tour through the eastern counties of england- 第1部分

Tour　Through　the　Eastern　Counties　of　England



by　Daniel　Defoe









I　began　my　travels　where　I　purpose　to　end　them；　viz。；　at　the　City

of　London；　and　therefore　my　account　of　the　city　itself　will　come

last；　that　is　to　say；　at　the　latter　end　of　my　southern　progress；

and　as　in　the　course　of　this　journey　I　shall　have　many　occasions　to

call　it　a　circuit；　if　not　a　circle；　so　I　chose　to　give　it　the　title

of　circuits　in　the　plural；　because　I　do　not　pretend　to　have

travelled　it　all　in　one　journey；　but　in　many；　and　some　of　them　many

times　over；　the　better　to　inform　myself　of　everything　I　could　find

worth　taking　notice　of。



I　hope　it　will　appear　that　I　am　not　the　less；　but　the　more　capable

of　giving　a　full　account　of　things；　by　how　much　the　more

deliberation　I　have　taken　in　the　view　of　them；　and　by　how　much　the

oftener　I　have　had　opportunity　to　see　them。



I　set　out　the　3rd　of　April；　1722；　going　first　eastward；　and　took

what　I　think　I　may　very　honestly　call　a　circuit　in　the　very　letter

of　it；　for　I　went　down　by　the　coast　of　the　Thames　through　the

Marshes　or　Hundreds　on　the　south　side　of　the　county　of　Essex；　till

I　came　to　Malden；　Colchester；　and　Harwich；　thence　continuing　on　the

coast　of　Suffolk　to　Yarmouth；　thence　round　by　the　edge　of　the　sea；

on　the　north　and　west　side　of　Norfolk；　to　Lynn；　Wisbech；　and　the

Wash；　thence　back　again；　on　the　north　side　of　Suffolk　and　Essex；　to

the　west；　ending　it　in　Middlesex；　near　the　place　where　I　began　it；

reserving　the　middle　or　centre　of　the　several　counties　to　some

little　excursions；　which　I　made　by　themselves。



Passing　Bow　Bridge；　where　the　county　of　Essex　begins；　the　first

observation　I　made　was；　that　all　the　villages　which　may　be　called

the　neighbourhood　of　the　city　of　London　on　this；　as　well　as　on　the

other　sides　thereof；　which　I　shall　speak　to　in　their　order；　I　say；

all　those　villages　are　increased　in　buildings　to　a　strange　degree；

within　the　compass　of　about　twenty　or　thirty　years　past　at　the

most。



The　village　of　Stratford；　the　first　in　this　county　from　London；　is

not　only　increased；　but；　I　believe；　more　than　doubled　in　that　time；

every　vacancy　filled　up　with　new　houses；　and　two　little　towns　or

hamlets；　as　they　may　be　called；　on　the　forest　side　of　the　town

entirely　new；　namely　Maryland　Point　and　the　Gravel　Pits；　one　facing

the　road　to　Woodford　and　Epping；　and　the　other　facing　the　road　to

Ilford；　and　as　for　the　hither　part；　it　is　almost　joined　to　Bow；　in

spite　of　rivers；　canals；　marshy　grounds；　&c。　　Nor　is　this　increase

of　building　the　case　only　in　this　and　all　the　other　villages　round

London；　but　the　increase　of　the　value　and　rent　of　the　houses

formerly　standing　has；　in　that　compass　of　years　above…mentioned；

advanced　to　a　very　great　degree；　and　I　may　venture　to　say　at　least

the　fifth　part；　some　think　a　third　part；　above　what　they　were

before。



This　is　indeed　most　visible；　speaking　of　Stratford　in　Essex；　but　it

is　the　same　thing　in　proportion　in　other　villages　adjacent；

especially　on　the　forest　side；　as　at　Low　Leyton；　Leytonstone；

Walthamstow；　Woodford；　Wanstead；　and　the　towns　of　West　Ham；

Plaistow；　Upton；　etc。　　In　all　which　places；　or　near　them　（as　the

inhabitants　say）；　above　a　thousand　new　foundations　have　been

