‘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’ [‎53] (74/508)

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lm the EAST-INDIES.
53
,
are thfc allies of burnt Carkafles 5 and this, to the end they may ^
be continually mindful of death, A great crew of thefe with
their Chief or Leader, ( who condu&sthem with an extrava
gant banner in his Hand , made of many ibreds of feveral co
lours, and to whom they all religioufly obey) fat by the Rivers
fide in a round form, as their cuftom is ^ and in the field there
Were many people^ who came, fome to walk, and others, to
waih thcmfelvcs 5 the Pagan Indians holding their Rivers in
great Veneration, and being not a little fuperftitious in bathing
themfelves therein. From the lame place, I beheld a little
Ghappel built upon two fmall figures of Mahadw, not upright,
but lying along upon the groundjand carv'd in bafie relief,where
alfo were Lamps burning, and people making their Offerings.
One of theG/^z, laying afid^ all other care^ remain'd conti
nually in this Chappel with grea^ retirednefs and abftradion of
mind, fcarce ever coming forth 5 although it was very trouble-
fome abiding there, in regard of .the heat of the lights 5 and
inconvenient too, by realon the Chappel was fo little that it
could fcarce contain him alone as he fat upon the pavement,
( which was fomewhat rais'd from the Earth) with his Leggs
doubled under him, and almoft crooked. Returning home by
the fame way of the great Ztaz^r, or Market, I faw Carvar/Jerai^
or Inns made with Cloyfters like thofe of Perfia 5 one greater
and fquare of the ordinary form, and another lefs, narrow and
long. Of divers other ftreets, in which I (aw nothing obfervable,
I forbear to fpeak.
The fame day after dinner, having taken leave of certain
Armenian and Syrian Chriftians,who live in Abrntdahud with their
Wives and Families, we put our felves upon the way to return
to Camhaia^with the fame Cafila A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. ^with which we came, and which
every week departs thence at a fct day. At our fetting forth
we met with a little obftacle, for by reafonofthe new Commo
tions between the Moghol^ and his Son Sultan Chorrom, who was
become Mafter of thefe parts of Guznet^ there was a frefh pro
hibition in Ahmedabad , that np Souldiers Wives, nor other
perlbn of quality (hould go out of the City by Land 5 and this,
as I conceive, left the rumors of the troubles (hould caufe the
people of the City to remove into other Territories, and aban
don (the fadion of the Rebel Sultan Chorrom j which they
could not do if their Wives were reftrain'd, becaufe Hufbands
are in a manner neceffitated to abide where their Wives and
Houles are. So that by reafbn of this prohibition , I could
not have got away, having my Sig" Mariuccia with me, un-
lefs I had obtain'd exprefs leave in writing from the Go-
vernour 5 in order to which it was needful for me to make it
appear that we were ftrangers and not people of the Country,
and to pay fome fmall fumm of Money, befides going back
ward and for ward, whereby we loft much time. Having
at length obtain'd permiffionj and being got out of the City,
we
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