tour through the eastern counties of england- 第16部分

being　once　open；　and　a　famous　harbour　for　ships　belonging　to　a　town

of　Lowestoft　adjoining；　but　that　the　town　of　Yarmouth　envying　the

prosperity　of　the　said　town　of　Lowestoft；　made　war　upon　them；　and

that　after　many　bloody　battles；　as　well　by　sea　as　by　land；　they

came　at　last　to　a　decisive　action　at　sea　with　their　respective

fleets；　and　the　victory　fell　to　the　Yarmouth　men；　the　Lowestoft

fleet　being　overthrown　and　utterly　destroyed；　and　that　upon　this

victory；　the　Yarmouth　men　either　actually　did　stop　up　the　mouth　of

the　said　river；　or　obliged　the　vanquished　Lowestoft　men　to　do　it

themselves；　and　bound　them　never　to　attempt　to　open　it　again。



I　believe　my　share　of　this　story；　and　I　recommend　no　more　of　it　to

the　reader；　adding；　that　I　see　no　authority　for　the　relation；

neither　do　the　relators　agree　either　in　the　time　of　it；　or　in　the

particulars　of　the　fact；　that　is　to　say；　in　whose　reign；　or　under

what　government　all　this　happened；　in　what　year；　and　the　like；　so　I

satisfy　myself　with　transcribing　the　matter　of　fact；　and　then　leave

it　as　I　find　it。



In　this　vast　tract　of　meadows　are　fed　a　prodigious　number　of　black

cattle　which　are　said　to　be　fed　up　for　the　fattest　beef；　though　not

the　largest　in　England；　and　the　quantity　is　so　great；　as　that　they

not　only　supply　the　city　of　Norwich；　the　town　of　Yarmouth；　and

county　adjacent；　but　send　great　quantities　of　them　weekly　in　all

the　winter　season　to　London。



And　this　in　particular　is　worthy　remark；　that　the　gross　of　all　the

Scots　cattle　which　come　yearly　into　England　are　brought　hither；

being　brought　to　a　small　village　lying　north　of　the　city　of

Norwich；　called　St。　Faith's；　where　the　Norfolk　graziers　go　and　buy

them。



These　Scots　runts；　so　they　call　them；　coming　out　of　the　cold　and

barren　mountains　of　the　Highlands　in　Scotland；　feed　so　eagerly　on

the　rich　pasture　in　these　marshes；　that　they　thrive　in　an　unusual

manner；　and　grow　monstrously　fat；　and　the　beef　is　so　delicious　for

taste；　that　the　inhabitants　prefer　them　to　the　English　cattle；

which　are　much　larger　and　fairer　to　look　at；　and　they　may　very　well

do　so。　　Some　have　told　me；　and　I　believe　with　good　judgment；　that

there　are　above　forty　thousand　of　these　Scots　cattle　fed　in　this

county　every　year；　and　most　of　them　in　the　said　marshes　between

Norwich；　Beccles；　and　Yarmouth。



Yarmouth　is　an　ancient　town；　much　older　than　Norwich；　and　at

present；　though　not　standing　on　so　much　ground；　yet　better　built；

much　more　complete；　for　number　of　inhabitants；　not　much　inferior；

and　for　wealth；　trade；　and　advantage　of　its　situation；　infinitely

superior　to　Norwich。



It　is　placed　on　a　peninsula　between　the　River　Yare　and　the　sea；　the

two　last　lying　parallel　to　one　another；　and　the　town　in　the　middle。

The　river　lies　on　the　west　side　of　the　town；　and　being　grown　very

large　and　deep；　by　a　conflux　of　all　the　rivers　on　this　side　the

county；　forms　the　haven；　and　the　town　facing　to　the　west　also；　and

open　to　the　river；　makes　the　finest　quay　in　England；　if　not　in

Europe；　not　inferior　even　to　that　of　Marseilles　itself。



The　ships　ride　here　so　close；　and；　as　it　were；　keeping　up　one

another；　with　their　headfasts　on　shore；　that　for　half　a　mile

together　they　go　across　the　stream　with　their　bowsprits　over　the

land；　their　bows；　or　heads　touching　the　very　wharf；　so　that　one　may

walk　from　ship　to　ship　as　on　a　floating　bridge；　all　along　by　the

shore…side。　　The　quay　reaching　from　the　drawbridge　almost　to　the

south　gate；　is　so　spacious　and　wide；　that　in　some　places　it　is　near

one　hundred　yards　from　the　houses　to　the　wharf。　　In　this　pleasant

and　agreeable　range　of　houses　are　some　very　magnificent　buildings；

and　among　the　rest；　the　Custom　House　and　Town　Hall；　and　some

merchant's　houses；　which　look　like　little　palaces　rather　than　the

dwelling…houses　of　private　men。



The　greatest　defect　of　this　beautiful　town　seems　to　be　that；　though

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　peop