erected；　besides　old　houses　repaired；　all　since　the　Revolution；　and

this　is　not　to　be　forgotten　too；　that　this　increase　is；　generally

speaking；　of　handsome；　large　houses；　from　20　pounds　a　year　to　60

pounds；　very　few　under　20　pounds　a　year；　being　chiefly　for　the

habitations　of　the　richest　citizens；　such　as　either　are　able　to

keep　two　houses；　one　in　the　country　and　one　in　the　city；　or　for

such　citizens　as　being　rich；　and　having　left　off　trade；　live

altogether　in　these　neighbouring　villages；　for　the　pleasure　and

health　of　the　latter　part　of　their　days。



The　truth　of　this　may　at　least　appear；　in　that　they　tell　me　there

are　no　less　than　two　hundred　coaches　kept　by　the　inhabitants　within

the　circumference　of　these　few　villages　named　above；　besides　such

as　are　kept　by　accidental　lodgers。



This　increase　of　the　inhabitants；　and　the　cause　of　it；　I　shall

enlarge　upon　when　I　come　to　speak　of　the　like　in　the　counties　of

Middlesex；　Surrey；　&c；　where　it　is　the　same；　only　in　a　much　greater

degree。　　But　this　I　must　take　notice　of　here；　that　this　increase

causes　those　villages　to　be　much　pleasanter　and　more　sociable　than

formerly；　for　now　people　go　to　them；　not　for　retirement　into　the

country；　but　for　good　company；　of　which；　that　I　may　speak　to　the

ladies　as　well　as　other　authors　do；　there　are　in　these　villages；

nay；　in　all；　three　or　four　excepted；　excellent　conversation；　and　a

great　deal　of　it；　and　that　without　the　mixture　of　assemblies；

gaming…houses；　and　public　foundations　of　vice　and　debauchery；　and

particularly　I　find　none　of　those　incentives　kept　up　on　this　side

the　country。



Mr。　Camden；　and　his　learned　continuator；　Bishop　Gibson；　have

ransacked　this　country　for　its　antiquities；　and　have　left　little

unsearched；　and　as　it　is　not　my　present　design　to　say　much　of　what

has　been　said　already；　I　shall　touch　very　lightly　where　two　such

excellent　antiquaries　have　gone　before　me；　except　it　be　to　add　what

may　have　been　since　discovered；　which　as　to　these　parts　is　only

this：　That　there　seems　to　be　lately　found　out　in　the　bottom　of　the

Marshes　（generally　called　Hackney　Marsh；　and　beginning　near　about

the　place　now　called　the　Wick；　between　Old　Ford　and　the　said　Wick）；

the　remains　of　a　great　stone　causeway；　which；　as　it　is　supposed；

was　the　highway；　or　great　road　from　London　into　Essex；　and　the　same

which　goes　now　over　the　great　bridge　between　Bow　and　Stratford。



That　the　great　road　lay　this　way；　and　that　the　great　causeway

landed　again　just　over　the　river；　where　now　the　Temple　Mills　stand；

and　passed　by　Sir　Thomas　Hickes's　house　at　Ruckolls；　all　this　is

not　doubted；　and　that　it　was　one　of　those　famous　highways　made　by

the　Romans　there　is　undoubted　proof；　by　the　several　marks　of　Roman

work；　and　by　Roman　coins　and　other　antiquities　found　there；　some　of

which　are　said　to　be　deposited　in　the　hands　of　the　Rev。　Mr。　Strype；

vicar　of　the　parish　of　Low　Leyton。



From　hence　the　great　road　passed　up　to　Leytonstone；　a　place　by　some

known　now　as　much　by　the　sign　of　the　〃Green　Man；〃　formerly　a　lodge

upon　the　edge　of　the　forest；　and　crossing　by　Wanstead　House；

formerly　the　dwelling　of　Sir　Josiah　Child；　now　of　his　son　the　Lord

Castlemain　（of　which　hereafter）；　went　over　the　same　river　which　we

now　pass　at　Ilford；　and　passing　that　part　of　the　great　forest　which

