tour through the eastern counties of england-第15章

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it　is　very　rich　and　increasing　in　wealth　and　trade；　and

consequently　in　people；　there　is　not　room　to　enlarge　the　town　by

building；　which　would　be　certainly　done　much　more　than　it　is；　but

that　the　river　on　the　land　side　prescribes　them；　except　at　the

north　end　without　the　gate；　and　even　there　the　land　is　not　very

agreeable。　　But　had　they　had　a　larger　space　within　the　gates　there

would　before　now　have　been　many　spacious　streets　of　noble　fine

buildings　erected；　as　we　see　is　done　in　some　other　thriving　towns

in　England；　as　at　Liverpool；　Manchester；　Bristol；　Frome；　etc。



The　quay　and　the　harbour　of　this　town　during　the　fishing　fair；　as

they　call　it；　which　is　every　Michaelmas；　one　sees　the　land　covered

with　people；　and　the　river　with　barques　and　boats；　busy　day　and

night　landing　and　carrying　of　the　herrings；　which　they　catch　here

in　such　prodigious　quantities；　that　it　is　incredible。　　I　happened

to　be　there　during　their　fishing　fair；　when　I　told　in　one　tide　110

barques　and　fishing　vessels　coming　up　the　river　all　laden　with

herrings；　and　all　taken　the　night　before；　and　this　was　besides　what

was　brought　on　shore　on　the　Dean　（that　is　the　seaside　of　the　town）

by　open　boats；　which　they　call　cobles；　and　which　often　bring　in　two

or　three　last　of　fish　at　a　time。　　The　barques　often　bring　in　ten

last　a　piece。



This　fishing　fair　begins　on　Michaelmas　Day；　and　lasts　all　the　month

of　October；　by　which　time　the　herrings　draw　off　to　sea；　shoot　their

spawn；　and　are　no　more　fit　for　the　merchant's　business　…　at　least；

not　those　that　are　taken　thereabouts。



The　quantity　of　herrings　that　are　caught　in　this　season　are

diversely　accounted　for。　　Some　have　said　that　the　towns　of　Yarmouth

and　Lowestoft　only　have　taken　40；000　last　in　a　season。　　I　will　not

venture　to　confirm　that　report；　but　this　I　have　heard　the　merchants

themselves　say；　viz。；　that　they　have　cured　…　that　is　to　say；　hanged

and　dried　in　the　smoke　…　40；000　barrels　of　merchantable　red

herrings　in　one　season；　which　is　in　itself　（though　far　short　of　the

other）　yet　a　very　considerable　article；　and　it　is　to　be　added　that

this　is　besides　all　the　herrings　consumed　in　the　country　towns　of

both　those　populous　counties　for　thirty　miles　from　the　sea；　whither

very　great　quantities　are　carried　every　tide　during　the　whole

season。



But　this　is　only　one　branch　of　the　great　trade　carried　on　in　this

town。　　Another　part　of　this　commerce　is　in　the　exporting　these

herrings　after　they　are　cured；　and　for　this　their　merchants　have　a

great　trade　to　Genoa；　Leghorn；　Naples；　Messina；　and　Venice；　as　also

to　Spain　and　Portugal；　also　exporting　with　their　herring　very　great

quantities　of　worsted　stuffs；　and　stuffs　made　of　silk　and　worsted；

camblets；　etc。；　the　manufactures　of　the　neighbouring　city　of

Norwich　and　of　the　places　adjacent。



Besides　this；　they　carry　on　a　very　considerable　trade　with　Holland；

whose　opposite　neighbours　they　are；　and　a　vast　quantity　of　woollen

manufactures　they　export　to　the　Dutch　every　year。　　Also　they　have　a

fishing　trade　to　the　North　Seas　for　white　fish；　which　from　the

place　are　called　the　North　Sea　cod。



They　have　also　a　considerable　trade　to　Norway　and　to　the　Baltic；

from　whence　they　bring　back　deals　and　fir　timber；　oaken　plank；

balks；　spars；　oars；　pitch；　tar；　hemp；　flax；　spruce　canvas；　and

sail…cloth；　with　all　manner　of　naval　stores；　which　they　generally

have　a　consumption　for　in　their　own　port；　where　they　build　a　very

great　number　of　ships　every　year；　besides　refitting　and　repairing

the　old。



Add　to　this　the　coal　trade　between　Newcastle　and　the　river　of

