tour through the eastern counties of england-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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

bay　I　mentioned；　to　Lynn　or　Boston；　which　is　a　very　difficult　and

desperate　push：　so　that　sometimes　in　this　distress　whole　fleets

have　been　lost　here　altogether。



The　like　is　the　danger　to　ships　going　northward；　if　after　passing

by　Winterton　they　are　taken　short　with　a　north…east　wind；　and

cannot　put　back　into　the　Roads；　which　very　often　happens；　then　they

are　driven　upon　the　same　coast；　and　embayed　just　as　the　latter。

The　danger　on　the　north　part　of　this　bay　is　not　the　same；　because

if　ships　going　or　coming　should　be　taken　short　on　this　side

Flamborough；　there　is　the　river　Humber　open　to　them；　and　several

good　roads　to　have　recourse　to；　as　Burlington　Bay；　Grimsby　Road；

and　the　Spurn　Head；　and　others；　where　they　ride　under　shelter。



The　dangers　of　this　place　being　thus　considered；　it　is　no　wonder；

that　upon　the　shore　beyond　Yarmouth　there　are　no　less　than　four

lighthouses　kept　flaming　every　night；　besides　the　lights　at　Castor；

north　of　the　town；　and　at　Goulston　S。；　all　of　which　are　to　direct

the　sailors　to　keep　a　good　offing　in　case　of　bad　weather；　and　to

prevent　their　running　into　Cromer　Bay；　which　the　seamen　call　the

devil's　throat。



As　I　went　by　land　from　Yarmouth　northward；　along　the　shore　towards

Cromer　aforesaid；　and　was　not　then　fully　master　of　the　reason　of

these　things；　I　was　surprised　to　see；　in　all　the　way　from

Winterton；　that　the　farmers　and　country　people　had　scarce　a　barn；

or　a　shed；　or　a　stable；　nay；　not　the　pales　of　their　yards　and

gardens；　not　a　hogstye；　not　a　necessary　house；　but　what　was　built

of　old　planks；　beams；　wales；　and　timbers；　etc。；　the　wrecks　of

ships；　and　ruins　of　mariners'　and　merchants'　fortunes；　and　in　some

places　were　whole　yards　filled　and　piled　up　very　high　with　the　same

stuff　laid　up；　as　I　supposed　to　sell　for　the　like　building

purposes；　as　there　should　he　occasion。



About　the　year　1692　（I　think　it　was　that　year）　there　was　a

melancholy　example　of　what　I　have　said　of　this　place：　a　fleet　of

200　sail　of　light　colliers　（so　they　call　the　ships　bound　northward

empty　to　fetch　coals　from　Newcastle　to　London）　went　out　of　Yarmouth

Roads　with　a　fair　wind；　to　pursue　their　voyage；　and　were　taken

short　with　a　storm　of　wind　at　NE。　after　they　were　past

Wintertonness；　a　few　leagues；　some　of　them；　whose　masters　were　a

little　more　wary　than　the　rest；　or　perhaps；　who　made　a　better

judgment　of　things；　or　who　were　not　so　far　out　as　the　rest；　tacked；

and　put　back　in　time；　and　got　safe　into　the　roads；　but　the　rest

pushing　on　in　hopes　to　keep　out　to　sea；　and　weather　it；　were　by　the

violence　of　the　storm　driven　back；　when　they　were　too　far　embayed

to　weather　Wintertonness　as　above；　and　so　were　forced　to　run　west；

everyone　shifting　for　themselves　as　well　as　they　could；　some　run

away　for　Lynn　Deeps；　but　few　of　them　（the　night　being　so　dark）

could　find　their　way　in　there；　some；　but　very　few；　rode　it　out　at　a

distance；　the　rest；　being　above　140　sail；　were　all　driven　on　shore

and　dashed　to　pieces；　and　very　few　of　the　people　on　board　were

saved：　at　the　very　same　unhappy　juncture；　a　fleet　of　laden　ships

were　coming　from　the　north；　and　being　just　crossing　the　same　bay；

were　forcibly　driven　into　it；　not　able　to　weather　the　Ness；　and　so

were　involved　in　the　same　ruin　as　the　light　fleet　was；　also　some

coasting　vessels　laden　with　corn　from　Lynn　and　Wells；　and　bound　for

Holland；　were　with　the　same　unhappy　luck　just　come　out　to　begin

their　voyage；　and　some　of　them　lay　at　anchor；　these　also　met　with