we　now　call　Hainault　Forest；　came　into　that　which　is　now　the　great

road；　a　little　on　this　side　the　Whalebone；　a　place　on　the　road　so

called　because　the　rib…bone　of　a　great　whale；　which　was　taken　in

the　River　Thames　the　same　year　that　Oliver　Cromwell　died；　1658；　was

fixed　there　for　a　monument　of　that　monstrous　creature；　it　being　at

first　about　eight…and…twenty　feet　long。



According　to　my　first　intention　of　effectually　viewing　the　sea…

coast　of　these　three　counties；　I　went　from　Stratford　to　Barking；　a

large　market…town；　but　chiefly　inhabited　by　fishermen；　whose　smacks

ride　in　the　Thames；　at　the　mouth　of　their　river；　from　whence　their

fish　is　sent　up　to　London　to　the　market　at　Billingsgate　by　small

boats；　of　which　I　shall　speak　by　itself　in　my　description　of

London。



One　thing　I　cannot　omit　in　the　mention　of　these　Barking　fisher…

smacks；　viz。；　that　one　of　those　fishermen；　a　very　substantial　and

experienced　man；　convinced　me　that　all　the　pretences　to　bringing

fish　alive　to　London　market　from　the　North　Seas；　and　other　remote

places　on　the　coast　of　Great　Britain；　by　the　new…built　sloops

called　fish…pools；　have　not　been　able　to　do　anything　but　what　their

fishing…smacks　are　able　on　the　same　occasion　to　perform。　　These

fishing…smacks　are　very　useful　vessels　to　the　public　upon　many

occasions；　as　particularly；　in　time　of　war　they　are　used　as　press…

smacks；　running　to　all　the　northern　and　western　coasts　to　pick　up

seamen　to　man　the　navy；　when　any　expedition　is　at　hand　that

requires　a　sudden　equipment；　at　other　times；　being　excellent

sailors；　they　are　tenders　to　particular　men　of　war；　and　on　an

expedition　they　have　been　made　use　of　as　machines　for　the　blowing

up　of　fortified　ports　and　havens；　as　at　Calais；　St。　Malo；　and　other

places。



This　parish　of　Barking　is　very　large；　and　by　the　improvement　of

lands　taken　in　out　of　the　Thames；　and　out　of　the　river　which　runs

by　the　town；　the　tithes；　as　the　townsmen　assured　me；　are　worth

above　600　pounds　per　annum；　including；　small　tithes。　　NOTE。　…　This

parish　has　two　or　three　chapels　of　ease；　viz。；　one　at　Ilford；　and

one　on　the　side　of　Hainault　Forest；　called　New　Chapel。



Sir　Thomas　Fanshaw；　of　an　ancient　Roman　Catholic　family；　has　a　very

good　estate　in　this　parish。　　A　little　beyond　the　town；　on　the　road

to　Dagenham；　stood　a　great　house；　ancient；　and　now　almost　fallen

down；　where　tradition　says　the　Gunpowder　Treason　Plot　was　at　first

contrived；　and　that　all　the　first　consultations　about　it　were　held

there。



This　side　of　the　county　is　rather　rich　in　land　than　in　inhabitants；

occasioned　chiefly　by　the　unhealthiness　of　the　air；　for　these　low

marsh　grounds；　which；　with　all　the　south　side　of　the　county；　have

been　saved　out　of　the　River　Thames；　and　out　of　the　sea；　where　the

river　is　wide　enough　to　be　called　so；　begin　here；　or　rather　begin

at　West　Ham；　by　Stratford；　and　continue　to　extend　themselves；　from

hence　eastward；　growing　wider　and　wider　till　we　come　beyond

Tilbury；　when　the　flat　country　lies　six；　seven；　or　eight　miles

broad；　and　is　justly　said　to　be　both　unhealthy　and　unpleasant。



However；　the　lands　are　rich；　and；　as　is　observable；　it　is　very　good

farming　in　the　marshes；　because　the　landlords　let　good　pennyworths；

for　it　being　a　place　where　everybody　cannot　live；　those　that

venture　it　will　have　encouragement　and　indeed　it　is　but　re