ent; and it was to good purpose, whatever the success be, for the
men would have but spent the King so much the more in wages, and yet not
attended on board to have done the King any service; and as an evidence of
that, just now, being the 15th day in the morning that I am writing
yesterday's passages, one is with me, Jacob Bryan, Purser of "The
Princesse," who confesses to me that he hath about 180 men borne at this
day in victuals and wages on that ship lying at Chatham, being lately
brought in thither; of which 180 there was not above five appeared to do
the King any service at this late business. And this morning also, some
of the Cambridge's men come up from Portsmouth, by order from Sir
Fretcheville Hollis, who boasted to us the other day that he had sent for
50, and would be hanged if 100 did not come up that would do as much as
twice the number of other men: I say some of them, instead of being at
work at Deptford, where they were intended, do come to the office this
morning to demand the payment of their tickets; for otherwise they would,
they said, do no more work; and are, as I understand from every body that
has to do with them, the most debauched, damning, swearing rogues that
ever were in the Navy, just like their prophane commander. So to Sir W.
Batten's to sit and talk a little, and then home to my flageolet, my heart
being at pretty good ease by a letter from my wife, brought by Saunders,
that my father and wife got well last night to their Inne and out again
this morning, and Gibson's being got safe to Caxton at twelve last night.
So to supper, and then to bed. No news to-day of any motion of the enemy
either upwards towards Chatham or this way.

15th. All the morning at the office. No newes more than last night; only
Purser Tyler comes and tells me that he being at all the passages in this
business at Chatham, he says there have been horrible miscarriages, such
as we shall shortly hear of: that the want of boats hath undone us; and it
is commonly said, and Sir J. Minnes under his hand tells us, that they
were employed by the men of the Yard to carry away their goods; and I hear
that Commissioner Pett will be found the first man that began to remove;
he is much spoken against, and Bruncker is complained of and reproached
for discharging the men of the great ships heretofore. At noon Mr. Hater
dined with me; and tells me he believes that it will hardly be the want of
money alone that will excuse to