‘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’ [‎54] (75/508)

j fje Travels Peter Delis Valle^
we went a little without the walls to fee a great Artificial Lake
which is there, made of ftone with flairs at feveral angles about
it; its Diameter was,by iny conjefture,above hall a mile. It hath
about the middle an Illand, with a little Garden, towhtchthey
go by a handfome Bridge of many Arches very well built| upon
which I believe, two Indian Coaches may go a breaft. Indeed
thefe Indian Lakes are goodly things, and may be reckon d
amongft the moft remarkable ftruftures of the world. Having
• feen this, we went to overtake our Cafla, which was arriv d at
^ a Town (e>fen Cox diftantfrom Ahcwdabtdj call d Barigia^ or
SCusn BariZfdy f ifor the Indians very much confound thefc two Letters
^ .g and s in their fpeaking.) We came late to the faid Town, bv
- reafbn of our hindrances at our departure from Armedal>hd\
but certain Horfc-men appoibted, as I conceive, to guard the
way j having met us in the night j would needs accompany
us thither that fo we might go fafelys for which fervice they
were contented with a very (mail gratuity which we gave
them.
XVII. the firft of March, being Ajh-Wednefday, we fet forth by
break of day 5 and having traveil'd fifteen Cos, an hour or little
more before night, we came to lodge in a competently large
; ! i»»'
y y Town call'd Soznitra, where I law Batts as big as Crows. The
next day, March the fecond, beginning our journey early, we
travell'd twelve Cof, and a little after noon arriv'd at Cambaia.
The Dutch Merchants there underftanding by others that we
were coming with this Cajila, came to meet us a little without the
Gate, and with their accuftomed courtefies condufted us to
lodge in their Houfe. March the third, we went out of the
walls to the top of the Tower of that Sepulchre, which I faid
We (aw near the Garden of the King of Cuzarat, to behold from
thence, ( being a great profpe^t upon the Sea) the coming in of
the Tide, which indeed was a pleafant fpedacle. Twas^New-
Moon this day, and fo a greater Tide then ufual, and we went;
to obferve it at the punftual time of its being at the height,
which thofe people know very well-, becaufe at that time it in-
creafes in lefs then a quarter of an hour, to almoft the greateft
height it is to have, and flows with greateft fury contrary to
what happens in other Seas. Now at the due time we faw
the Sea come roaring a far off, like a moft rapid River, and in a
moment overflow a great fpace of Land, ruihing with fuch fury
that nothing could have with-ftood its force 5 and I think it
would have overtaken the fwifteft Race-horfe in the world. A
thing verily ftrange, (ince in other places both the riling and the
falling of the Sea in the flux and reflux is done gently in full fix
hours, and with fo little motion that 'tis fcarce perce}v d. After
this we went to (ee another goodly Ciftern, or Lake, without
the City, formerly not feen, of a fquare form, and of a fumptu-
ous marble ftrufture, with ftairs about it like the others which
I had feen elfewhere. Afterwards we faw in one of the Suburbs
or