the van, one upon each waggon; his porter, butlers, and others, in a waggon in the rear, with store of pistols, screwed guns, swords, and other arms, for their defence.  Whitelocke came forth about six o’clock with his own two coaches, and eight waggons for the rest of his followers.  In some of their waggons they drive three horses on-breast, and each waggon will hold eight persons.  They passed by better houses in this dorf than that where they quartered, which the harbingers excused, coming thither late and being strangers.

The country was still Holstein, of the same nature as yesterday.  In the lower grounds they saw many storks, one whereof was killed by one of Whitelocke’s company with his gun,—­a thing not endured here, where they are very superstitious, and hold it an ill omen where any of them is killed.  But Whitelocke, blessed be God! found it not so; yet he warned his people not to kill any of them, to avoid offence to the country, who report that these birds will not resort to any place but where the people are free, as in the United Provinces, where they have many of them, and do carefully preserve them, and near to Hamburg and other Hanse Towns.

About a mile from Kettell is a great gate cross the highway, where they take toll for the Duke of Holstein of all the waggons and carriages, a loup-shilling apiece (that is, little more than an English penny).  This gate they shut against Whitelocke, but being informed who he was, they presently opened it again, and a gentleman came to Whitelocke’s coach-side, excusing the shutting of the gate, being before they knew who it was that passed by.  He told Whitelocke the custom and right of this toll, but that nothing was demanded of ambassadors, who were to pass freely, especially the Ambassador of the Protector and Commonwealth of England, to whom the Duke, his master, he said, was a friend.  Whitelocke thanked the gentleman for his civility, acknowledging the Protector to be a friend to the Duke, and so they passed on.

About a mile and a half before they came to Hamburg, Captain Parkes, of the ‘President’ frigate, and Captain Minnes, of the ‘Elizabeth’ frigate, met Whitelocke on the way, and told him all was well in England, and that by command of the Protector they had brought those two frigates into the Elbe to transport him into England.  Whitelocke told them he was very glad to see them, especially on this occasion.  As they were walking and discoursing of the ships and their voyage, a great number of persons and coaches, the Resident Bradshaw, with the treasurer, the doctor, their minister, and almost all the English company, with twenty-two coaches, came to meet Whitelocke on the way, and to bring him with the more respect to Hamburg.  All alighted out of their coaches, and, after salutations, the Resident told Whitelocke that the occasion of their coming forth was to testify their respects to Whitelocke, and to desire him to do their company the honour to accept of the English