80 DIARY OF PATIIICK GORDON. [1666 er 28. A lltle vaclit arrived with some merchandise from England

Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"

80 DIARY OF PATIIICK GORDON. [1666

er 28. A lltle vaclit arrived with some merchandise from England, whereof
getting notice, I gott my landlord to go for the captainc, with whom I
agreed, and hired his yacht to Dover for sixty crownes, on these conditions,
that as many passengers as should go, should agree with and pay me for their
passage, any goods or merchandise should pay him for fraught, that he
should not go a capeing* on the way, nor do any violence to any, but go
streight to Dover.

I knowing that there were many in Bruges waiting for a convenient
passage to England, sent by an express letters to the English resident, Mr.
Glanvile, to Mr. Skein, Mr. CoUison, and to the yong ladyes in the Nunnery,
showing them the convenience, and that any who would go, should come
the next day, without faile, for upon the Sunday wee must be gone. This

)er 29. brought some people downe, especially some Hamburger merchants, with
their wives, who payed me the halfe of all I had agreed for, and I was very
glad to gett that. I writt to Mosko to my wyfe and ffi-iends, and to the
Russ chancellour Almais, by the way of Haraborg, addressed to Mr. Cam-
brige there.

)er 30. Wee went aboard immediately after midday, the mariners being all
drunk, and the captaine not sober. So displaying the Kings collours, wee
sailed downe the river, but were not farr gone, when a ship sailing along by
the shore alarumed us ; for she, perceiving the Kings collours flying, and
thinking us to be a caper, turned towards us, and cast anchor Avithin the
buyes. Befor she cast anchor I did not know what to think of it, and our
captaine gave orders to have all in readines, he haveing about thirty men
aboard and foure litle pieces of cannon. So they haled out of a chest their
rusty muskets, and charged the pieces, but how soone I saw them cast
anchor, I knew they, for fear of us, came in for shelter within the buyes,
and so I told the captainc that he should offer no violence, putting him in
mynd that it was in a neutrall place, and of our agreement. But the

* [Capeing, that is, privateering. Sir James Regencie, when war was betuixt us and France

Turner speaks, in Ki.oG, of escaping ' a great and Spain ; l)ut notliing lilvc this wliicli began

many Spauisli capers at sea '—(Memoirs, p. in ICC-t, which grew to that iiicreaihle height

119) Pepys, in 1G67, relates how 'a little of advantage to the owners untreikers, that

East Indiaman' was ' snapt by a French caper.' never nation heirtofor took riclier pryzes, nor

(Diary, vol iv., p 15) Gordon telU in the mo of them, then the Scots capers, who l)ec:'.ino

same page how the vessel in ^^ liicli he crossed famous lor iheir activity and cunning diligence

the channel was mistaken for 'a caper ' 'Some in the trad^.'— (.Fountainhall's Uistoncal Ob-

caping,' says Sir John Lauder, ' there was in serves, p. 261 )]
King James his minority, and Queen Marie "s