the other
party, though I had leisure and commission to examine them on oath.

_Gr. Eric._ You may see in this map of Guinea how the plantations of the
Swedes, English, and Hollanders do lie, and are mingled and near to one
another.

_Wh._ The King of that place made a grant to the English, for them only
to dwell and traffic in that country; and the Swedes afterwards drove the
English, by force, out of their fortifications.

_Gr. Eric._ The English had no fortifications there; all the fort they
had was a little lodge with two rooms only in it, out of which the Swedes
did not force them; and both the Hollanders and Swedes were planted in
this place before any grant made to the English, and the Swedes had a
grant from the same King, whereof this is a copy.

_Wh._ It will be material to compare the dates of these two grants: if
that to the English was first, then the other to the Swedes was of no
validity; and the like of the contrary. If you will favour me with a copy
of the grant made to the Swedes, I will compare it with that made to the
English, and return it to you.

_Gr. Eric._ You shall command it.

Mr. Woolfeldt, being visited by Whitelocke, told him that the Queen was
extremely pleased with his treatment of her. Whitelocke excused the
meanness of it for her Majesty. Woolfeldt replied, that both the Queen
and all the company esteemed it as the handsomest and noblest that they
ever saw; and the Queen, after that, would drink no other wine but
Whitelocke's, and kindly accepted the neats' tongues, potted venison, and
other cates which, upon her commendation of them, Whitelocke sent unto
her Majesty. Woolfeldt showed a paper of consequence written by himself
in Spanish, and he read it in French to Whitelocke, being perfect in
those and other languages. He said, that whatsoever he wrote he did it in
a foreign language, to continue the exercise of them. The paper showed
how the English might be freed from paying tolls at the Sound. Whitelocke
entreated a copy of this paper in French, which Woolfeldt promised.

A great quantity of snow fell and covered the houses and fields, and was
hard frozen: a matter at this time strange to the English, but ordinary
here.

_May 4, 1654._

Mr. Boteler, a Scotsman, confidently reported great news to the
disparagement of the affairs of England, that the Highlanders of Scotland
had given a great defeat to the English and killed five hundred of them,
which news was soon confu