Nov. 28,

"It is well provided for churches, having two fayre ones 1653. new built for the Lutherans, and another for the Dutch and Calvenifts, which is no finalle priviledge in those parts; it is well ferved with all forts of commodities, and with good provifions, having the fea open.

"The governement of the citty is by three presidents, wherof one yearly, by turne, is burgh-mafter, like our majors, the fyndick as our recorders, and a councell compofed of twelve elected cittizens, in the nature of our aldermen.

"This citty is ftrong, and well fortefyed with workes of earth caft up, and large ditches of water, where the rockes will permit; the other parts of it are stronger, and more inacceffible by the rockes, which are difficulte for one to paffe, and climbe to view them.

"The bullwarkes are ftrong and regular, as the lines are, and planted with store of braffe cannon; befides which, the naturall fituation att the foot of a mountaine of rockes, which make part of their workes, and deep grafts, doe render the place of great strength.

"A regiment of foot of about 1200 men is quartered in the town, under the queen's pay, which, in their habits and perfons, are not unlike the english infantery; these, with the trained men of the citty, which make up a confiderable number of about 4000, are the garrifon of the citty, and are all commaunded by the landtzhere.

"Neer the town is a very great high rocke, on which is a little grove of firre trees, and other trees; and from thence, a lovely profpect on one fide of the towne, and

likewise

Nov. 28.

1653. likewise into Denmarke and Norwey, both within a mile of this town, parted by the river. Their great guns are all of copper, butt are not very large, yett not the leffe ufefull. The name Gothenbergh, fignifies the fortreffe, or defence of the Gothes; and it is the firft town of Gothland towards England, and the boundary this way of that antient kingdome."

Whitelocke's people were buify in preparation for their journey. The landtzhere fent forth his warrants into the countrey for 100 faddle horses, and 100 waggons, to be brought in by brake of day to Whitelocke's lodging; and the inferior officers, hoping for a gratuity for their pains, were the more diligent to execute them: and their order is fo good, and the peoples obedience fo exact, that the commands are not difputed, butt a fhort warning (as this. was) is most readily and punctually obeyed..

The reason why fo many waggons were warned in, was bicause of the fmallenefs of them, and the great quantity of baggage and provifion, which Whitelocke was neceffarily to carry with him in his journey, in a forein countrey, not well inhabited, fo many hundreds of miles as he was to goe, and for his accomodations when he came to be fet-tled; and heerin he was advised by the magiftrates and. fyndick and others of this place..

Lieutenant collonel Synclere, who had bin very civill,. and officious heer to Whitelocke, obtained his letters to collonel Overton, commaunder of the parlement's forces in Scotland, to flow favour to Synclere's brother there, and was very full of thankfullnes for it..

Some

Nov. 29.

Some of Welch's men comming to town, were stayed by 1653. the procurement of the vice admiral, and brought before the landtzhere, who having examined them, was preffed by Thysen to imprison them; butt having more discretion and civility then Thyfen, he did not committ them, butt fent his major to Whitelocke, to know if he did own captain Welch. Whitelocke anfwered, "that he did own captain Welch as an englishman, and one of his fleet, and now rode under his flagge; and who (as he believed) had a commaund as a private man of war, by authority of the parlement of England: and Whitelocke defired the landtzhere not to doe any thing in relation to captain Welch, or any of his men, wherby to injure the right or honor of the common-wealth of England, or to interrupt the intended propofalls of amitie between them and the crown of Sweden, which he believed would not be well taken by the queen; that he, being obliged to the landtzhere for his civilities, thought fitt to give him this friendly caution in this buifnes."

This answer being returned to the landtzhere, Thyfen's plot was fpoyled; and, to his great regret, Welch's men were presently difiniffed.

Whitelocke, by letters, gave an account to the councell in England of all paffages heere, of his difmiffion of their flips 18th November, and their being still detained by contrary winds; of the buifnes of captain Welch; of his letters to prince Adolphe, and the chancellor, wherof he inclosed coppyes, and of the letter of this town to hini about their ship detained as prize in England: of the great respect and civilities of the magiftrates heer to the common-wealth, and to their fervant; uppon which he moved the difcharge of their fhip, wherby he fhould have the ' VOL. I.

more

1653. more reputation in this countrey, and be the better enabled to doe them fervice; of his intention of removall from Nov. 29 hence, &c.

30.

In the evening, he ordered his steward to call for bills of his expences heer, and found them unreasonably high and deare; and the hoft's demands (like the Perfian lawes) unalterable, he highly refenting the leaft queftion of the finalleft sum of his reckoning, his great priviledge of cheating his guests; and to be fully fatisfyed in his imperious demaunds was not all, his wife must be likewife contented, and a gratuity prefented to her according to the quality. of the guest, and the time of his stay. An ambaffador is moft to be coufened by this Dutchman and others, and fo was Whitelocke heer; yett his prefent to Mrs. Hoftefs was 20 ricks dollers, which was not over gratefully, nor without fome difdaine, received.

He ordered his fteward to fee all the carryages loaded as foon as the waggons came in; and the gentleman of his horfe, to fee all in his charge in readynefs.

Whitelocke gave to Noble; master of the Adventure, a certificate that he had performed his voyage.

Early in the morning were come to Whitelocke's doore 100 waggons out of the countrey; they were with four wheeles, very fmalle, and drawn by one horse a-piece, or by two beasts or cowes on breast; they will not hold above one large tronke, or two little ones, in a waggon; they drive flowly, and the more flowly, bicaufe many of their waggoners be women. There were also brought in by the countrey roo faddle borfes, which are fmalle, and hard trotters; wherof one may be the more fenfible, by reafon

Nov. 30.

of their faddles, which are large, almoft like the french 1653. faddles for fize and shape, butt farre different for ease: they are made of wood, without any cover or ftuffing, neither cloth, nor leather, nor any thing uppon them, butt he that ftrides the bare wood; yett they are fo well made, that in riding they doe not prove fo hard as one would feare them to be.

Their bitts generally are a piece of a ram's horne, and their bridle, a finalle hempen rope; their firrop, a withe writhed togither; and better could not be had, this being the equipage of that countrey, which did not afford better. and therfore these must content.

There was much confufion about the choice of horses, and loading the waggons, till Whitelocke gave directions therin to the gentleman of his horfe, which were obeyed, and more quiet infued. And as foon as the waggons were loaded, he appointed them to be fent away, with fome of his fervants to attend them, whom he ordered to be constantly with them, fome between every divifion of the waggons; and the gentleman of his horse to bring up the reare of his trayne. His quarter-mafter, cookes, and butlers, were fent before to make provision at the dorpe, where he intended to lodge this night.

After the waggons were gone, the fuperintendent, the landtzhere, the magiftrates, vice admiral, and military officers of the town, came to Whitelocke to take their leaves of him, which was done with much respect and ceremony. The first president spake in latin to Whitelocke, which in the English was to this effect: