten by
them : But their ordinary Food is made fnot oftheflowrof
Wheat) but of a coar(e well tafled Grain ^ made up in round
broad and thick Cakes, which they bakfe upon their thin iron
plates ( before fpoken of) which they c^rry with them, when
as they travel from place to place ^ when they have bak'd
thofe Cakes 5 they put a little Butter oto them: And doubt-
lefs the poor people find this a very hearty Food, for they who
live moft upon it, are as ftrong a^ they could be, if they had their
diet out of the Ring's Kitchin. I fhatl here fay no more of this^
but proceed to fpeak.
SECTION XL
Of the Civilities of this People 5 Of their Complements^
and of their Habits*
ANd here the People in general (as before was obferved )
are as civil to Strangers as to their own Country-men j for
they ufe when they meet one another, or when they meet
ftrangers, to bow their Heads, or to lay their right Hands on
their Breads, and to bow their Bodies as they pafs, faluting them
further with many well-wifhes.
They ufe not to uncover their Heads at all, as we do in our
Salutes, (from which cuftom of ours, the Turk? borrow this
imprecation for their Enemies, wiftiing tHeir Souls no more reft
after death than a Chriftians hat hath, which is alwayes ftirred )
but the meaner fort, inftead of uncovering their Heads to their
SuperiourSj ufe thefe abject Ceremonies, by putting their right
Hand to the Earth, and then laying it on their Heads, or by fal
ling down on their Knees^ and then bowing their Heads to the
Earth ^ both fignifying, that thofe unto whom they (hew thefe
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