‘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’ [‎33] (54/508)

Into the EAST-INDIES. 33
call'd VtU-vd ^ and before night having travell'd eighteen ^^
we ftaid to lodge in a great Town call'd Giam ^ ^
day, two hours before day, we arofe to go along with a great 'W
Cafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. , or Caravan, which was there united 5 neverthelefs we ^
departed not fo foon, but were fain to wait in the Coach tillal-
inoft day ^ becaufe the City was lock'dup, and none wasfuffer
to go forth without paying a Toll, as likewife was paid in many /
other places the lame day, though of rmall value. The
was fo great, and the Coaches fo many, that in certain narrow r
places we were fain to ftay a good while before we could go for-
wards, juftas it happens in the ftreets of and K^catfo-
lemn pomps. Having traveltd about five Cos^ an hour after
Sun-rife, we came taaaarm of the Sea, or, to fpeak better, to
the inmoft part of the Gulph of Camhaia, diredly where the Ri-
vex Mebi falls into the Sea : In which place, the flux and reflux
of the Sea is more impetuous and violent, and with a more rapid
current, then perhaps in any other part of the world, at leafl: any
whereof I have knowledge. But before I proceed further,
'tis needful here to corred an enormous error of many of our
Geographers, even Moderns, which hath likewile given occafi-
on of miftake to fundry Hiftorians. In almoft all the Mapps
which hitherto Ihavefeen, the River is always defcrib'd
falling into the Sea at the inmoft recefs of the Gulph of Cambaia^
which is a grievous error, and as wide from truth as the whole
Country oiGuzarat is broad, (and 'tis no narrow one):for Indus^
which is difcharg'd into the Sea with two very large mouths,
fufificiently diftant, runs not on theEafl: of Gfizarat, as it fhould
do if it enter'd into the Sea at the Gulph of Cambaia. 5 but rather
on the Weft, and fo far from the Gulph of Cambaia, that all
OuKarat, and perhaps fome other Countries lye between.
Wherefore the River which difembogues intheinmpft part of
this Gulplys not Indus, but this Mehi which I fpeak of, a River
of handfome but ordinary greatnefs, and hath not the leaft corre-
fpondence with Indus. TSow\ being come to the fide of it, we
were fain to foard over this Water, and not without danger:
For tl^ere is a plain of about five Cos, which is all over -flow'd at
high Tide 5 and when the water is loweft,in three or four places
there are waters fufficiently broad and deep to be foarded 5 and
fhould the Sea happen to come in whilft a man is in that paf^
fage, he would infallibly be drown'd. And befides, even in
thoie places which are always foardable, when the Water is a
little higher, or the current more furious then ordinary (tor 'tis
not always equal, but more or lefs, according to the times of the
Moon ) it often carries away people, and fometimes with fuch
violence, that an Elephant cannot bear up againft it, but is fwept.
away by the Water. Therefore they wait certain fit hours to
pafs this foard, namely, when the Sea is at the loweft Ebb 5
which, if I miftake not, in all other places of the World is
wont to be when the Moon is either rifing or fetting in the Hori-
F son*