in breadth in any place
above two Swedish miles. This is the place where the Prince of Sweden,
now King, used to make his residence, in a fair castle built of stone of
this island, not inferior to marble,--these stones are in great request
for pavements, pillars, and other uses and ornaments in building. The
pillars of the King's Chapel at Stockholm, great and high, well polished
and of divers colours, were brought from this island, and they have many
of these stones in the buildings of the great lords. This island is a
place of the most field-pleasure of any in this country, being open and
stored with red and fallow deer, with hares and conies, and with
partridges, which are scarce in other parts; but here the game is
preserved for the Prince's pleasure.

The isle of Gothland is about fourteen Swedish miles in length, and five
in breadth. It anciently belonged to the Swedes till the Danes took it
from them, and kept the possession of it till the late wars between those
two crowns, when the Swedes recovered it from the Dane; and by the peace
after that war the treaty left it to the Swede, and allowed for it the
isle of Bornholm to the Dane, being nearer his dominions. They report
that heretofore Gothland (belonging to the Goths, from whom it hath the
name) was famous for the traffic of all these quarters, and had in it a
large town called Wisby, where formerly certain laws were instituted
touching the sea, which are observed to this day. But Luebeck, and other
towns on that side, having got the trade from hence, and the sea by
inundations having much diminished this isle, both it and the town are
become but of small consideration.

The wind was little and very variable, and this day was a calm, so that
they could advance very little in their voyage. In the evening the wind
grew fresh, and increased till three o'clock the next morning, so that
they made good way in their course; but these deep seas began to rise,
and the ship to roll and toss so much, that some of Whitelocke's people,
sensible of it and of the increasing of the wind and waves, and of the
mariners' labour and disorder, began to be afraid and sick. But
Whitelocke cherished and comforted them the best he could, and gave order
for attendance upon them, and that they should want nothing which the
ship could afford; the which was the more in his power, the command of it
being wholly left to him by the Queen; and by his kindness, and ceasing
of the storm, they