'Change, about supplying us with bewpers from Norwich, which I should be
glad of, if cheap. So home to supper and bed.

17th. Up, and to my office, where I dispatched much business, and then
down by water to Woolwich to make a discovery of a cheate providing for us
in the working of some of our own ground Tows into new cordage, to be sold
to us for Riga cordage. Thence to Mr. Falconer's, where I met Sir W.
Batten and Lady, and Captain Tinker, and there dined with them, and so to
the Dockyarde and to Deptford by water, and there very long informing
myself in the business of flags and bewpers and other things, and so home
late, being weary, and full of good information to-day, but I perceive the
corruptions of the Navy are of so many kinds that it is endless to look
after them, especially while such a one as Sir W. Batten discourages every
man that is honest. So home to my office, there very late, and then to
supper and to bed mightily troubled in my mind to hear how Sir W. Batten
and Sir J. Minnes do labour all they can to abuse or enable others to
abuse the King.

18th. From morning till 11 at night (only a little at dinner at home) at
my office very busy, setting many businesses in order to my great trouble,
but great content in the end. So home to supper and to bed. Strange to
see how pert Sir W. Pen is to-day newly come from Portsmouth with his head
full of great reports of his service and the state of the ships there.
When that is over he will be just as another man again or worse. But I
wonder whence Mr. Coventry should take all this care for him, to send for
him up only to look after his Irish business with my Lord Ormond and to
get the Duke's leave for him to come with so much officiousness, when I am
sure he knows him as well as I do as to his little service he do.

19th (Lord's day). Up, and all the morning and afternoon (only at dinner