noble and wonderful well-furnished house, especially with India and Chinese curiosities. The offices and gardens well accommodated for pleasure and retirement."
Pepys rescued a great deal of naval history from the records in the Tower, and owned many fine models and historical paintings of ships, which he collected with good judgment and untiring industry.
John Evelyn, to whom we are also indebted for much valuable information, was born at Watton, Surrey, October 31, 1620. In 1640 he came to London to study law, but soon tired of it, and made an extended tour through Holland and Belgium. His Diary gives an interesting description of the yachts of that period. Under date of October 1, 1641, he writes: "I tooke leave of sweete Antwerp, as late as it was, embarquing for Bruxelles on the Scheld, in a vessel which delivered us to a second boate (in another river) drawn or tow'd by horses. In this passage we frequently chang'd our barge, by reason of the bridges thwarting our course. Here I observed numerous families inhabiting their vessels, and floating dwellings, so built and divided by cabins, as few houses on land enjoy's better accommodation, stor'd with all sorts of utensills, neate chambers, a pretty parlour, and kept so sweete that nothing could be more refreshing. The rivers on which they are drawne are very clear & still waters, and passe through a most pleasant country on both the bankes. We had in our boate a very
