en of; but he would not believe it,
but laughed, and said it was a fleete of Billanders,

["Bilander. A small merchant vessel with two masts, particularly
distinguished from other vessels with two masts by the form of her
mainsail, which is bent to the whole length of her yard, hanging
fore and aft, and inclined to the horizon at an angle of about 45
deg. Few vessels are now rigged in this manner, and the name is
rather indiscriminately used."--Smyth's Sailor's Word-Book.]

and that the guns that were heard was the salutation of the Swede's
Ambassador that comes over with them. But within half an hour comes
another letter from Captain Proud, that eight of them were come into
the Hope, and thirty more following them, at ten this morning. By and
by comes an order from White Hall to send down one of our number to
Chatham, fearing that, as they did before, they may make a show first up
hither, but then go to Chatham: so my Lord Bruncker do go, and we here
are ordered to give notice to the merchant men-of-war, gone below the
barricado at Woolwich, to come up again. So with much trouble to supper,
home and to bed.

24th. Betimes this morning comes a letter from the Clerke of the Cheque
at Gravesend to me, to tell me that the Dutch fleete did come all into
the Hope yesterday noon, and held a fight with our ships from thence
till seven at night; that they had burned twelve fire-ships, and we took
one of their's, and burned five of our fire-ships. But then rising and
going to Sir W. Batten, he tells me that we have burned one of their
men-of-war, and another of theirs is blown up: but how true this is, I
know not. But these fellows are mighty bold, and have had the fortune of
the wind easterly this time to bring them up, and prevent our troubling
them with our fire-ships; and, indeed, have had the winds at their
command from the beginning, and now do take the beginning of the spring,
as if they had some great design to do. I to my office, and there hard
at work all the morning, to my great content, abstracting the contract
book into my abstract book, which I have by reason of the war omitted
for above two years, but now am endeavouring to have all my books ready
and perfect against the Parliament comes, that upon examination I may
be in condition to value myself upon my perfect doing of my own duty.
At noon home to dinner, where my wife mighty musty,--[Dull, heavy,
spiritless]--but I took no not