found Creed and Hawley. After dinner comes in Mrs. Ingram, the first time
to make a visit to my wife. After a little stay I left them and to the
Committee of the Fishery, and there did make my report of the late public
collections for the Fishery, much to the satisfaction of the Committee,
and I think much to my reputation, for good notice was taken of it and
much it was commended. So home, in my way taking care of a piece of plate
for Mr. Christopher Pett, against the launching of his new great ship
tomorrow at Woolwich, which I singly did move to His Royall Highness, and
did obtain it for him, to the value of twenty pieces. And he, under his
hand, do acknowledge to me that he did never receive so great a kindness
from any man in the world as from me herein. So to my office, and then to
supper, and then to my office again, where busy late, being very full now
a days of business to my great content, I thank God, and so home to bed,
my house being full of a design, to go to-morrow, my wife and all her
servants, to see the new ship launched.

26th. Up, my people rising mighty betimes, to fit themselves to go by
water; and my boy, he could not sleep, but wakes about four o'clock, and
in bed lay playing on his lute till daylight, and, it seems, did the like
last night till twelve o'clock. About eight o'clock, my wife, she and her
woman, and Besse and Jane, and W. Hewer and the boy, to the water-side,
and there took boat, and by and by I out of doors, to look after the
flaggon, to get it ready to carry to Woolwich. That being not ready, I
stepped aside and found out Nellson, he that Whistler buys his bewpers of,
and did there buy 5 pieces at their price, and am in hopes thereby to
bring them down or buy ourselves all we spend of Nellson at the first
hand. This jobb was greatly to my content, and by and by the flaggon
being finished at the burnisher's, I home, and there fitted myself, and
took a hackney-coach I hired, it being a very cold and foule day, to
Woolwich, all the way reading in a good book touching the fishery, and