23rd. This day, by the blessing of Almighty God, I have lived thirty-two
years in the world, and am in the best degree of health at this minute
that I have been almost in my life time, and at this time in the best
condition of estate that ever I was in-the Lord make me thankfull. Up,
and to the office, where busy all the morning. At noon to the 'Change,
where I hear the most horrid and astonishing newes that ever was yet told
in my memory, that De Ruyter with his fleete in Guinny hath proceeded to
the taking of whatever we have, forts, goods, ships, and men, and tied our
men back to back, and thrown them all into the sea, even women and
children also. This a Swede or Hamburgher is come into the River and
tells that he saw the thing done.

[Similar reports of the cruelty of the English to the Dutch in
Guinea were credited in Holland, and were related by Downing in a
letter to Clarendon from the Hague, dated April 14th, 1665 (Lister's
"Life of Clarendon," vol. iii., p. 374).]

But, Lord! to see the consternation all our merchants are in is
observable, and with what fury and revenge they discourse of it. But I
fear it will like other things in a few days cool among us. But that
which I fear most is the reason why he that was so kind to our men at
first should afterward, having let them go, be so cruel when he went
further. What I fear is that there he was informed (which he was not
before) of some of Holmes's dealings with his countrymen, and so was moved
to this fury. God grant it be not so! But a more dishonourable thing was
never suffered by Englishmen, nor a more barbarous done by man, as this by
them to us. Home to dinner, and then to the office, where we sat all the
afternoon, and then at night to take my finall leave of Mrs. Bland, who
sets out to-morrow for Tangier, and then I back to my office till past 12,
and so home to supper and to bed.