30th.  Up early, and to my office, where Cooper came to me and begun his lecture upon the body of a ship, which my having of a modell in the office is of great use to me, and very pleasant and useful it is.  Then by water to White Hall, and there waited upon my Lord Sandwich; and joyed him, at his lodgings, of his safe coming home after all his danger, which he confesses to be very great.  And his people do tell me how bravely my Lord did carry himself, while my Lord Crofts did cry; and I perceive it is all the town talk how poorly he carried himself.  But the best was of one Mr. Rawlins, a courtier, that was with my Lord; and in the greatest danger cried, “God damn me, my Lord, I won’t give you three-pence for your place now.”  But all ends in the honour of the pleasure-boats; which, had they not been very good boats, they could never have endured the sea as they did.  Thence with Captain Fletcher, of the Gage, in his ship’s boat with 8 oars (but every ordinary oars outrowed us) to Woolwich, expecting to find Sir W. Batten there upon his survey, but he is not come, and so we got a dish of steaks at the White Hart, while his clarkes and others were feasting of it in the best room of the house, and after dinner playing at shuffleboard,

[The game of shovelboard was played by two players (each provided with five coins) on a smooth heavy table.  On the table were marked with chalk a series of lines, and the play was to strike the coin on the edge of the table with the hand so that it rested between these lines.  Shakespeare uses the expression “shove-groat shilling,” as does Ben Jonson.  These shillings were usually smooth and worn for the convenience of playing.  Strutt says ("Sports and Pastimes"), “I have seen a shovel-board table at a low public house in Benjamin Street, near Clerkenwell Green, which is about three feet in breadth and thirty-nine feet two inches in length, and said to be the longest at this time in London.”]

and when at last they heard I was there, they went about their survey.  But God help the King! what surveys, shall be taken after this manner!  I after dinner about my business to the Rope-yard, and there staid till night, repeating several trialls of the strength, wayte, waste, and other things of hemp, by which I have furnished myself enough to finish my intended business of stating the goodness of all sorts of hemp.  At night home by boat with Sir W. Warren, who I landed by the way, and so being come home to bed.

31st.  Up early and among my workmen, I ordering my rooms above, which will please me very well.  So to my office, and there we sat all the morning, where I begin more and more to grow considerable there.  At noon Mr. Coventry and I by his coach to the Exchange together; and in Lumbard-street met Captain Browne of the Rosebush:  at which he was cruel angry:  and did threaten to go to-day to the Duke at Hampton Court, and get him turned out because he was not sailed.