The 17th, Sir Charles Lucas having been out with 1,200 horse, and
detaching parties toward the seaside, and towards Harwich, they
brought in a very great quantity of provisions, and abundance of
sheep and black cattle sufficient for the supply of the town for a
considerable time; and had not the Suffolk forces advanced over
Cataway Bridge to prevent it, a larger supply had been brought in
that way; for now it appeared plainly that the Lord Fairfax finding
the garrison strong and resolute, and that he was not in a
condition to reduce them by force, at least without the loss of
much blood, had resolved to turn his siege into a blockade, and
reduce them by hunger; their troops being also wanted to oppose
several other parties, who had, in several parts of the kingdom,
taken arms for the king's cause.
This same day General Fairfax sent in a trumpet to propose
exchanging prisoners, which the Lord Goring rejected, expecting a
reinforcement of troops, which were actually coming to him, and
were to be at Linton in Cambridgeshire as the next day.
The same day two ships brought in a quantity of corn and provisions
and fifty-six men from the shore of Kent with several gentlemen,
who all landed and came up to the town, and the greatest part of
the corn was with the utmost application unloaded the same night
into some hoys, which brought it up to the Hythe, being
apprehensive of the Parliament's ships which lay at Harwich, who
having intelligence of the said ships, came the next day into the
mouth of the river, and took the said two ships and what corn was
left in them.
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