Francis says whilst the French armies are performing prodigies of valour, traversing impossible mts., dragging artillery over steep crags, disposing of empires, extending conquests, etc., we hear our own exploits, performed by an immense fleet sailing up and down the Channel, to be a descent upon France, and the victor’s spoil ‘_three pieces of iron cannon and twenty-five cows_.’ Maitland[132] commands the expedition which has been directed again against Quiberon; the most he can do will be to singe here and there the coast of France. On Thursday, ye 10th July, we quitted home to make an excursion for two or three months upon the Continent. Our party consists of Ld. Duncannon,[133] Mr. Marsh, Dr. Drew, Charles, Hortense, Charles, 4 maids, and five men. We manage to stuff all into a coach and postchaise. We set off at five o’clock in the afternoon, slept at Epping Place; began our journey the next day at 7. At Newmarket I saw D. of Queensberry: he wanted us to dine with him. He was violent at the continuance of the war, and spoke roundly against Ministers. He told Ld. H., upon the Dutch business, that if he had not made a determination never to vote against Government he would have voted with him upon that question. Mr. Vernon also came and sat by me whilst I eat: he envied my stomach that could digest and relish cold meat and porter. We stopped at Thetford. The D. of Bedford thought our coming so uncertain, that he did not hear even of our arrival until 10, and it was then too late to join us at supper, for we went to bed at ½ past nine. This morning we were up at 4 o’clock, off at 6, and passed through Norwich (where Ld. D. overtook us), and got here (Yarmouth) at about 2. Ld. Spencer wrote to order a convoy, but there is some difficulty about getting a better than a cutter. The Admiral (Dickson) has just been with me; he promises _two_ cutters, but the lugger in port is better. We were landed upon _terra firma_ within fifty hours after we had sailed from Yarmouth, a surprisingly quiet passage. Met on our way from the _jettée_ at Cuxhaven, Mr. Arbuthnot; he now is attached to Prince Augustus. I knew him formerly at Naples when he travelled with Ld. Digby. The party set off that day, and slept at Basbeck, where there was no inn. ‘Ld. H. and self lay upon the ground in the room we supped in; the gentlemen, Charles, and the maids lay in a large room together.’ They took the road to Hamburg by Cranz, crossing the Elbe at Blankenese. ‘The wind rose and the water was rough; we were about forty minutes in the passage.’ [Sidenote: HAMBURG]