A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654, Vol II.
John Locke · en
About seven o'clock in the evening Whitelocke left his lodging, where
they made him pay as an Ambassador Extraordinary. For the use of the
house, only for eleven days, they made him pay a hundred and sixty
rix-dollars; for his victuals, but one meal a day, without any dainties,
they exacted above a thousand rix-dollars. Such is their unconscionable
exaction upon strangers. It was time to leave them, and Whitelocke being
called by Wrangel and Clerke, he went to prayers with his company,
recommending themselves to the protection and blessing of God; and
presently after prayers he and all his people went to the water-side,
multitudes by the way saluting him with respect as he passed by, and
crowding to see him take boat.
He went into a galley of the Queen's attending for him. Most of his
gentlemen and Clerke were with him in the galley; the rest of his company
went in a great boat provided for them. This galley had two masts bearing
the Queen's colours in silk. In the hinder part of it was a room with a
table and benches round about it, the table covered with crimson velvet,
the benches with red cloth, and tapestry upon the floor. The room held
about ten persons; the outward room about twelve men, besides the
watermen for sixteen oars. At her head she carried two small pieces of
ordnance, which they fired at loosing from the harbour, and the ships of
war fired as they passed by. They went on in a great deep water,
sometimes very broad, sometimes more narrow, on the sides whereof were
huge rocks, and here and there little trees growing out of the clefts of
them, with small heaps of earth lying on them, but they increase not much
in that soil.