That night they anchored off Felixstowe, and the next day proceeded,
with a favourable wind, to Yarmouth, where already a great number of
ships were at anchor. So far the five Volunteers had taken their
meals with the captain, but as the others would be coming on board,
they were now to mess below, getting fresh meat and vegetables from
the shore as they required them. As to other stores, they resolved to
do nothing till the whole party arrived.

They had not long to wait, for, on the third day after their arrival,
the Duke of York and Prince Rupert, with a great train of gentlemen,
arrived in the town, and early the next morning embarked on board
their respective ships. A council was held by the Volunteers in their
quarters, three of their number were chosen as caterers, and, a
contribution of three pounds a head being agreed upon, these went
ashore in one of the ship's boats, and returned presently with a
barrel or two of good biscuits, the carcasses of five sheep, two or
three score of ducks and chickens, and several casks of wine,
together with a large quantity of vegetables. The following morning
the signal was hoisted on the mast-head of the _Royal Charles_, the
Duke of York's flagship, for the Fleet to prepare to weigh anchor,
and they presently got under way in three squadrons, the red under
the special orders of the Duke, the white under Prince Rupert, and
the blue under the Earl of Sandwich.

The Fleet consisted of one hundred and nine men-of-war and frigates,
and twenty-eight fire-ships and ketches, manned by 21,006 seamen and
soldiers. They sailed across to the coast of Holland, and cruised,
for a few days, off Texel, capturing ten or twelve merchant vessels
that tried to run in. So far, the weather had been very fine, but
there were now signs of a change of weather. The sky became overcast,