Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
1781-06-15
This morning Mr. Dana, Mr. Thaxter, brother Charles and myself went to Kaa's, to see Mr. Jennings and Mr. Bordly. We found Mr. Searle1 there; he has just arriv'd from the Texel; where he has been since saturday.
We stay'd sometime there and then went to take a ride; we went out of the Haerlem Port, and rid round by the side of the outer Cingel2 and came in again into the Leyden Port.
After dinner I wrote a letter to Dr. Waterhouse;3 and then went to Madam Chabanel's where I found Mr. Brailsford; he went away soon after, and I went to take a walk, with the young ladies; when we got back we found Mr. Le Roi, and young Mr. Chabanel at home; I return'd home soon after.
The English papers are arriv'd. There is an account of an action between Commodore Johnstone and the french Squadron which was going to the East India's, but we have not got the paper in which an account of it is given; and therefore, do not yet know the details.
80
From Guthrie's Grammar. Chap 4th § 6th (Continuation from
yesterday).4
Biog. Dir. Cong.
; Mildred E. Lombard, “James Searle:
Radical Businessman of the Revolution,”
PMHB,
59:284–294 [July 1935]).
The outer Singel canal, one of two by that name in Amsterdam: this one formed the outer boundary of the old city.
Letter not found.
On the following two and one-half pages in the Diary JQA continued his transcription of the second paragraph from the same subsection of Guthrie which he began the day before (p. 401–402).
1781-06-16
This day Mr. Brice, Commodore Gillon, Colo. Searle, Major Jackson, Captn. Coltyzer and Mr. Jennings din'd here; Major Jackson1 has read in Lloyd's list an account of an old French sixty four gun Ship's having been taken by the Jamaica fleet with eighty pieces of brass cannon twenty thousand suits of cloaths and two Millions of Livres on board bound to North America, but this news is not yet ascertain'd. We have a letter in one of the papers from Commodore Johnstone, containing the details of the action which I spoke of yesterday; he gives himself a Victory but his letter gives but a poor and broken account of it, and the French might call it a victory to them with as much (and perhaps more) truth than the English can.
From Guthrie's grammar (continuation from Yesterday) Chap 4th §:6th.2
South Carolina. Both changed passage
in La Coruña, however, and finally arrived in Massachusetts in Jan. 1782 (Adams Family
Correspondence,
4:55, 170–171).
On the next three pages of the Diary, JQA copied the final two paragraphs on Dutch “population, inhabitants, manners, customs and diversions,” begun on 14 June (p. 402).
1781-06-17
This morning Pappa, Mr. Dana, brother Charles and I, went to the English presbyterian Church, to hear a Sermon, the text was.
“And the times of this ignorance god winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” Acts 17:30.
81Mr. Brice din'd with us, after dinner I went alone to Church again; the text was.
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1st. 21st.
After Church I went to see Mr. Bordly; a little after brother Charles and Mr. Brice came there, brother Charles, Mr. Bordly and I went out to take a walk. We went to see Mr. Greves, but he was not at home; brother Charles and I went from thence to Madam Chabanel's where we supp'd; at about half past ten we came home.
From Guthrie's Grammar (continued from yesterday) Chapter 4th §: 7th.1
Here follow, on two pages of the Diary, “sections” 7, 8, and 9 from Guthrie's Geographical
Grammar
, p. 402–403, on Dutch dress, religion, and language. JQA
copied the “Lord's Prayer” in Dutch from a source other than Guthrie because, as he later
explained, it had been rendered incomplete there (entry for 10 July, below).