A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654 Part 40

"Ill.u.s.tris et n.o.bilissime Domine Legate, amice plurimum honorande,

"Quod Excellentia vestra me hesterno die tam magnifice et laute exceperit, id ut pro singulari agnos...o...b..neficio; ita ingentes Excellentiae vestrae ago gratias, et nihil magis in votis habeo quam ut occasio mihi offeratur, qua benevolentiam hanc aliquando debite resarcire possim.

"c.u.m itaque videam ventum adhuc esse contrarium, adeo ut Excellentia vestra anchoram solvere versusque patriam vela vertere needum possit; partium mearum duxi aliquo modo gratum meum ostendere animum et praesentem ad Excellentiam vestram ablegare, simulque aliquid carnis, farinae, et piscium, prout festinatio temporis admittere potuit, offerre, Excellentiam vestram obnixe rogans ut oblatum aequi bonique consulere dignetur. Et quamvis ex animo Excellentiae vestrae ventum secundum, et ad iter omnia prospera exoptem, nihilo tamen minus, si forte fortuna in hisce locis vicinis diutius adhuc subsistere cogatur, ministris meis injungam, ut Excellentiae vestrae in absentia mea (quoniam in procinctu sum me crastino mane ad regiam Majestatem dominum meum clementissimum conferre) ulterius inservire, et quicquid occasio obtulerit subministrare debeant. De caetero nos Divinae commendo protectioni, et Excellentiae vestrae filios dilectissimos meo nomine salutare obnixe rogo.

"Dabam in arce mea Breitenburos, 23 Junii, anno 1654.

"Excellentiae vestrae "Observantissimus totusque addictus, "CHRISTIa.n.u.s, _Comes in Ranzau_."

Whitelocke did the rather insert these letters, to testify the abilities of the gentlemen servants to this Grave, as also the grateful affection of their master towards him, a stranger to them, upon one meal's entertainment and acquaintance.

About six o'clock at night Mr. Smith, son to Alderman Smith, of London, and two other young merchants of the English company at Hamburg, came on board to Whitelocke, and brought letters to him from the Resident Bradshaw, with those the Resident received by this week's post from London; wherein was little news, and no letters came to Whitelocke, because (as he supposed) his friends believed him to be upon the sea.

Whitelocke wrote letters of thanks to the Resident, and enclosed in them letters of compliment to the Ricks-Chancellor, and to his son Grave Eric of Sweden, and to Sir George Fleetwood and others, his friends, and entreated the Resident to send them into Sweden.

_June 26, 1654._

[SN: Whitelocke weighs anchor.]

The wind not being so high the last night nor this morning as formerly, but the weather promising fair, and Whitelocke longing to advance in his voyage, he weighed anchor about break of day, the 'Elizabeth' did the like, and they were under sail about four o'clock this morning. As they came out from Rose Beacon, they told above thirty fisher-boats at sea, testifying the industriousness of this people.

About two leagues from Rose Beacon they pa.s.sed in sight of another beacon, and of a village which they call Newworke, in which is a small castle like unto that at Rose Beacon. Here the sea began to expatiate, and about three leagues from hence was the lowest buoy of the river. And now Whitelocke was got forth into the open German Ocean, a sea wide and large, oft-times highly rough and boisterous and full of danger, especially in these parts of it, and as Whitelocke shortly found it to be. Suddenly the wind grew high and the sea swelled, and they were fain to take in their topsails; the s.h.i.+p rolled and tossed sufficiently to make the younger seamen sick, and all fearful.

From this place they might see an island on the starboard side of them, called Heligoland, standing a great way into the sea, twelve leagues from Rose Beacon; the island is about six miles in compa.s.s. The inhabitants have a language, habit, and laws, different from their neighbours, and are said to have many witches among them; their sh.o.r.es are found very dangerous, and many s.h.i.+ps wrecked upon them.

