tour through the eastern counties of england-第11节

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The　loss　or　decay　of　this　trade　accounts　for　the　present　pretended

decay　of　the　town　of　Ipswich；　of　which　I　shall　speak　more

presently。　　The　ships　wore　out；　the　masters　died　off；　the　trade

took　a　new　turn；　Dutch　flyboats　taken　in　the　war；　and　made　free

ships　by　Act　of　Parliament；　thrust　themselves　into　the　coal…trade

for　the　interest　of　the　captors；　such　as　the　Yarmouth　and　London

merchants；　and　others；　and　the　Ipswich　men　dropped　gradually　out　of

it；　being　discouraged　by　those　Dutch　flyboats。　　These　Dutch

vessels；　which　cost　nothing　but　the　caption；　were　bought　cheap；

carried　great　burthens；　and　the　Ipswich　building　fell　off　for　want

of　price；　and　so　the　trade　decayed；　and　the　town　with　it。　　I

believe　this　will　be　owned　for　the　true　beginning　of　their　decay；

if　I　must　allow　it　to　be　called　a　decay。



But　to　return　to　my　passage　up　the　river。　　In　the　winter…time　those

great　collier　ships；　above…mentioned；　are　always　laid　up；　as　they

call　it；　that　is　to　say；　the　coal　trade　abates　at　London；　the

citizens　are　generally　furnished；　their　stores　taken　in；　and　the

demand　is　over；　so　that　the　great　ships；　the　northern　seas　and

coast　being　also　dangerous；　the　nights　long；　and　the　voyage

hazardous；　go　to　sea　no　more；　but　lie　by；　the　ships　are　unrigged；

the　sails；　etc。；　carried　ashore；　the　top…masts　struck；　and　they

ride　moored　in　the　river；　under　the　advantages　and　security　of

sound　ground；　and　a　high　woody　shore；　where　they　lie　as　safe　as　in

a　wet　dock；　and　it　was　a　very　agreeable　sight　to　see；　perhaps　two

hundred　sail　of　ships；　of　all　sizes；　lie　in　that　posture　every

winter。　　All　this　while；　which　was　usually　from　Michaelmas　to　Lady

Day；　the　masters　lived　calm　and　secure　with　their　families　in

Ipswich；　and　enjoying　plentifully；　what　in　the　summer　they　got

laboriously　at　sea；　and　this　made　the　town　of　Ipswich　very　populous

in　the　winter；　for　as　the　masters；　so　most　of　the　men；　especially

their　mates；　boatswains；　carpenters；　etc。；　were　of　the　same　place；

and　lived　in　their　proportions；　just　as　the　masters　did；　so　that　in

the　winter　there　might　be　perhaps　a　thousand　men　in　the　town　more

than　in　the　summer；　and　perhaps　a　greater　number。



To　justify　what　I　advance　here；　that　this　town　was　formerly　very

full　of　people；　I　ask　leave　to　refer　to　the　account　of　Mr。　Camden；

and　what　it　was　in　his　time。　　His　words　are　these：…　〃Ipswich　has　a

commodious　harbour；　has　been　fortified　with　a　ditch　and　rampart；

has　a　great　trade；　and　is　very　populous；　being　adorned　with

fourteen　churches；　and　large　private　buildings。〃　　This　confirms

what　I　have　mentioned　of　the　former　state　of　this　town；　but　the

present　state　is　my　proper　work；　I　therefore　return　to　my　voyage　up

the　river。



The　sight　of　these　ships　thus　laid　up　in　the　river；　as　I　have　said；

was　very　agreeable　to　me　in　my　passage　from　Harwich；　about　five　and

thirty　years　before　the　present　journey；　and　it　was　in　its

proportion　equally　melancholy　to　hear　that　there　were　now　scarce

forty　sail　of　good　colliers　that　belonged　to　the　whole　town。



In　a　creek　in　this　river；　called　Lavington　Creek；　we　saw　at　low

water　such　shoals；　or　hills　rather；　of　mussels；　that　great　boats

might　have　loaded　with　them；　and　no　miss　have　been　made　of　them。

Near　this　creek；　Sir　Samuel　Barnadiston　had　a　very　fine　seat；　as；

also；　a　decoy　for　wild　ducks；　and　a　very　noble　estate；　but　it　is

divided　into　many　branches　since　the　death　of　the　ancient

possessor。　　But　I　proceed　to　the　town；　which　is　the　first　in　the

