98 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1667 poles to keep off the ice.

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

98 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1667

poles to keep off the ice. So wee continued working the whole night, and,
notwithstanding all wee could do, at day light wee had a mountaine of ice
gathered befor us, much higher as our boyesprit, which wee could not gett
our selves cleared of till after midday, notwithstanding the storme and wind
was much abated. Towards evening wee gott up as farr as Brunsbottel, and
because of the contrary wind, were forced to anchor there againe, and stay
till the next day about noone. Then, with a great deale of labour, wee gott
up to Gluckstat, where I went immediately ashore and tooke up a lodging,
intending to go by land to Hamborg. In the evening, Mr. Deeve, with our
baggage, came also ashore.

Haveing hired a great waggon with four horses, haveing in company a
sea captaine, and another captaine with his wyfe, and it being very cold, wee
caused a great deale of straw to be put into the waggon, which, on the way,
gave occasion of laughter and loss, for the captaines wyfe, sitting on a
bench with her husband. In the midle of the waggon, and haveing a pott
with coales, in a woodden case, as the fashion is, the straw tooke fyre, so
that wee had enough ado to gett from the waggon. Yet, whilst her husband
and the other captaine were strlveing to dampfe or stifle it with their hatts
and clocks, I had leasur to throw out our clockbags, which were behind us
in the waggon ; yet I had some holes burnt in my new Ferendine clock,
and Mr. Deeve had a litle bagge with stockens and other things, to the
value of fifteen or twenty reichs dqllers, burnt. But the two captaines clocks
and hatts were utterly spoiled ; and what harme the woman had, was only
fitt for her husband to enquire. Towards night, wee came to Hamborgh,
I going to my old quarters to lodge, where I was very welcome. Here to
my grieffe, I was informed that the ballet was the fourth.

Collonell Gordon Steelhand, haveing notice of my being come, came to
me, and afterwards Mrs. Cambridge, who brought me a packet of letters
from Russia, from Mr. Brian, dated in Mosko . . . January, 1667 ;
from my wyfe and mother in law, of the same date, and of the seventeenth
December, 1666. Received letters from ]\[r. Andrew Hay, with a letter to
the Elector of Brandeburg, and ane other to Duke Boguslaw Radzivill, in
favour of Collonell Bocklioven, both under scale volant from Prince Rupert,
of whose recovery I had also the glad newes, dated London, tlie thirteenth of
February. Received letters also from Sir John Hebdcn, and his son the
Bquiie.