tour through the eastern counties of england- 第19部分

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　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　Th