About noon the wind came more to the west, and sometimes it was calm; nevertheless the sea wrought high, the waves raised by the former storms not abating a long while after the storm ceased. When they were gone about two leagues beyond Heligoland, the wind and tide turning against them, they were driven back again near two leagues short of the island; but about four o'clock in the afternoon, the wind being come to south-south-east and a fresh gale, they went on well in their course, running about eight leagues in a watch. Before it was night they had left Heligoland out of sight, and got about eight leagues beyond it; and the 'Elizabeth' kept up with Whitelocke.

From hence he came in sight of divers small islands upon the Dutch coast, which lie in rank from the mouth of the Elbe unto the Texel. In the evening they spied a sail to the leeward of them, but so far off that Whitelocke held it not fit, being almost dark, to go so far as he must do out of his way to inquire after her, and she seemed, at that distance, to stand for the course of England.

_June 27, 1654._

[SN: At sea.]

The last night, the wind, having chopped about, had much hindered Whitelocke's course, and made him uncertain where they were, yet he went on labouring in the main; but the seamen guessed, by the s.h.i.+p's making way and holding it (though sometimes forward and sometimes backward), that this morning by eight o'clock they had gained thirty leagues from Heligoland, from which to Orfordness they reckon eighty leagues, and the "Fly" to be midway. The s.h.i.+p, which they saw last night, coming near them this morning, they found to be of Amsterdam, coming from the Sound homewards: she struck her sails to Whitelocke, and so pa.s.sed on her course.

About noon Whitelocke came over-against the Fly, and saw the tower there, about five or six leagues from him. The wind lessened, and the sea did not go so high as before; he went on his course about four or five leagues in a watch. About seven or eight Holland s.h.i.+ps made their course by them, as was supposed, towards the Sound, which now they did without fear or danger, the peace between the two Commonwealths being confirmed.

Whitelocke's fresh provisions beginning to fail, and his biscuit lessened by affording part of it to the 'Elizabeth,' which wanted, he was enforced to order that there should be but one meal a day, to make his provisions hold out.

The most part of the afternoon they were taken with a calm, till about seven o'clock in the evening, when the wind came fresh again to the east and towards the north, and then would again change; and sometimes they kept their course, and sometimes they were driven back again. The wind was high and variable, and they toiled to and again, uncertain where they were. Divers took the opportunity to recreate themselves by fis.h.i.+ng, and the mackerel and other fish they took gave a little supply to their want of victual. About nine o'clock in the evening they lost the 'Elizabeth,'

leaving her behind about three leagues; she used to keep a distance from Whitelocke's s.h.i.+p, and under the wind of her, since they began their voyage; and, as a stranger, would not keep company with Whitelocke, being discontented because he went not in that frigate.

_June 28, 1654._

[SN: Whitelocke's great deliverance.]

This Wednesday was the day of Whitelocke's greatest deliverance. After midnight, till three o'clock in the afternoon, was a great calm, and though the 'President' were taken with it, yet the 'Elizabeth' had a good wind; and notwithstanding that the day before she was left behind a great distance, yet this morning she came up near to him, and got before him; so great is the difference sometimes, and at so small a distance, at sea, that here one s.h.i.+p shall have no wind at all, and another s.h.i.+p a few yards from her shall have her sails filled. Notwithstanding the calm, yet the wind being by flashes large, they went the last night and the day before twenty leagues up and down, sometimes in their course and sometimes out of it. In the morning, sounding with the plummet, the pilot judged that they were about sixteen leagues from the Texel, and twenty-four from Orfordness, but he did not certainly know whereabouts they were. Between three and four o'clock in the afternoon the wind came to north-north-west, which gave them hopes of finis.h.i.+ng their voyage the sooner, and it blew a fresh gale.

