The Travels of Pietro della Valle in India

From the old English Translation of 1664, by G. Havers. In Two Volumes Volume I

Edward Grey, Edward Grey

• Editore: Hakluyt Society
• Anno: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781317013112
• Edizione: 1
• Argomento: History
• Categoria: Early Modern History

Edited, with a Life of the Author, an Introduction and Notes. Letters 1-3, 1623. This and the following volume (First Series 85) have continuous main pagination. The supplementary material consists of the 1891 annual report. This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1892.

THE TRAVELS

OF

PETER DELLA VALLE,

SIRNAMED THE TRAVELLER,

Containing a Description of the East Indies, Etc.

LETTER I

From Suràt, March 22. Anno 1623.

In the beginning of this year, at my departure from Persia, I writ last to you from aboard the ship call’d the Whale, in which I was newly em-barqu’d upon the coasts of that Country, and had not yet begun my Voyage. Since which time having sail’d over a good part of the Ocean, arriv’d at the famous Countries of India,travell’d and view’d no inconsiderable portion thereof; by conveniency of the same ship which brought me hither,, and is ready to set sail speedily towards Much๠in the Arabian Gulph, (and the rather for that a German Gentleman a friend of mine is embarqu’d in her, with an intention to travel from thence, in case he can get passage, to see Æthiopia)with this Letter (which I recommend to him to get transmitted into Italy, if possible, from those Ports of the Red Sea, or by the way of Cairo,where they trade, or by some other conveyance) I come again to give you an Account of my Adventures, and the Curiosities which have hitherto afforded delicious repast to my always hungry Intellect. To begin therefore: Upon Thursday the 19 of January, having dispatch’d and taken order for what was needful, a little before day, after the discharge of some Guns as ‘tis the custome at going off from any coast, we began leisurely to display our sails, moving but slowly, because we waited for the ship-boat which was still at Shore; upon whose return we unfolded all our Canvase, and, though with a small gale, directed our course between the Islands of Ormus¹and Kesom² passing on the outer side of Ormuznext Ai’abia,in regard the shallowness of the Channel towards Persiaafforded not water enough for such great Ships as ours.

We were in company only two English Ships, namely, the Whale,which was the Captain-Ship, (in which I was embarqu’d), commanded by Captain Nicholas Woodcock,and another called the Dolphin,which had for Captain, Master Matthew Willis.At noon, being near Lareck,¹ and no wind stirring, we cast Anchor without falling our sails, and our Captain sent his long-boat ashore to Lareck, with two Grey-hounds, which the English of Conibú² had given him, to catch what game they could light upon. Towards night we set sail again; but though the wind somewhat increased, yet because the boat was not returned, we struck sail a little, and staid for it, discharging also several musket shots to the end those that were in it might hear and see where we were; and because ‘twas one o’clock in the night, and the Boat was not yet come, we doubted some disaster might have befaln it, in regard of the multitude of those Arabian thieves called Nouteks,³ which rob upon that sea and frequently reside in this Island of Lareck:Yet at length it return’d safe and sound, and brought us abundance of Goats; whereupon we again spread our sails freely to the wind, which was pretty stiff, although not much favourable to our course. However, we went onwards, plying to the Coast of Arabiafrom that of Persia;and on Saturday morning, as we drew near the Arabian shore, we saw three small Islands,⁴ situate near one another, and not far from a certain Cape,⁵ the name of which, and the Islands, they could not tell me, so as that I might set it down truly; whereby I perecív’d how it comes to pass that many names of places in these parts are very corruptly written in Geographical Charts; for in the Countries themselves, where commerce is had for the most part with rude and ignorant people, few of them know how to pronounce the same aright.

