haste,
took our wherry toward Chatham; but, it growing darke, we were put to
great difficultys, our simple, yet confident waterman, not knowing a step
of the way; and we found ourselves to go backward and forward, which, in
the darke night and a wild place, did vex us mightily. At last we got a
fisher boy by chance, and took him into the boat, and being an odde kind
of boy, did vex us too; for he would not answer us aloud when we spoke to
him, but did carry us safe thither, though with a mistake or two; but I
wonder they were not more. In our way I was [surprised] and so were we
all, at the strange nature of the sea-water in a darke night, that it
seemed like fire upon every stroke of the oare, and, they say, is a sign
of winde. We went to the Crowne Inne, at Rochester, and there to supper,
and made ourselves merry with our poor fisher-boy, who told us he had not
been in a bed in the whole seven years since he came to 'prentice, and
hath two or three more years to serve. After eating something, we in our
clothes to bed.

26th. Up by five o'clock and got post horses and so set out for
Greenwich, calling and drinking at Dartford. Being come to Greenwich and
shifting myself I to the office, from whence by and by my Lord Bruncker
and Sir J. Minnes set out toward Erith to take charge of the two East
India shipps, which I had a hand in contriving for the King's service and
may do myself a good office too thereby. I to dinner with Mr. Wright to
his father-in-law in Greenwich, one of the most silly, harmless, prating
old men that ever I heard in my life. Creed dined with me, and among
other discourses got of me a promise of half that he could get my Lord
Rutherford to give me upon clearing his business, which should not be
less, he says, than L50 for my half, which is a good thing, though
cunningly got of him. By and by Luellin comes, and I hope to get
something of Deering shortly. They being gone, Mr. Wright and I went into
the garden to discourse with much trouble for fear of losing all the
profit and principal of what we have laid out in buying of prize goods,
and therefore puts me upon thoughts of flinging up my interest, but yet I
shall take good advice first. Thence to the office, and after some
letters down to Woolwich, where I have not lain with my wife these eight
days I think, or more. After supper, and telling her my mind in my
trouble in what I have done as to buying' of these goods, we to bed.

27th. U