About five o'clock in the evening rose a very great fog and thick mist, so that it was exceeding dark, and they could not see their way a s.h.i.+p's length before them. Whitelocke came upon the decks, and seeing the weather so bad and night coming on, and that all their sails were spread, and they ran extraordinary fast, he did not like it, but called together the captain, the master, the pilot, and others, to consult what was best to be done. He asked them why they spread all their sails, and desired to make so much way in so ill weather, and so near to night. They said they had so much sail because the wind favoured them, and that notwithstanding the bad weather they might safely run as they did, having sea-room enough. Whitelocke asked them if they knew whereabouts they were. They confessed they did not, because they had been so much tossed up and down by contrary winds, and the sun had not s.h.i.+ned, whereby they might take the elevation. Whitelocke replied, that, having been driven forward and backward as they had been, it was impossible to know where they were; that the s.h.i.+p had run, and did now run, extraordinary fast, and if she should run so all night, perhaps they might be in danger of the English coast or of the Holland coast; and that by Norfolk there were great banks of sand, by which he had pa.s.sed at sea formerly, and which could not be unknown to them; that in case the s.h.i.+p should fall upon those sands, or any other dangers of that coast, before morning, they should be all lost; and therefore he thought fit to take down some of their sails and slacken their course till, by daylight, they might come to know more certainly in what part they were.

The officers of the s.h.i.+p continued earnest to hold on their course, saying they would warrant it that there was running enough for all night, and that to take down any sail, now the wind was so good for them, would be a great wrong to them in their course. But Whitelocke was little satisfied with their reasons, and less with their warranties, which among them are not of binding force. His own reason showed him, that, not knowing where they were, and in such weather as this to run on as they did, they knew not whither, with all their sails spread, might be dangerous; but to take down some of their sails and to slacken their course could be no danger, and but little prejudice in the hindrance of their course this night, which he thought better to be borne than to endanger all.

[SN: He orders sail to be taken in.]

But chiefly it was the goodness of G.o.d to put it strongly upon Whitelocke's heart to overrule the seamen in this particular, though in their own art, and though his own desires were sufficiently earnest to hasten to his dear relations and country; yet the present haste he feared might hinder the seeing of them at all. Upon a strange earnestness in his own mind and judgement, he gave a positive command to the captain to cause all the sails to be taken down except the mainsail only, and that to be half-furled. Upon the captain's dispute, Whitelocke with quickness told him that if he did not presently see it done he would cause another to do it, whereupon the captain obeyed; and it was a great mercy that the same was done, which G.o.d directed as a means to save their lives.

[SN: The s.h.i.+p strikes.]

After the sails were taken down, Whitelocke also ordered them to sound and try what water and bottom they had. About ten o'clock in the evening sounding, they found eighteen fathom water; the next sounding they had but fifteen fathom, and so lessened every sounding till they came to eight fathom, which startled them, and made them endeavour to tack about.

But it was too late, for within less than a quarter of an hour after they had eighteen fathom water, the s.h.i.+p struck upon a bank of sand, and there stuck fast. Whitelocke was sitting with some of the gentlemen in the steerage-room when this happened, and felt a strange motion of the frigate, as if she had leaped, and not unlike the curveting of a great horse; and the violence of the striking threw several of the gentlemen from off their seats into the midst of the room. The condition they were in was quickly understood, and both seamen and landsmen discovered it by the wonderful terror and amazement which had seized on them, and more upon the seamen than others who knew less of the danger.

It pleased his good G.o.d to keep up the spirits and faith of Whitelocke in this great extremity; and when nothing would be done but what he in person ordered, in this frightful confusion G.o.d gave him extraordinary fixedness and a.s.sistance, a temper and constancy of spirit beyond what was usual with him. He ordered the master-gunner presently to fire some pieces of ordnance, after the custom at sea, to signify their being in distress. But the gunner was so amazed with the danger, that he forgot to unbrace the guns, and shot away the main-sheet; and had not the s.h.i.+p been strong and staunch, the guns being fired when they were close braced, they had broke the sides of her. Whitelocke caused the guns to be unbraced and divers of them fired, to give notice to the 'Elizabeth,' or any other s.h.i.+p that might be within hearing, to come in to their a.s.sistance; but they heard no guns again to answer theirs, though they longed for it, hoping that the 'Elizabeth,' or any other s.h.i.+p coming in to them, by their boats might save the lives of some of them. Whitelocke also caused lights to be set up in the top-gallant, used at sea by those in distress to invite help; but the lights were not answered again by any other s.h.i.+p or vessel; particularly they wondered that nothing was heard or seen from the 'Elizabeth.'

