"رحلات السيد بيترو ديلا فالي، وهو نبيل روماني، إلى الهند الشرقية وصحراء الجزيرة العربية. وفيها يصف بدقة البلدان المختلفة، وكذلك العادات، الأعراف، التجارة، الطقوس الدينية والمدنية، لهؤلاء الأمراء وتلك الأمم الشرقية: في رسائل وديّة إلى صديقه السيد ماريو سكيبانو. وتم إضافة سرد عن رحلة السير توماس رو إلى جزر الهند الشرقية" [‎٥‎٥] (٥٠٨/٧٦)

pdallab
* al )0 lt
y be
orld,
Into the EAST-INDIES.
55
^asatriv'da
' d ^ ot
w two Letters
^ Town, by
dhmedaki.^
to guard the
s accompany
Service they
ch we gave
• fet foith by
3 hour or little
petently large
Crows. The
icy early, we
'dat Cmbnia,
oikrstbatwe
tie without the
mdufted us to
?nt out of the
?, which I faid
:o behold from
lecomin
Twas^jJeW 1
( and we went
; at the height,
that time it in-
oftthegieatell
' ^ contrary to
: time wefaw
^iver, and in a
with fuch fuif
andithinkit
he world. A
»riling
endyinfuJIfe
rceiv'd. Aft er
( ake 3 without
dofa^pni'
lC others whp
oftheSub^
\
\
or Hamlets near the City, call'd Canfari, a Temple of the Gen- ^
tiles, peradventure the goodlieft that lhavefeen, with certain
Cupola s 3 and high Balconies of tolerable Architedure, but no
great model. This Temple belongs to that Race of tndians
who (have their heads ( a thing unufual to all others who wear
longhair^ like Women } and (uch are calld Vwtid. The Idol
in it fate on high over an Altar atthe upper end, in a placefome-
what dark, afcended by ftairs, with lamps always burning before
it. When I went in, there was a Man at his DevotionSg and
burning Perfumes before the Idol# At fome diftance from this,,
ftands another Temple of like ftrufture, but more plain and of ' ,
a fquare form ^ within it were (een abundance of Idols offeveral
lhapes, wl^G^e Names and Hiftories , the fhortnefs of time, and
my unfkilfulnefs in their Language allow'd me not to learn.
Without the Gate of thefe Temples, I beheld fitting upon the , / .
ground in a circle, another Troop of thofe naked Givghi, having ^ ^
their bodies fmear'd with Afhes, Earth, and Colours^ like thofe
I had feen upon the River of Jhfftedahad $ they made a ring
about their Archimandrjta^ or Leader, who was held in fuch
Veneration not onely by the Religious of their Se6t, but alfo by
the other fecular Indians 0 for Reputation of Holinefs, ^w
many grave perfons go and make low Reverences to him,kils his
Hands, and ftand in an humble pofture before him to hear (bme .
fentence 5 and He with great gravity , or rather with a ftrange
Icorn of all worldly things, hypocritically made as if he fcarce
deign'd to fpeak and anfwer thofe that came to honour him.
Thefe Gioghi^xe not fuch by Defcent but by Choice,as our Reli
gious Orders are. They go naked,mofl: of them with their bodies
painted and fmear'd, as is above mention'd 5 yet fome of them
are onely naked, with the reft of their bodies fmooth, and onely
their Fore-heads dy'd with Sanders and fome red, yellow, or
white colour ^ which is alio imitated by many fecular perfons,
out of fbperftition and gallantry. They live upon Almes, de-
fpifing clothes and allother worldly things. T hey marry not, but
make fevere profeffionof Chaftity at leaft in appearance 5 for
in fecrer tis known many of them commit as many debauche
ries as they can. They live in fociety under the obedience^ of
their Superiors, and wander about the world without having
any fetled abode. Their Habitations are the Fields, the Street^
the Porches, the Courts of Temples, and Trees, ^ efpecially un
der thdfe where any Idol is worftiipt by them 5 and they undergo
with incredible patience day and night no lefs the rigor of the
Air then the exceffive heat of the Sun, which in thefe fultry
Countries is a thing fufficiently to be admir'd. They have fpi-
ritual exercifes after their way,and alfo fome exercife of Learnings
but (by what I gather from a Book of theirs tranUated into
rerfian^ and intitl'd. Darnerdbigiask^^ndi^ as the Tranflator faithp^f
a rare piece J both their exercifes of wit and their Learnings con- ^
lift onely in Arts of Divination, Secrets of Herbsj, and other 7
natural a