The people of the inn were in a great hurry, the packet-boat from
Holland being just come in, and two coaches just come also with
passengers from London, for another packet-boat that was going off for
Holland, which coaches were to go back next day with the passengers
that were just landed. In this hurry it was not much minded that I
came to the bar and paid my reckoning, telling my landlady I had gotten
my passage by sea in a wherry.
These wherries are large vessels, with good accommodation for carrying
passengers from Harwich to London; and though they are called wherries,
which is a word used in the Thames for a small boat rowed with one or
two men, yet these are vessels able to carry twenty passengers, and ten
or fifteen tons of goods, and fitted to bear the sea. All this I had
found out by inquiring the night before into the several ways of going
to London.
My landlady was very courteous, took my money for my reckoning, but was
called away, all the house being in a hurry. So I left her, took the
fellow up to my chamber, gave him the trunk, or portmanteau, for it was
like a trunk, and wrapped it about with an old apron, and he went
directly to his boat with it, and I after him, nobody asking us the
least question about it; as for the drunken Dutch footman he was still
asleep, and his master with other foreign gentlemen at supper, and very
merry below, so I went clean off with it to Ipswich; and going in the
night, the people of the house knew nothing but that I was gone to
London by the Harwich wherry, as I had told my landlady.
I was plagued at Ipswich with the custom-house officers, who stopped my
trunk, as I called it, and would open and search it. I was willing, I
told them, they should search it, but husband had the key, and he was
not yet come from Harwich; this I said, that if upon searching it they
should find all the things be such as properly belonged to a man rather
than a woman, it should not seem strange to them. However, they being
positive to open the trunk I consented to have it be broken open, that
is to say, to have the lock taken off, which was not difficult.
They found nothing for their turn, for the trunk had been searched
before, but they discovered several things very much to my
satisfaction, as particularly a parcel of money in French pistols, and
some Dutch ducatoons or rix-dollars, and the rest was chiefly two
periwigs, wearing-linen, and razors, wash-balls, perfumes, and other
useful things necessary for a gentleman, which all passed for my
husband's, and so I was quit to them.