ship, which my having of a modell in the
office is of great use to me, and very pleasant and useful it is. Then
by water to White Hall, and there waited upon my Lord Sandwich; and
joyed him, at his lodgings, of his safe coming home after all his
danger, which he confesses to be very great. And his people do tell me
how bravely my Lord did carry himself, while my Lord Crofts did cry; and
I perceive it is all the town talk how poorly he carried himself. But
the best was of one Mr. Rawlins, a courtier, that was with my Lord; and
in the greatest danger cried, "God damn me, my Lord, I won't give you
three-pence for your place now." But all ends in the honour of the
pleasure-boats; which, had they not been very good boats, they could
never have endured the sea as they did. Thence with Captain Fletcher,
of the Gage, in his ship's boat with 8 oars (but every ordinary oars
outrowed us) to Woolwich, expecting to find Sir W. Batten there upon his
survey, but he is not come, and so we got a dish of steaks at the White
Hart, while his clarkes and others were feasting of it in the best room
of the house, and after dinner playing at shuffleboard,

[The game of shovelboard was played by two players (each provided
with five coins) on a smooth heavy table. On the table were marked
with chalk a series of lines, and the play was to strike the coin on
the edge of the table with the hand so that it rested between these
lines. Shakespeare uses the expression "shove-groat shilling," as
does Ben Jonson. These shillings were usually smooth and worn for
the convenience of playing. Strutt says ("Sports and Pastimes"), "I
have seen a shovel-board table at a low public house in Benjamin
Street, near Clerkenwell Green, which is about three feet in breadth
and thirty-nine feet two inches in length, and said to be the
longest at this time in London."]

and when at last they heard I was there, they went about their survey.
But God help the King! what surveys, shall be taken after this manner!
I after dinner about my business to the Rope-yard, and there staid till
night, repeating several trialls of the strength, wayte, waste, and
other things of hemp, by which I have furnished myself enough to finish
my intended business of stating the goodness of all sorts of hemp. At
night home by boat with Sir W. Warren, who I landed by the way, and so
being come home to bed.

31st. Up early and among my w