had for them. Falconbrige dined somewhere else, by appointment. Strange
to see how young W. Bowyer looks at 41 years; one would not take him for
24 or more, and is one of the greatest wonders I ever did see. After
dinner, about 4 of the clock we broke up, and I took coach and home (in
fear for the money I had with me, but that this friend of Spicer's, one of
the Duke's guard did ride along the best part of the way with us). I got
to my Lord Bruncker's before night, and there I sat and supped with him
and his mistresse, and Cocke whose boy is yet ill. Thence, after losing a
crowne betting at Tables--[Cribbage]--, we walked home, Cocke seeing me at
my new lodging, where I went to bed. All my worke this day in the coach
going and coming was to refresh myself in my musique scale, which I would
fain have perfecter than ever I had yet.

22nd. Up betimes and to the office, meaning to have entered my last 5 or
6 days' Journall, but was called away by my Lord Bruncker and Sir J.
Minnes, and to Blackwall, there to look after the storehouses in order to
the laying of goods out of the East India ships when they shall be
unloaden. That being done, we into Johnson's house, and were much made
of, eating and drinking. But here it is observable what he tells us, that
in digging his late Docke, he did 12 foot under ground find perfect trees
over-covered with earth. Nut trees, with the branches and the very nuts
upon them; some of whose nuts he showed us. Their shells black with age,
and their kernell, upon opening, decayed, but their shell perfectly hard
as ever. And a yew tree he showed us (upon which, he says, the very ivy
was taken up whole about it), which upon cutting with an addes [adze], we
found to be rather harder than the living tree usually is. They say, very
much, but I do not know how hard a yew tree naturally is.

[The same discovery was made in 1789, in digging the Brunswick Dock,
also at Blackwall, and elsewhere in the neighbourhood.]