the　same　misfortune；　so　that；　in　the　whole；　above　200　sail　of

ships；　and　above　a　thousand　people；　perished　in　the　disaster　of

that　one　miserable　night；　very　few　escaping。



Cromer　is　a　market　town　close　to　the　shore　of　this　dangerous　coast。

I　know　nothing　it　is　famous　for　（besides　it　being　thus　the　terror

of　the　sailors）　except　good　lobsters；　which　are　taken　on　that　coast

in　great　numbers　and　carried　to　Norwich；　and　in　such　quantities

sometimes　too　as　to　be　conveyed　by　sea　to　London。



Farther　within　the　land；　and　between　this　place　and　Norwich；　are

several　good　market　towns；　and　innumerable　villages；　all　diligently

applying　to　the　woollen　manufacture；　and　the　country　is　exceedingly

fruitful　and　fertile；　as　well　in　corn　as　in　pastures；　particularly；

which　was　very　pleasant　to　see；　the　pheasants　were　in　such　great

plenty　as　to　be　seen　in　the　stubbles　like　cocks　and　hens　…　a

testimony　though；　by　the　way；　that　the　county　had　more　tradesmen

than　gentlemen　in　it；　indeed；　this　part　is　so　entirely　given　up　to

industry；　that　what　with　the　seafaring　men　on　the　one　side；　and　the

manufactures　on　the　other；　we　saw　no　idle　hands　here；　but　every　man

busy　on　the　main　affair　of　life；　that　is　to　say；　getting　money；

some　of　the　principal　of　these　towns　are：…　Alsham；　North　Walsham；

South　Walsham；　Worsted；　Caston；　Reepham；　Holt；　Saxthorp；　St。

Faith's；　Blikling；　and　many　others。　　Near　the　last；　Sir　John

Hobart；　of　an　ancient　family　in　this　county；　has　a　noble　seat；　but

old　built。　　This　is　that　St。　Faith's；　where　the　drovers　bring　their

black　cattle　to　sell　to　the　Norfolk　graziers；　as　is　observed　above。



From　Cromer　we　ride　on　the　strand　or　open　shore　to　Weyburn　Hope；

the　shore　so　flat　that　in　some　places　the　tide　ebbs　out　near　two

miles。　　From　Weyburn　west　lies　Clye；　where　there　are　large　salt…

works　and　very　good　salt　made；　which　is　sold　all　over　the　county；

and　sometimes　sent　to　Holland　and　to　the　Baltic。　　From　Clye　we　go

to　Masham　and　to　Wells；　all　towns　on　the　coast；　in　each　whereof

there　is　a　very　considerable　trade　carried　on　with　Holland　for

corn；　which　that　part　of　the　county　is　very　full　of。　　I　say　nothing

of　the　great　trade　driven　here　from　Holland；　back　again　to　England；

because　I　take　it　to　be　a　trade　carried　on　with　much　less　honesty

than　advantage；　especially　while　the　clandestine　trade；　or　the　art

of　smuggling　was　so　much　in　practice：　what　it　is　now；　is　not　to　my

present　purpose。



Near　this　town　lie　The　Seven　Burnhams；　as　they　are　called；　that　is

to　say；　seven　small　towns；　all　called　by　the　same　name；　and　each

employed　in　the　same　trade　of　carrying　corn　to　Holland；　and

bringing　back；　…　etc。



From　hence　we　turn　to　the　south…west　to　Castle　Rising；　an　old

decayed　borough　town；　with　perhaps　not　ten　families　in　it；　which

yet　（to　the　scandal　of　our　prescription　right）　sends　two　members　to

the　British　Parliament；　being　as　many　as　the　City　of　Norwich　itself

or　any　town　in　the　kingdom；　London　excepted；　can　do。



On　our　left　we　see　Walsingham；　an　ancient　town；　famous　for　the　old

ruins　of　a　monastery　of　note　there；　and　the　Shrine　of　our　Lady；　as

noted　as　that　of　St。　Thomas…e…Becket　at　Canterbury；　and　for　little

else。



Near　this　place　are　the　seats　of　the　two　allied　families　of　the

Lord　Viscount　Townsend　and　Robert　Walpole；　Esq。；　the　latter　at　this

time　one　of　the　Lords　Commissioners　of　the　Treasury　and　Minister　of

State；　and　the　former　one　of　the　principal　Secretaries　of　State　to

King　George；　of　which　again。



From　hence　we　went　to　Lynn；　another　rich　and　populous　thriving

port…town。　　It　stands　on　more　ground　than　the　town　of　Yarmouth；　and

has；　I　think；　parishes；　yet　I　cannot　allow　that　it　has　more　people

