f their voyage, Whitelocke held it not so good to continue the
expostulation as to part friends with Captain Minnes and with all his
fellow-seamen, and so they proceeded together lovingly and friendly in
their voyage.

The wind not blowing at all, but being a high calm, they could advance no
further than the tide would carry them, the which failed them when they
came to a place called Shoe, about four leagues from the mouth of Thames.
Having, through the goodness of God, passed by and avoided many banks of
sands and dangerous places, the wind failing them and the tide quite
spent, they were forced about seven o'clock in the evening to come to an
anchor, Captain Minnes hard by the 'President,' where, to make some
pastime and diversion, he caused many squibs and fireworks to be cast up
into the air from the 'Elizabeth,' in which Minnes was very ingenious,
and gave recreation thereby to Whitelocke and to his company.

_June 30, 1654._

[SN: Reach the Nore and Gravesend.]

Friday, the last of this month, was the fifth and last day of
Whitelocke's voyage by sea from the mouth of the Elbe to the mouth of
the Thames. About twelve o'clock the last night the wind began to blow
very strong in the south-west, and by daybreak they had weighed anchor;
and though the wind was extreme high and a great tempest, yet such was
their desire of getting into the harbour, that, taking the benefit of the
tide and by often tacking about, they yet advanced three leagues in their
course; and when the tide failed, they were forced to cast anchor at the
buoy in the Nore, the same place where Whitelocke first anchored when he
came from England. The pilots and mariners had much ado to manage their
sails in this tempestuous weather; and it was a great favour of God that
they were not out at sea in these storms, but returned in safety to the
place where the kindness of God had before appeared to them.

In the afternoon the wind began to fall, and they weighed anchor, putting
themselves under sail and pursuing their course, till for want of day and
of tide they were fain to cast anchor a little above Gravesend, and it
being very late, Whitelocke thought it would be too troublesome to go on
shore; but to keep his people together, and that they might all be the
readier to take the morning tide, he lay this night also on ship-board,
but sent Earle and some others that night to shore, to learn the news,
and to provide boats against the morning for tra