d away just under his belly,
and ripped up his belly, and so was killed. Thence back to the docke,
and in my way saw how they are fain to take the deals of the rope-house
to supply other occasions, and how sillily the country troopers look,
that stand upon the passes there; and, methinks, as if they were more
willing to run away than to fight, and it is said that the country
soldiers did first run at Sheerenesse, but that then my Lord Douglas's
men did run also; but it is excused that there was no defence for them
towards the sea, that so the very beach did fly in their faces as the
bullets come, and annoyed them, they having, after all this preparation
of the officers of the ordnance, only done something towards the land,
and nothing at all towards the sea. The people here everywhere do speak
very badly of Sir Edward Spragge, as not behaving himself as he should
have done in that business, going away with the first, and that old
Captain Pyne, who, I am here told, and no sooner, is Master-Gunner of
England, was the last that staid there. Thence by barge, it raining
hard, down to the chaine; and in our way did see the sad wrackes of the
poor "Royall Oake," "James," and "London;"

["The bottom of the 'Royal James' is got afloat, and those of the
'Loyal London' and 'Royal Oak' soon will be so. Many men are at work
to put Sheerness in a posture of defence, and a boom is being fitted
over the river by Upnor Castle, which with the good fortifications
will leave nothing to fear."--Calendar of State Papers, 1667, p.
285.]

and several other of our ships by us sunk, and several of the enemy's,
whereof three men-of-war that they could not get off, and so burned. We
did also see several dead bodies lie by the side of the water. I do not
see that Upnor Castle hath received any hurt by them, though they played
long against it; and they themselves shot till they had hardly a gun
left upon the carriages, so badly provided they were: they have now
made two batteries on that side, which will be very good, and do good
service. So to the chaine, and there saw it fast at the end on Upnor
side of the River; very fast, and borne up upon the several stages
across the River; and where it is broke nobody can tell me. I went on
shore on Upnor side to look upon the end of the chaine; and caused
the link to be measured, and it was six inches and one-fourth in
circumference. They have burned the Crane House that was