A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654, Vol II.
John Locke · en
The tempest began to cease about five o'clock in the morning, and it grew
fair weather, the wind coming good for them to continue and finish their
voyage. Thus God preserved them from the danger of the last night as of
many times before, the which Whitelocke held himself obliged more
largely to describe as so many monuments, to him and his company, of the
goodness of God towards them, and to preserve the memory thereof as
arguments to him and his, wholly to depend upon that God of whom they
have had so much experience.
The wind continued fair, and they sailed all along in the sight of land,
drawing nearer and nearer to it, which was pleasant to those who had been
in such storms, and were not a little longing to be at their native home.
They came about ten o'clock in the morning to the road at Luebeck, and no
sooner was the ship settled there but the wind ceased and blew not at
all, but it became a great calm; wherein also the providence and goodness
of God was seen, that had they not come to an anchor at this very moment,
they must have been still roaming on the sea till the wind had come about
again for them, and perhaps might have been kept out at sea many days
longer. They were all filled with joy, having passed one half of their
voyage, and seeing the place of their first descent on land. The
'Amarantha,' having let fall her anchors, fired two guns, and a ship of
the Duke of Courland's, in the road, answered them with three. This road
is a gulf between two arms of land, at the first entrance from one
another about a league; but it becomes more narrow as one approacheth
nearer to the mouth of the river, which is called Trave, and divides the
two Duchies of Mecklenburg and Holstein. This is the road or haven
belonging to the town of Luebeck, and is of good defence and safety to
secure the riding of ships, and of conveniency for the trade of that town
into the Baltic Sea.
After this perilous voyage of eight days' sailing on the angry Baltic
Seas,--escaping the dismal, infinite, vast, craggy rocks, seen and
unseen, and the covered sands and dangerous coasts, in the highest
storms,--it pleased Him who giveth bounds to the deep waters and stilleth
the waves thereof, to conduct Whitelocke and all his people in safety to
this haven. They were not negligent to prepare for their going on shore,
in order whereunto Whitelocke sent Colonel Potley and some of his
servants to land, to provide horses for his coach, and waggons for his
train and baggage; purposing to go that night to Luebeck, being but two
German leagues from Tremon, and the days now at longest.