‘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’ [‎129] (150/508)

Into the E AS T-IN DIES.
wooden Statues, painted with natural colours > one of a Man^
the other of a Woman naked, in difhoneft poftures ? and upon
the CartsWhich was very high,was room for abundance of people
to ftand ^ and, in brief, it was fb large that fcarce any but the
wideft ftreets in Rowe, as Strada, Giulia, or Babuino, would be
capable for it to pafs in. I faw alfo certain Indian Fryers, whom
in their Language they call Giangama , and perhaps, are the
c ? loilr ^ fa^ne with the Sages feen by me elfewhere 5 but they have
-) a ®cwotl Wives, and go with their faces fmear'd with afhes, yet not
naked , but clad in certain extravagant habits, and a kind o£
picked hood or cowl upon their heads of dy'd linnen, of that
colour which is generally us'd amongfl them, namely, a reddifti
brick-colour, with many bracelets upon their arms and legs,
fill'd with fomething within, that makes a jangling as they walk.
But thepretieft and oddeft thing was, to fee certain Souldiers
on Horfe-back, and confiderable Captains too, as I was informed,
who for ornament of their Horfes wofe hanging behind the
faddle-bow two very large taflels ofcerjain white,long, and fine
Ikins, (they told me they were the tails of certain wild Oxen
found in India, and highly efteenf d) which taflels were about
two yards in compafs , and (b long as to reach from the faddle-
bow to the ground 5 two, I (ay, hung behind the faddle-bow 5
and two before of equal height,and two others higher at the head
ftall ^ fo that there were fix in all: between which the Horfe-man
was feen upon the faddle half naked, and riding upon a Horfe
which leap'd and curvetted all the way , by which motion thofe
fix great tafl'els of (kin, being very light and not at all trouble-
fome, but flying up and down, feem'd fo many great wings,
which indeed was a prety odd fpedacle, and made me think I
faw fo many BeUerophons upon feverall Pegafos's, The fame
Evening I faw the companies of girls again , and following them
I found that they did not go into the Piazza of the Temple,
as they had done the two nights before,but into one of the King's
Gardens, which for this purpofe flood open for every body, and
is nothing but a great field planted confufedly with (hady and
fruit^Frees, Sugar Canes, and other Garden plants. Hither al-
moft the whole City flock'd, Men and Women, and all the
companies of theflower'd Virgins, who putting themfelves into
circles, here and there dane'd and fung 5 yet their dancing was
nothing elfe but an eafie walking round, their fnappers alwayes
founding ^ onely fometimes they would ftretch forth their legs,
and now and then cowre down as if they were going to fit, one
conftantly finging, and the reft repeating the word Cole^ Cole,
There wanted not other Donne ballatrici. Dancing-women, who
exceeded the former in fkill and dexterity :. But in conclufion,
they gatherM into feveral companies to fupper, with the other
Women that accompany'd them 5 fo did the Men alfo, fome
with their Wives, and fome alone, of which there wanted not
who invited us, not to cat with them ( for they communicate
J* S not