"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" [‎٣‎٠‎٢] (٥٠٨/٣٢٣)

The travels Peter Delia Vallc,
Tis indeed one of the goodlieft pieces of Art that I ever faw in
the world, and perhaps was ever invented, imitating nature fo
exaftly that the Echo returns words, fentences, founds 3 and fongs
moft intire and perfed, as was prov'd in our prefence with fun-
dry Inftruments. If a man ftrike a thick extended cloth with a
wand 3 it renders a found like the (hot of Artillery : which to be
done fo well in a Grotto form'd not by Nature, but by Art, is
indeed a ftrange thing, and (hews a prodigious wit in the Con
triver. I muft not omit, that the roof of this grotto is hollow'd
in the form of a man's ear, from which probably the Artificer
borrow'd the Invention, fince jufl: as the voice (hiking the cars
which arefo (hap'd renders the found audible > fo tis leen by ex
perience, that this great artificial Ear cut by hand in hardftonC;,
being ftruck in like manner produces the fame effedt of augment
ing a found 5 although we know not but other Natural Echoes
in Caves are fram'd after the fame manner. Near the place of
the Echo, we faw the fubterranean Cavities wherein the Haves
were imprifon'd, and over them the place of Palace,
in a very goodly (ituation, with a Profped extending far both on
Land and Sea. And near the Palace we beheld many remainders
of his great Theater,which was not built up like other Strudures
but cut and hollow'd out of the hard flone, all of a piece, very
large and of excellent Architefture. As we rcturn'd home, we
faw contiguous to the City on one fide the Port which they call'd
MATmoreo^ or the Marble Port, from its being built all of Stone
and differing from the other great one which lies under the City
on the other (ide 5 for at this day the City (lands wholly in the
Peninfula Ortygia, which is almoftfurrounded by the Seajfaving
where it joyns to the Land by a narrow Euripus.
December 8 tb ,I accompani'd the B p to the Church of S.Fnwor,
whither becaufeit was the Feaftof the Conception he Went to
hear Mafs, being attended by the Senate, and all the Nobility of
the City. After which, I went with divers Gentlemen my
Friends to fee the Church of S. Lucy without the City in the
place where (he was martyr d 5 which Church, though (bmc-
timesit belong d to Priefts, yet is now po(Ie(s'd by reform'd
Francifcan Fryers. Under the Church we faw certain grottoes
extending to a great diftance every way under ground and made
I know not whether for Sepulchres of the Ancients, otfor places
of Refuge in times of danger.
December 9 th , I wo Galleys of which came from Mefsinx
withProvmons for thellandjenter'd the Port,inoneof which was
their prelent General Sig; Francefco Caraffa Y?v\oi dellaRoc*
^ • ^ 0n t ^ e ^ nce deUa Roccella^ who had lately found
ed this Pnorate della Roccellaat his own charge, always to re-
pain in hisown Family ; though after his death, iflam rightly
iniorm d, it (hall be no longer a Priorate or Grand Crofs 3 but on
ly a Commendum.
December the tenth, Accompani'd by Sig. Paolo Far awe, Ivi-
fited