than　Yarmouth；　if　so　many。　　It　is　a　beautiful；　well　built；　and　well

situated　town；　at　the　mouth　of　the　River　Ouse；　and　has　this

particular　attending　it；　which　gives　it　a　vast　advantage　in　trade；

namely；　that　there　is　the　greatest　extent　of　inland　navigation　here

of　any　port　in　England；　London　excepted。　　The　reason　whereof　is

this；　that　there　are　more　navigable　rivers　empty　themselves　here

into　the　sea；　including　the　washes；　which　are　branches　of　the　same

port；　than　at　any　one　mouth　of　waters　in　England；　except　the　Thames

and　the　Humber。　　By　these　navigable　rivers；　the　merchants　of　Lynn

supply　about　six　counties　wholly；　and　three　counties　in　part；　with

their　goods；　especially　wine　and　coals；　viz。；　by　the　little　Ouse；

they　send　their　goods　to　Brandon　and　Thetford；　by　the　Lake　to

Mildenhall；　Barton　Mills；　and　St。　Edmundsbury；　by　the　River　Grant

to　Cambridge；　by　the　great　Ouse　itself　to　Ely；　to　St。　Ives；　to　St。

Neots；　to　Barford　Bridge；　and　to　Bedford；　by　the　River　Nyne　to

Peterborough；　by　the　drains　and　washes　to　Wisbeach；　to　Spalding；

Market　Deeping；　and　Stamford；　besides　the　several　counties；　into

which　these　goods　are　carried　by　land…carriage；　from　the　places；

where　the　navigation　of　those　rivers　end；　which　has　given　rise　to

this　observation　on　the　town　of　Lynn；　that　they　bring　in　more　coals

than　any　sea…port　between　London　and　Newcastle；　and　import　more

wines　than　any　port　in　England；　except　London　and　Bristol；　their

trade　to　Norway　and　to　the　Baltic　Sea　is　also　great　in　proportion；

and　of　late　years　they　have　extended　their　trade　farther　to　the

southward。



Here　are　more　gentry；　and　consequently　is　more　gaiety　in　this　town

than　in　Yarmouth；　or　even　in　Norwich　itself　…　the　place　abounding

in　very　good　company。



The　situation　of　this　town　renders　it　capable　of　being　made　very

strong；　and　in　the　late　wars　it　was　so；　a　line　of　fortification

being　drawn　round　it　at　a　distance　from　the　walls；　the　ruins；　or

rather　remains　of　which　works　appear　very　fair　to　this　day；　nor

would　it　be　a　hard　matter　to　restore　the　bastions；　with　the

ravelins；　and　counterscarp；　upon　any　sudden　emergency；　to　a　good

state　of　defence：　and　that　in　a　little　time；　a　sufficient　number　of

workmen　being　employed；　especially　because　they　are　able　to　fill

all　their　ditches　with　water　from　the　sea；　in　such　a　manner　as　that

it　cannot　be　drawn　off。



There　is　in　the　market…place　of　this　town　a　very　fine　statue　of

King　William　on　horseback；　erected　at　the　charge　of　the　town。　　The

Ouse　is　mighty　large　and　deep；　close　to　the　very　town　itself；　and

ships　of　good　burthen　may　come　up　to　the　quay；　but　there　is　no

bridge；　the　stream　being　too　strong　and　the　bottom　moorish　and

unsound；　nor；　for　the　same　reason；　is　the　anchorage　computed　the

best　in　the　world；　but　there　are　good　roads　farther　down。



They　pass　over　here　in　boats　into　the　fen　country；　and　over　the

famous　washes　into　Lincolnshire；　but　the　passage　is　very　dangerous

and　uneasy；　and　where　passengers　often　miscarry　and　are　lost；　but

then　it　is　usually　on　their　venturing　at　improper　times；　and

without　the　guides；　which　if　they　would　be　persuaded　not　to　do；

they　would　very　rarely　fail　of　going　or　coming　safe。



From　Lynn　I　bent　my　course　to　Downham；　where　is　an　ugly　wooden

bridge　over　the　Ouse；　from　whence　we　passed　the　fen　country　to

Wisbeach；　but　saw　nothing　that　way　to　tempt　our　curiosity　but　deep

roads；　innumerable　drains　and　dykes　of　water；　all　navigable；　and　a

rich　soil；　the　land　bearing　a　vast　quantity　of　good　hemp；　but　a

base　unwholesome　air；　so　we　came　back　to　Ely；　whose　cathedral；

standing　in　a　level　flat　country；　is　seen　far　and　wide；　and　of