‘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’ [‎181] (202/508)

Into the EAST-INDIES. 18
and 28 minutes, which according to that Canon is the greateft
Declination 5 ifit be not really fo 3 the little that is wanting may
be allowed for the anticipation of four hours^if not more 5 that the
Noon-tide falls fooner at Calecut than in any other Meridian of
S^rfl/^according to which my Canon of Declination (hall be cal
culated 5 fo that if from the 34 degrees 50 minutes in which I
found the Sun^ youfubftrad the 23 dgrees 28'. which I prefup-
pofe him to decline from the iEquinoftial towards the South,
the remainder is 11 degrees 2 2 / . and fo much is the Elevation of /^y
the North Pole in this place 5 and confequently, the City of ' / I
Cakcut lyes 11 degrees 2 2 / . diftant from the iEquinodial
wards the North. After dinner, I landed alfo with the Captain " 1
of my Ship^and fome other Souldiers 5 we went to fee the Bazar,
which is near the (hore 5 the Houfes, or rather Cottages are
built of Earth and Palm-leav 5 t s being very low, the Streets alfo
are very narrow, but indifferently long 5 the Market was full
of all forts of provifion, and other things neceffary to the liveli
hood of that people, conformable to their Cuftom 5 for as for
Clothing, they need little, both Men and Women going quite
naked, laving that they have a piece either of Cotton or Silk
hanging down from the girdle to the knees, and covering their
(hame ^ the better fort are Wont to wear it either all blew, or
white ftrip'd with Azure, or AzurjC and fome other colour, a
dark blew being moft efteernd amongft them. f Moreover, both
Men and Women wear their hair long, and ty'd about the head $
the Women, with a lock hanging on one fide under the ear be-
commingly enough, asalmoftall Indian-Women do 5 thedref-
fing of whofe head, is, in my opinion, the gallanteft that I have
feen in any other Nation : The Men have alock hanging down
from the crown of the head , fometimes a little inclined on one
fide 5 fome of them ufe a fmall colour'd head-band, but the Wo
men ufenone at all. Both fexes have their arms full of bracelets,
their ears of pendants, and their necks of jewels > the Men com
monly go with their naked Swords and Bucklers, or other Arms
in their hands, as I faid of thofe of Balagate.
The Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Calecut, and the In-land IX,
parts, efpecially the better fort, are all Gentiles, of the Rac®
Nairi for the moft part, by profeffion Souldiers , fufficiently ^^
fwafhingand brave: But the Sea-coafts are full of Malahari, an 1
adventitious people, though of long (landing 5 {ox Marco Polo V /'
who writ four hundred years (ince, makes mention of them 5 /
they live confufedly with the Pagans, and fpeak the fame
Language, but yet are Mahometans in Religion. From them,
all that Country for a long trad together is call'd Malabar, fa
mous in India for the continual Robberies committed at Sea
by the Malabar Thieves^ whence in the Ba%ar ot Calecut, be-
fides the things above-mention'd, we faw fold good ftore of the
Portugals commodities, as Swords, Arms, Books, Clothes of
Goa, and the like Merchandizes taken from frrtvgal
\