26th.  This day it is two years since it pleased God that I was cut of the stone at Mrs. Turner’s in Salisbury Court.  And did resolve while I live to keep it a festival, as I did the last year at my house, and for ever to have Mrs. Turner and her company with me.  But now it pleases God that I am where I am and so prevented to do it openly; only within my soul I can and do rejoice, and bless God, being at this time blessed be his holy name, in as good health as ever I was in my life.  This morning I rose early, and went about making of an establishment of the whole Fleet, and a list of all the ships, with the number of men and guns:  About an hour after that, we had a meeting of the principal commanders and seamen, to proportion out the number of these things.  After that to dinner, there being very many commanders on board.  All the afternoon very many orders were made, till I was very weary.  At night Mr. Sheply and W. Howe came and brought some bottles of wine and some things to eat in my cabin, where we were very merry, remembering the day of being cut for the stone.  Captain Cuttance came afterwards and sat drinking a bottle of wine till eleven, a kindness he do not usually do the greatest officer in the ship.  After that to bed.

27th.  Early in the morning at making a fair new establishment of the Fleet to send to the Council.  This morning, the wind came about, and we fell into the Hope,—­[A reach of the Thames near Tilbury.]—­and in our passing by the Vice-Admiral, he and the rest of the frigates, with him, did give us abundance of guns and we them, so much that the report of them broke all the windows in my cabin and broke off the iron bar that was upon it to keep anybody from creeping in at the Scuttle.—­["A small hole or port cut either in the deck or side of a ship, generally for ventilation.  That in the deck is a small hatch-way.”—­Smyth’s Sailor’s Word-Book.]—­This noon I sat the first time with my Lord at table since my coming to sea.  All the afternoon exceeding busy in writing of letters and orders.  In the afternoon, Sir Harry Wright came onboard us, about his business of being chosen Parliament-man.  My Lord brought him to see my cabin, when I was hard a-writing.  At night supped with my Lord too, with the Captain, and after that to work again till it be very late.  So to bed.

28th.  This morning and the whole day busy, and that the more because Mr. Burr was about his own business all the day at Gravesend.  At night there was a gentleman very well bred, his name was Banes, going for Flushing, who spoke French and Latin very well, brought by direction from Captain Clerke hither, as a prisoner, because he called out of the vessel that he went in, “Where is your King, we have done our business, Vive le Roi.”  He confessed himself a Cavalier in his heart, and that he and his whole family had fought for the King; but that he was then drunk, having been all night taking his leave at Gravesend the night before, and so could not remember