reed down by boat
to Chatham-yard (our watermen having their bandeleeres about them all
the way), and to Commissioner Pett's house, where my Lord Bruncker told
me that I should meet with his dinner two dishes of meat, but did not,
but however by the help of Mr. Wiles had some beer and ale brought me,
and a good piece of roast beef from somebody's table, and eat well at
two, and after dinner into the garden to shew Creed, and I must confess
it must needs be thought a sorrowful thing for a man that hath taken so
much pains to make a place neat to lose it as Commissioner Pett must now
this. Thence to see the batteries made; which, indeed, are very fine,
and guns placed so as one would think the River should be very secure.
I was glad, as also it was new to me, to see so many fortifications as I
have of late seen, and so up to the top of the Hill, there to look, and
could see towards Sheerenesse, to spy the Dutch fleete, but could make
[out] none but one vessel, they being all gone. But here I was told,
that, in all the late attempt, there was but one man that they knew
killed on shore: and that was a man that had laid himself upon his
belly upon one of the hills, on the other side of the River, to see the
action; and a bullet come, took the ground 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;"