‘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’ [‎270] (291/508)

2 7°
r the Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
the mountains 5 and leave us to follow him leifurely^stheCame-
liers faid they would.I was glad of his going 5 and intended to take
a different courfe from what the Cameliers imagin'd ^ butbecaufe
it was not yet feafonable, I held my peace. After two hours reft,
we travell'd till an hour before night, when we took up out Sta
tion ncer certain Pits, a little diftantfrom the reliquesof certain
ancient Fabrickscalfd Sir/a by me formerly feen and defcrib'd in
my journey to Baghdad.
. the twenty fixth. Setting forth by day-light, we came to
relt after Noon near a water which fprings up in a place foil of
fmall Canes, whence we remov'd not this pigbt, partly that
ourt ir'd and over-laden Camels might recover themfelvesa little,
and partly, becaufe the Cameliers were minded to eat a Camel
there conveniently, which falling lame of one leg they koockt
on the head in the morning 5 and indeed they had eaten all the
others which fail'd by the way, either through Difeafe or other-
wife. Of this, which was not infirm, I was willing to take a
trial, and lik*d the roafted flefh well enough, only it was forae-
thing hard.
the twenty feventh. Setting forth early, we wav*d the
diredeft way to Aleppo, (^which was by the Town of AchiU)tm&
took another more Southwards, and to the left hand, which led
to the place where the Emir refided 5 intending to leave the Ca-
melier at a certain Town upon the way, from whence he was to
go alone to the Emir, to carry him a Prefent, and excufe our go
ing to him by alledging the death and wearinefs of our Camels.
Hereby we endeavour'd to avoid ( if poffible) the troubles
and dilgufts which we were likely to meet with from the Emir and
his Arabians, in cafe we fhould have gone tohim our felves. At
Noon, we came to the detignd Village, call'd Haila 5 they ac
count it a Mez>ar J that is, a place to be vifited, and of devotion,
in regard of fome perfons buried there whom the Mahometans
hold for Saints: yet it confi.fted only of four poor Cottages, and
thole un-inhabited and abandoned, as is credible^ by reafonof
the Tyrannies which the Arabians of theDcfart, efpecially the
Soldiers, exercis'd in thefetroublefom times upon the poorPea-
iants. 1 he Camelier, becaufe he could not leave us here, by
reafbn the Village was without people, purpofed to carry us to
the Emir ^ doubting, left if he did otherwife, it might turn to
his prejudice. Whereupon, confidering what difgulh and per-
, ^ a P s dangers too I might meet with there, both by reafonof the
Vv omen whom I carri'd with me, and of whom the Mahometans
ute to be very greedy , and alio by reafonof the body of Sitti
Maani, and upon other accounts^ I fet my footagainft the wall,
and refolutely told the Camelier, that I would by no means go
to Emir Mudleg, with whom I had nothing to do^now I had pay d
all his Gabelsi I would go diredly to Aleppo ^ whither if he
would not carry j»e with his Camels, I would go on foot with
my people, leaving all my Goods there on the ground to hi5
. ' - ' care,