Whitelocke then ordered the sails of the s.h.i.+p to be reversed, that the wind, being high, might so help them off; but no help was by it, nor by all the people's coming together to the stern, then to the head, then to the sides of the s.h.i.+p, all in a heap together; nothing would help them.

Then Whitelocke ordered the mariners to hoist out one of the boats, in which some of the company would have persuaded Whitelocke to put himself and to leave the rest, and seek to preserve his own life by trusting to the seas in this boat; and they that advised this, offered willingly to go with him.

But Whitelocke knew that if he should go into the boat, besides the dishonour of leaving his people in this distress, so many would strive to enter into the boat with him (a life knows no ceremony) that probably the boat would be sunk by the crowding; and there was little hope of escaping in such a boat, though he should get well off from the s.h.i.+p and the boat not be overladen. He therefore ordered the captain to take a few of the seamen into the boat with him, and to go round the s.h.i.+p and sound what water was on each side of her, and what hopes they could find, and by what means to get her off, himself resolving to abide the same fortune with his followers.

The captain found it very shallow to windward, and very deep to leeward, but no hopes of help; and at his return the master advised to lighten the s.h.i.+p by casting overboard the goods in her. Whitelocke held it best to begin with the ordnance, and gave order for it. Mr. Earle was contriving how to save his master's jewels, which were of some value; his master took more care to save his papers, to him more precious jewels; but there was no hope of saving any goods or lives. Whitelocke put in his pocket a tablet of gold of his wife's picture, that this, being found about his dead body when it should be taken up, might show him to have been a gentleman, and satisfy for his burial. One was designing to get upon a plank, others upon the masts, others upon other fancies, any way to preserve life; but no way was left whereby they could have the least shadow or hopes of a deliverance.

The captain went up to the quarter-deck, saying, there he lived and there he would die. All the officers, sadly enough, concluded that there was not the least show of any hopes of preservation, but that they were all dead men, and that upon the return of the tide the s.h.i.+p would questionless be dashed in pieces. Some lay crying in one corner, others lamenting in another; some, who vaunted most in time of safety, were now most dejected. The tears and sighs and wailings in all parts of the s.h.i.+p would have melted a stony heart into pity; every swelling wave seemed great in expectation of its booty; the raging waves foamed as if their prey were too long detained from them; every billow threatened present death, who every moment stared in their faces for almost two hours together.

[SN: Exhorts his sons.]

In this condition Whitelocke encouraged his two sons to undergo the pleasure of G.o.d with all submission. He was sorry for them, being young men, who might have lived many years to do G.o.d and their country service, that they now should be s.n.a.t.c.hed away so untimely; but he told them, that if father and sons must now die together, he doubted not but they should go together to that happiness which admits no change; that he did not so much lament his own condition, being an old man, in the course of nature much nearer the grave than they: but he besought G.o.d to bless them and yet to appear for their deliverance, if it were His will, or else to give him and them, and all the company, hearts willing to submit to His good pleasure.

[SN: Discourse with the boatswain.]

Walking on the decks to see his orders executed for throwing the ordnance overboard, the boatswain met him and spake to him in his language:--

_Boatswain._ My Lord, what do you mean to do?

_Whitelocke._ Wherein dost thou ask my meaning?

_Bo._ You have commanded the ordnance to be cast overboard.

_Wh._ It is for our preservation.

_Bo._ If it be done, we are all destroyed.

_Wh._ What reason have you to be of this opinion? Must we not lighten the s.h.i.+p? and can we do it better than to begin with the ordnance?

_Bo._ It may do well to lighten the s.h.i.+p, but not by throwing overboard the ordnance; for you can but drop them close to the s.h.i.+p's side, and where the water is shallow they will lie up against the side of the s.h.i.+p and fret it, and with the working of the sea make her to spring leaks presently.

_Wh._ I think thou speakest good reason, and I will try a little longer before it be done.

_Bo._ My Lord, do not doubt but G.o.d will show Himself, and bring you off by His own hand from this danger.