‘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’ [‎184] (205/508)

i g ^ J he fravels of Peter Del la \ al 1c,
naments of Gold and very rich Jewels. Their colour was fome-
what fwarthy, as all thefe Nations are, but in refped of others
of the fame Country, clear enough 5 and their (hape no lefs pro
portionable and ;c6mely 3 than their afped was handfome and wel-
favour'd. They were both the Daughters, as they told us, of
the Queen, that is, not of the Ring but of his Stfter,who is ftyl'd,
and ineffed is. Queen 5 for thefe Gentiles uiingto derive the
defcent and inheritance by the line of the Women, though the
Government is allow'd to Men, as more fit for it, and he that
governes iscall'dKing, yet the King's Sifter, and,amongft them,
Cif there be more then one J (he to whom, by reafon of Age, or
for other refpedh it belongs, is cali'd, and properly is Queen, and
cr/? /7 not any Wife or Concubine of the King, who ha's many. So
Sa * alfo when the King, ( who governes upon the account of being
Son of the Queen-Mother J happens to dye, his own Sons fuc-
ceed him not, (becaufe they arc not the Sons of the Queen J but
S the Sons of his Sifter 5 or in defeat of fuch, thofe of the neareft
y Kinf-women by the fame Female line: So that thefe two Girls,
whom I call the Nieces of xheSamorl, were right Princeflesor
(f Infantaes of the Kingdom of Calecut, Upon their entrance where
we were, all the Courtiers prefent ftiew'd great Reverence to
them 5 and we, underftanding who they were, arofe from our
feat, and having faluted them, ftood all the time afterwards be
fore them bare-headed. For want of Language we fpoke not
to them, becaufe the above-faid Indian-ilave was retir'd at a
diftance upon their coming, giving place to other more noble
Courtiers: And Cicco ftood fo demurely by us, that he durft not
lift up his eyes to behold them, much lefs fpeak 5 having already
learnt the Court-falhions and good manners of the place. Ne-
vertheleft they talk'd much together concerning us, as they
ftood, and we alfo of them, andallfmil'd without underftand
ing one another. One of them being more forward could not
contain, but approaching gently towards me, almoft touoh'd the
Sleeve of my Coat with her hand, making a fign of wonder to
her Sifcer^how we could go fo wrap'd up and intangled in clothes
as we feeuAf to her to be ; Such is the power of Cuftom, that
their going naked feem'd no more ftrange to us, than our being
cloth'd appear'd extravagant to them. After a fhort fpace
the King came in at the fame door, accompany'd with many
others. He was a young Man of thirty or five and thirty years
of Age, to my thinking, of a large bulk of body, fufficiently
fair tor an Indian, and ot a handfome prefence. He is call d (as
a principal Courtier, whom I afterwards alk'd, told me) by
the proper name ofFikJra, His Beard was fomewhat long, and
equally round about his Face , he was naked, having onely a
piece of tine changeable cotten cloth, blew and white, hanging
trom the girdle to the middle of the Leg. He had divers bracelets
on his Arms, pendants at his Ears, and other ornaments with
many Jewels and rubies of value. In his Hand he carry'd a painted
ftaff,