Thames；　in　which　they　are　so　improved　of　late　years　that　they　have

now　a　greater　share　of　it　than　any　other　town　in　England；　and　have

quite　worked　the　Ipswich　men　out　of　it　who　had　formerly　the　chief

share　of　the　colliery　in　their　hands。



For　the　carrying　on　all　these　trades　they　must　have　a　very　great

number　of　ships；　either　of　their　own　or　employed　by　them：　and　it

may　in　some　measure　be　judged　of　by　this　that　in　the　year　1697；　I

had　an　account　from　the　town　register　that　there　was　then　1；123

sail　of　ships　using　the　sea　and　belonged　to　the　town；　besides　such

ships　as　the　merchants　of　Yarmouth　might　be　concerned　in；　and　be

part　owners　of；　belonging　to　any　other　ports。



To　all　this　I　must　add；　without　compliment　to　the　town　or　to　the

people；　that　the　merchants；　and　even　the　generality　of　traders　of

Yarmouth；　have　a　very　good　reputation　in　trade　as　well　abroad　as　at

home　for　men　of　fair　and　honourable　dealing；　punctual　and　just　in

their　performing　their　engagements　and　in　discharging　commissions；

and　their　seamen；　as　well　masters　as　mariners；　are　justly　esteemed

among　the　ablest　and　most　expert　navigators　in　England。



This　town；　however　populous　and　large；　was　ever　contained　in　one

parish；　and　had　but　one　church；　but　within　these　two　years　they

have　built　another　very　fine　church　near　the　south　end　of　the　town。

The　old　church　is　dedicated　to　St。　Nicholas；　and　was　built　by　that

famous　Bishop　of　Norwich；　William　Herbert；　who　flourished　in　the

reign　of　William　II。；　and　Henry　I。；　William　of　Malmesbury；　calls

him　VIR　PECUNIOSUS；　he　might　have　called　him　VIR　PECUNIOSISSIMUS；

considering　the　times　he　lived　in；　and　the　works　of　charity　and

munificence　which　he　has　left　as　witnesses　of　his　immense　riches；

for　he　built　the　Cathedral　Church；　the　Priory　for　sixty　monks；　the

Bishop's　Palace；　and　the　parish　church　of　St。　Leonard；　all　in

Norwich；　this　great　church　at　Yarmouth；　the　Church　of　St。　Margaret

at　Lynn；　and　of　St。　Mary　at　Elmham。　　He　removed　the　episcopal　see

from　Thetford　to　Norwich；　and　instituted　the　Cluniack　Monks　at

Thetford；　and　gave　them　or　built　them　a　house。　　This　old　church　is

very　large；　and　has　a　high　spire；　which　is　a　useful　sea…mark。



Here　is　one　of　the　finest　market…places　and　the　best　served　with

provisions　in　England；　London　excepted；　and　the　inhabitants　are　so

multiplied　in　a　few　years　that　they　seem　to　want　room　in　their　town

rather　than　people　to　fill　it；　as　I　have　observed　above。



The　streets　are　all　exactly　straight　from　north　to　south；　with

lanes　or　alleys；　which　they　call　rows；　crossing　them　in　straight

lines　also　from　east　to　west；　so　that　it　is　the　most　regular　built

town　in　England；　and　seems　to　have　been　built　all　at　once；　or　that

the　dimensions　of　the　houses　and　extent　of　the　streets　were　laid

out　by　consent。



They　have　particular　privileges　in　this　town　and　a　jurisdiction　by

which　they　can　try；　condemn；　and　execute　in　especial　cases　without

waiting　for　a　warrant　from　above；　and　this　they　exerted　once　very

smartly　in　executing　a　captain　of　one　of　the　king's　ships　of　war　in

the　reign　of　King　Charles　II。　for　a　murder　committed　in　the　street；

the　circumstance　of　which　did　indeed　call　for　justice；　but　some

thought　they　would　not　have　ventured　to　exert　their　powers　as　they

did。　　However；　I　never　heard　that　the　Government　resented　it　or

blamed　them　for　it。



It　is　also　a　very　well…governed　town；　and　I　have　nowhere　in　England

observed　the　Sabbath　day　so　exactly　kept；　or　the　breach　so

continually　punished；　as　in　this　place；　which　I　name　to　their

honour。



Among　all　these　regularities　it　is　no　wonder　if　we　do　not　find

