‘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’ [‎410] (431/508)

4.10 A Voyage to EAST-INDIA, d/wr.
reverences;, aixl refpefts, may tread ortrample on them i if
they pleafed.
When we vifit the people there of better quality, they enter
tain us with much humanity 5 firfl: rifing up to us 5 they bow their
Bodies ? and then entreat us to (it with them on their Carpets,
where they arc free in their difcourfe,which we ufually exchange
with them by an Interpreter. If we have any bufinefs with
them, they return very civil and fair Anfwers, and for our
further entertainment give us Beetle or Panne to chew, f before
fpoken of.) 1 \ .
In their near, and more clofe and hearty Salutes, they do not
joyn Hands as we, but do that which is hateful to the Spaniard^
and not at ail in ufe with'us ^ for they take one another by the
Chin, or Beard, and cry Bobba 3 which is. Father 5 or Bij, which
is. Brother: And this appears to be a very ancient C©mple-
ment, for thus Joab /long ago faluted^w^, 2 Sam, 20.9. But
this they do in love, not as Joah did therCj in Treachcry.
In their Complements they exprefs many good willies to one
another, as Salam Allacum^ God give you healthy the reply,
AUacum Salam, Thefame health God give you. hn&Greb-a.
NemoaS} I wifli you the prayers of the poor. And Tere greegree
kee Bulla doore^ which made-Englifti (peaks thus, I wi(h one
good to come unto you after another, every Gr*, (which is a
(pace of time a little more than a quarter of an hour) 3 and they
have many more Complements like thefe, handfome, and lig-
nificant. As inferiour people (who have their dependance on
others ) u(e to fay unto them, / eat your Bread and salt, ( as
much to fay ) I am your Servant, I live by you, and you may
do with me, or to me, what you plea(e.
Now as this People of Eaji-India are civil in their (peeches, (o
are they civilly clad 5 for there are none who wear their own fkin
alone for their covering , as very many in the weftern India do.
For the Habits of this People, from the higheft to the
loweft, they are all made of the fame fafhion, which they ne
ver alter nor change 5 their Coats fitting clofe to their Bodies
unto their Waftes, then hanging down loofe a little below their
Knees, the lower part of them fitting (bme-what full^ thofe clofe
Coats are faftned unto both their Shoulders, with (lips made
of the fame Cloth,which 3 for the generality 3 arc all made of coarf-
er, or finer white 5 and in like manner are they faftned
to their Wafte, on both fides thereof, which Coats coming
double over their Breafts, are faftned by like flips of Cloth, that
are put thick from their left Arm-holes to their middle 3 The
fleevesof thofe Coats are made long, and fome-what clofe to
their Arms, that they may ruffle, efpecially from their Elbows
to their Wrifts. Under this Coat they ufually wear another
Height one, made of the fame Cloth, but (horter than the other,
and this is all they commonly wear upon the upper part of their
bodies. But fome of the greater fort in the cooler feafons of the
' , . , ^ ' day
Nil