1653] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. U me that he was to stay tliere

Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"

1653] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. U

me that he was to stay tliere ; whereat I seemed sorry, but he enquh'cing,
lighted upon other two fellowes, who were bound for Dantzick, to whom
he recommended me, and so we parted. These fellowes took a near by-
way, ferrying over many ditches, and passeing others upon planks; and
i-ame towards night to a village about a quarter of a mile from the river
Vistle. Here I lodged all night, supping on such ordinary fare as they use
there.

The next morning, I was not able to go any furtlier. 3Iy feet, not being
used to such hard travell, was full of blisters, and the gkinne off in many
places ; wherefor, going owt to the high way, which lay by the end of the
village, I waited upon some occasion of finding a waggon. Tliere droved
by, in short tyme, diverse waggons or kolesses, as they call them, none
whereof would take me along. At last came a very civill man, havelng
another sitting by him, at whom I asked In the best manner I could, if he
would take me along to Dantzik, and what he would take for fraught ; who,
first askeing halfe a dollar, at last told me he would take no less as a relchs-
ort ; which I promiseing, went to the inne, and paying for my supper, fetcht
my portmantle, and gott me upon the kolesse. Here, as every where, I
was troubled with questions, which I did not understand. Wee crossed the
AVlstle in a prumme, and gott to Dantzick by eleven acloak, being three
miles from the prumme ; where, paying my fraught, I went to seek out my
old lodging, which, after much wandrlng np and doAvne, I found, Avhere I
was kindly welcom'd by my landlady, who was a notable resolute woman.

Here I found my self in great anxiety and perplexity, not knowing Avhat
to begin ; for all the ships were gone, and so no hopes left of getting home to
my owne countrey ; no acquaintance of whom I could borrow any money to
subsist with untlll the next shipping ; my cloaths and llnnens beginning to
looke bare ; and, the worst of all, no person to whom I could reveale my
necessities, being bashfull and ashamed that any should know that I was re-
dacted to such streltgth. But my landlady guessing, by my retirednes and
melanchollous behaviour, my condition, began to presse me to declare my in-
tentions. I told her my resolution was to rcturne to my parents as soone as
I could •, which, my intention, she communicating to diverse of my contrey.
men who frequented that house, and wlthall, that she thought me to be scarce
of money ; so, the next day at dinner, these merchants began to perswade
me to turne merchant, to the which I, fynding my nature averse, answered
in fair termes, however, not being willing to dlsoblidgc any. They began