abundance　of　revelling；　or　that　there　is　little　encouragement　to

assemblies；　plays；　and　gaming　meetings　at　Yarmouth　as　in　some　other

places；　and　yet　I　do　not　see　that　the　ladies　here　come　behind　any

of　the　neighbouring　counties；　either　in　beauty；　breeding；　or

behaviour；　to　which　may　be　added　too；　not　at　all　to　their

disadvantage；　that　they　generally　go　beyond　them　in　fortunes。



From　Yarmouth　I　resolved　to　pursue　my　first　design；　viz。；　to　view

the　seaside　on　this　coast；　which　is　particularly　famous　for　being

one　of　the　most　dangerous　and　most　fatal　to　the　sailors　in　all

England　…　I　may　say　in　all　Britain　…　and　the　more　so　because　of　the

great　number　of　ships　which　are　continually　going　and　coming　this

way　in　their　passage　between　London　and　all　the　northern　coasts　of

Great　Britain。　　Matters　of　antiquity　are　not　my　inquiry；　but

principally　observations　on　the　present　state　of　things；　and；　if

possible；　to　give　such　accounts　of　things　worthy　of　recording　as

have　never　been　observed　before；　and　this　leads　me　the　more

directly　to　mention　the　commerce　and　the　navigation　when　I　come　to

towns　upon　the　coast　as　what　few　writers　have　yet　meddled　with。



The　reason　of　the　dangers　of　this　particular　coast　are　found　in　the

situation　of　the　county　and　in　the　course　of　ships　sailing　this

way；　which　I　shall　describe　as　well　as　I　can　thus：…　The　shore　from

the　mouth　of　the　River　of　Thames　to　Yarmouth　Roads　lies　in　a

straight　line　from　SSE。　TO　NNW。；　the　land　being　on　the　W。　or

larboard　side。



From　Wintertonness；　which　is　the　utmost　northerly　point　of　land　in

the　county　of　Norfolk；　and　about　four　miles　beyond　Yarmouth；　the

shore　falls　off　for　nearly　sixty　miles　to　the　west；　as　far　as　Lynn

and　Boston；　till　the　shore　of　Lincolnshire　tends　north　again　for

about　sixty　miles　more　as　far　as　the　Humber；　whence　the　coast　of

Yorkshire；　or　Holderness；　which　is　the　east　riding；　shoots　out

again　into　the　sea；　to　the　Spurn　and　to　Flamborough　Head；　as　far

east；　almost；　as　the　shore　of　Norfolk　had　given　back　at　Winterton；

making　a　very　deep　gulf　or　bay　between　those　two　points　of

Winterton　and　the　Spurn　Head；　so　that　the　ships　going　north　are

obliged　to　stretch　away　to　sea　from　Wintertonness；　and　leaving　the

sight　of　land　in　that　deep　bay　which　I　have　mentioned；　that　reaches

to　Lynn　and　the　shore　of　Lincolnshire；　they　go；　I　say；　N。　or　still

NNW。　to　meet　the　shore　of　Holderness；　which　I　said　runs　out　into

the　sea　again　at　the　Spurn；　and　the　first　land　they　make　or　desire

to　make；　is　called　as　above；　Flamborough　Head；　so　that

Wintertonness　and　Flamborough　Head　are　the　two　extremes　of　this

course；　there　is；　as　I　said；　the　Spurn　Head　indeed　between；　but　as

it　lies　too　far　in　towards　the　Humber；　they　keep　out　to　the　north

to　avoid　coming　near　it。



In　like　manner　the　ships　which　come　from　the　north；　leave　the　shore

at　Flamborough　Head；　and　stretch　away　SSE。　for　Yarmouth　Roads；　and

they　first　land　they　make　is　Wintertonness　（as　above）。　　Now；　the

danger　of　the　place　is　this：　if　the　ships　coming　from　the　north　are

taken　with　a　hard　gale　of　wind　from　the　SE。；　or　from　any　point

between　NE。　and　SE。；　so　that　they　cannot；　as　the　seamen　call　it；

weather　Wintertonness；　they　are　thereby　kept　within　that　deep　bay；

and　if　the　wind　blows　hard；　are　often　in　danger　of　running　on　shore

upon　the　rocks　about　Cromer；　on　the　north　coast　of　Norfolk；　or

stranding　upon　the　flat　shore　between　Cromer　and　Wells；　all　the

relief　they　have；　is　good　ground　tackle　to　ride　it　out；　which　is

very　hard　to　do　there；　the　sea　coming　very　high　upon　them；　or　if

they　cannot　ride　it　out　then；　to　run　into　the　bottom　of　the　great

bay　I　mentioned；　to　Lynn　or　Bosto