"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" [‎١‎١‎٢] (٥٠٨/١٣٣)

he Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
/- <?/A
way, and in a lliort time came to a Village of four Cottages
c aird Tnmhrts where the Horfes were lodg'd, and we alfo ftay'd
till the baggage came up 9 which was much later then we 5 and
we ftayVi the longer to red - the people that traveled on foot : for
all the fervants 3 and I know not how many Mufketiers, which
our Ambailador carried with him, were on foot. Fitula Sinay
lay there likewife this night, but was gone before we came
thkher. F rom G art cot a to Tumbre^ is about a League and half 5
for in this Country they meafure the way by Gau's^ and every
Gau ?s about two Leagues^ and theyfaid that from Garicota to
Tumhre^ w r as not one Gau,_
When we arriv'd at this Town, we found the pavements of
the Cottages were vernifh'd over with Cow-dung mix'd with
water. A cuftom of the in the places where they are
wont to eat, as I have formerly obferv'd* I took it for a fuper-
IHtious Rite of Religion 5 but I fince better underftand that it is
us'd onely for elegancy and ornament,, becaufe not ufing, or
not knowing how to make fuch ftrong and lafting pavements as
ours, theirs being made fleightly of Earth and lb cafily fpoyl'd,
therefore when they are minded to have them plain, fmooth,
and firm., they fmear the fame over with Cow-dung temper'd
with water, in cafe it be not liquid, ("for if it be, there needs
no water) and plaining it either with their hands or fome other
infrrument, and fo make it fmooth, bright, ftrong, and of a
fine green colour, the Cows whofe dung they ufc, never eating
any thing but Grafs 5 and it hath one convenience, that this
pohihing is prefently made, foon dry, endures walking, or any
thing elle to be done upon it 5 and the Houfes wherein we
lodg'd, we found were preparing thus at our coming, and were
prefently dry enough for our ufeXlndecd it is a prety Curiofity -
and I intend to caufe tryal to be made of it in Italy^r\d the rather
becaufe they % for certain, that the HouCcs whofe pavements
are thusftercorated, are good againft the Plague 5 which is no
deipicable advantage. Onely it hath this evil, that its handfom-
nels and politenefs lafleth not, but requires frequent renovation,
and he that would have it handfome, muft renew it everv eight
or ten days 5 yet being a thing fo eafie to be done, and of lo littla
cnarge, it mattus not tor a little trouble which every poor per-
fon knows hows to difpatch. The Portugals ufe it in their Houfes
at Goa^ and other places of India h and, in brief, 'tis certain
that it is no fuperftitious cuftom, but onely for neatnefsand or
nament 5 and therefore ^is no wonder that the Gentiles ufe it
otten, and perhaps, every day in places where they eat, which
iTZf R 'f t( ? be . Very neat ' Tis true > lhe y ^^e a Re
ligious Rue of not eating in any place where people of another
rhev firH- r 11 " 0 P ln . I0n 3 unc ^ ean ) hath eaten ^ unlefs
Pnnh ?• rep 5 r e W ^ h Cow - duil g. which is a kind of
the 7 5 aS We d 0 r y . Wafblng ^ with wate ^ and whitening
the wall, (rot as a Religious Rite, byt through Cuftom) in
Chambers
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