On Sunday we went from our Ship to recreate ourselves in the Dolphin,our companion, where the Captain entertain’d us liberally all day. In the meantime we had a good fresh gale, and sailing directly in the middle of the gulf, we beheld both the coasts of Arabia Felix,and Persia;and in the latter discern’d a famous white rock, which, standing in the midst of a low sandy shore, looks like a little hill made by hand. We pass’d the Cape, which they call in Persian Com barick,¹ that is, small sand, and the next night we left behind us the point, or peak, of Giasck.²

On Monday, the Sea being calm, the Captain, and I, were standing upon the deck of our Ship, discoursing of sundry matters, and he took occasion to show me a piece of Horn,³ which he told me himself had found in the year 1611 in a Northern Country, whither he then sail’d, which they call Greenland, lying in the latitude of seventy-six degrees. He related how he found this horn in the earth, being probably the horn of some Animal dead there, and that, when it was intire, it was between five and six feet long, and seven inches in circumference at the root, where it was thickest. The piece which I saw (for the horn was broken, and sold by pieces in several places) was something more than half a span long, and little less than five inches thick; the colour of it was white, inclining to yellow, like that of Ivory when it is old; it was hollow and smooth within, but wreath’d on the outside. The Captain saw not the Animal, nor knew whether it were of the land or the sea, for, according to the place where he found it, it might be as well one as the other; but he believed for certain, that it was of a Unicorn, both because the experience of its being good against poyson¹ argu’d so much, and for that the signes attributed by Authors to the Unicorn’s horn agreed also to this, as he conceiv’d. But herein I dissent from him, inasmuch as, if I remember aright, the horn of the Unicorn, whom the Greeks call’d Monoceros, is, by Pliny, describ’d black, and not white. The Captain added that it was a report, that Unicorns are found in certain Northern parts of America, not far from that Country of Greenland; and so not unlikely but that there might be some also in Greenland, a neighbouring Country, and not yet known whether it be Continent or Island; and that they might sometimes come thither from the contiguous lands of America, in case it be no Island.

This Country of Greenland is of late discovery, and the first Christian² that discover’d it, or went thither, was this Captain Woodcock, in the year above-mention’d; and he gave it the name of Greenland upon this account, because, whereas the other Northern Countries thereabouts are destitute of grass, (whence the white Bears, and Wolves, which inhabit them live upon dead Whales and other like things), he found this green and full of Grass, although it be always cover’d over with snow, so that, when the Animals there mind to feed, they hollow the snow with their feet, and easily find the grass, which is kept continually fresh under the same. The English now yearly sail thither, where they take abundance of Whales, and some so vast that, when they open the mouth, the wideness is above three Geometrical paces, or fifteen foot over. Of these Whales the English make Oyle, drawing it onely out of the fat of their paunch, and they make such plenty that out of one single Whale, they say, they often get 19, 20, and 21 Tun of Oyl. This Greenland, by what Captain Woodcock saw, who discover’d it, from the end of seventy-six degrees to seventy-eight and a half, (the cold not suffering him to go further) was uninhabited, he not having found any person there, but only wild beasts of many sorts. The Company of the Greenland Merchants of England had the horn, which he found, because Captains of ships are their stipendiaries, and, besides their salary, must make no other profit of their Voyages; but whatever they gain or find, in case it be known, and they conceal it not, all accrues to the Company that employes them. When the Horn was intire it was sent to Constantinople to be sold, where two thousand pounds sterling was offer’d for it: But the English Company, hoping to get a greater rate, sold it not at Constantinape, but sent it into Muscovy, where much about the same price was bidden for it, which, being refus’d, it was carry’d back into Turkey, and fell of its value, a much less sum being now proffér’d than before. Hereupon the Company conceiv’d that it would sell more easily in pieces then intire, because few could be found who would purchase it at so great a rate. Accordingly they broke it, and it was sold by pieces in sundry places; yet, for all this, the whole proceed amounted onely to about twelve hundred pounds sterling.¹ And of these pieces they gave one to the Captain who found it, and this was it which he shew’d me.

II.—On the 25th of January, sailing in the main Sea with the prow of the Ship South-East and by East, and, as I conceive, at a good distance from the Country of Macran² (which I conjecture to be part either of the ancient Cara-mania, or else of Gedrosia, and at this day having a Prince of its own, lyes upon the Sea Coast between the States of the Persian and those of the Moghol), we discern’d behind us three or four...