Friday 22 January 1663/64

Up, and it being a brave morning, with a gally to Woolwich, and there both at the Ropeyarde and the other yarde did much business, and thence to Greenwich to see Mr. Pett and others value the carved work of the “Henrietta” (God knows in an ill manner for the King), and so to Deptford, and there viewed Sir W. Petty’s vessel; which hath an odd appearance, but not such as people do make of it, for I am of the opinion that he would never have discoursed so much of it, if it were not better than other vessels, and so I believe that he was abused the other day, as he is now, by tongues that I am sure speak before they know anything good or bad of her. I am sorry to find his ingenuity discouraged so.

So home, reading all the way a good book, and so home to dinner, and after dinner a lesson on the globes to my wife, and so to my office till 10 or 11 o’clock at night, and so home to supper and to bed.

13 Annotations

First Reading

Andy Keeler  •  Link

Can someone help me with a geographical query please?

Sam is always shuttling to and fro to the Navy office, and then home for meals, and then back to the office again in the evening.

I haven't got a firm handle on either location yet.

How far apart were they?.... Presumably not very far?

A. Hamilton  •  Link

Home & Navy office were collocated. Click on the links for each and you'll find the exact location.

Glyn  •  Link

They were very close together, no more than a couple of minutes walk away.

Incidentally, if people click on Andy Keeler's name, they'll see that snow has finally come to modern England - has Pepys mentioned any snowfalls this year?

Pedro  •  Link

Meanwhile on the coast of West Africa...

Holmes writes in his journal...

"This morning at 4 of the clock we weighed with the wind at N.N.E. a fresh gale, and stood in close under the island (Goree Island) within half a cannon shott of the Lower Fort...I sent ashore to demand that Island...Having received a slight answer we began to fire at each other which continued almost 6 hours, being as long as we could see to shoot."

"My mast and rigging being much shattered I was forced to hale off out of shot to repair them."

And with his powers of manoeuvre impaired by the damage to his masts and rigging he would have been easy meat for the Goulden Lyon if she had chosen that moment to come over the horizon. But his luck was in. To his astonishment a white flag was hoisted ashore.

The next day, January 23rd, Holmes took formal possession of Goree Island in the name of the Royal Company.

(Summary from Man of War by Ollard)

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Thanks, Pedro. Nothing like a quick, victorious, shocking and aweing, little war over a former ally to keep discontent in check.

I can see Charles and Jamie hoisting the "Mission Accomplished" banner over now...

Heh, heh, heh...

Wait, that's Iraq. But the Dutch were nice to Charles.

Pedro  •  Link

Terms Ancient and Modern.

Robert uses a modern term, shock and awe, to relate to events in the 1600's.

From Dirk's Background...The ancient terms Mare Clausum vs. Mare Liberum, the historic controversy which arose out of demands on the part of different states to assert exclusive dominion over areas of the open or high sea.

With Space substituted for the Sea, a modern controversy...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/…

Australian Susan  •  Link

Sam seems in a very grumpy mood today until he gets home: finding fault with everything. Was the galley trip too cold?

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Sir W. Petty’s vessel; which hath an odd appearance"

Model of a twin-hulled ship

William Petty designed several twin-hulled ships between 1662 and 1684, Europe's first catamarans.

Initially they seemed promising. They were able to sail closer to the wind and in shallower waters than conventional ships. However sailors were reluctant to trust such an unusual vessel, and after two of his prototypes sank, Petty gave up. This model was made by Stephen Worlidge, a goldsmith at Portsmouth, and was given to the Society by John Houghton in 1685.
http://royalsociety.org/exhibitio…

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"to Greenwich to see Mr. Pett and others value [ judge the cost of ] the carved work of the “Henrietta” (God knows in an ill manner for the King)"

The Henrietta was the King's latest and favourite yacht. The carvings were inside the cabins and the Navy Board had some time before objected to their cost. On this occasion the rule by which they valued each piece was to use the prices for work done on other boats. "And this," wrote Pepys in a note included his Navy White Book, "I found was their only rule -- which shows the great consequence of bad Precedents." (Per L&M footnote)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I am of the opinion that [ Petty ] would never have discoursed so much of it, if it were not better than other vessels, and so I believe that he was abused the other day, as he is now, by tongues that I am sure speak before they know anything good or bad of her. I am sorry to find his ingenuity discouraged so."

De Cominges, the French Ambassador, in a dispatch to Louis XIV of 25 January/4 February referred to Petty's double-bottomed ship as 'la plus ridicule et inutile machine que l'esprit de l'homme puisse concevoir'.
(Per L&M footnote)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I think the warm weather has continued, or Pepys wouldn't be riding in a galley down the Thames in January, and reading a book on the way home. He's be wearing his new velvet robe, sitting by the fire in his office, and keeping his innards toasty.

Jonathan V  •  Link

Thank you for the working link, Terry! Very interesting to see something of what Pepys saw. I know what a twin-hulled boat could look like, but that image makes it concrete. Not quite how I pictured it.

re Andy's first comment - I've always wondered about his constant to and fro in the course of a normal day. It always seems so frenetic.

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