county　of　Suffolk　of　any　note　this　way。



Ipswich　is　seated；　at　the　distance　of　twelve　miles　from　Harwich；

upon　the　edge　of　the　river；　which；　taking　a　short　turn　to　the　west；

the　town　forms；　there；　a　kind　of　semicircle；　or　half　moon；　upon　the

bank　of　the　river。　　It　is　very　remarkable；　that　though　ships　of　500

ton　may；　upon　a　spring　tide；　come　up　very　near　this　town；　and　many

ships　of　that　burthen　have　been　built　there；　yet　the　river　is　not

navigable　any　farther　than　the　town　itself；　or　but　very　little；　no；

not　for　the　smallest　beats；　nor　does　the　tide；　which　rises

sometimes　thirteen　or　fourteen　feet；　and　gives　them　twenty…four

feet　water　very　near　the　town；　flow　much　farther　up　the　river　than

the　town；　or　not　so　much　as　to　make　it　worth　speaking　of。



He　took　little　notice　of　the　town；　or　at　least　of　that　part　of

Ipswich；　who　published　in　his　wild　observations　on　it　that　ships　of

200　ton　are　built　there。　　I　affirm；　that　I　have　seen　a　ship　of　400

ton　launched　at　the　building…yard；　close　to　the　town；　and　I　appeal

to　the　Ipswich　colliers　（those　few　that　remain）　belonging　to　this

town；　if　several　of　them　carrying　seventeen　score　of　coals；　which

must　be　upward　of　400　ton；　have　not　formerly　been　built　here；　but

superficial　observers　must　be　superficial　writers；　if　they　write　at

all；　and　to　this　day；　at　John's　Ness；　within　a　mile　and　a　half　of

the　town　itself；　ships　of　any　burthen　may　be　built　and　launched

even　at　neap　tides。



I　am　much　mistaken；　too；　if　since　the　Revolution　some　very　good

ships　have　not　been　built　at　this　town；　and　particularly　the

MELFORD　or　MILFORD　galley；　a　ship　of　forty　guns；　as　the　GREYHOUND

frigate；　a　man…of…war　of　thirty…six　to　forty　guns；　was　at　John's

Ness。　　But　what　is　this　towards　lessening　the　town　of　Ipswich；　any

more　than　it　would　be　to　say；　they　do　not　build　men…of…war；　or　East

India　ships；　or　ships　of　five　hundred　ton　burden　at　St。　Catherines；

or　at　Battle　Bridge　in　the　Thames？　when　we　know　that　a　mile　or　two

lower；　viz。；　at　Radcliffe；　Limehouse；　or　Deptford；　they　build　ships

of　a　thousand　ton；　and　might　build　first…rate　men…of…war　too；　if

there　was　occasion；　and　the　like　might　be　done　in　this　river　of

Ipswich；　within　about　two　or　three　miles　of　the　town；　so　that　it

would　not　be　at　all　an　out…of…the…way　speaking　to　say；　such　a　ship

was　built　at　Ipswich；　any　more　than　it　is　to　say；　as　they　do；　that

the　ROYAL　PRINCE；　the　great　ship　lately　built　for　the　South　Sea

Company；　was　London　built；　because　she　was　built　at　Limehouse。



And　why　then　is　not　Ipswich　capable　of　building　and　receiving　the

greatest　ships　in　the　navy；　seeing　they　may　be　built　and　brought　up

again　laden；　within　a　mile　and　half　of　the　town？



But　the　neighbourhood　of　London；　which　sucks　the　vitals　of　trade　in

this　island　to　itself；　is　the　chief　reason　of　any　decay　of　business

in　this　place；　and　I　shall；　in　the　course　of　these　observations；

hint　at　it；　where　many　good　seaports　and　large　towns；　though

farther　off　than　Ipswich；　and　as　well　fitted　for　commerce；　are　yet

swallowed　up　by　the　immense　indraft　of　trade　to　the　City　of　London；

and　more　decayed　beyond　all　comparison　than　Ipswich　is　supposed　to

be：　as　Southampton；　Weymouth；　Dartmouth；　and　several　others　which　I

shall　speak　to　in　their　order；　and　if　it　be　otherwise　at　this　time；

with　some　other　towns；　which　are　lately　increased　in　trade　and

navigation；　wealth；　and　people；　while　their　neighbours　decay；　it　is

because　they　have　some　particular　trade；　or　accident　to　trade；

which　is　a　kind　of　nostrum　to　them；　inseparable　to　the　place；　and

which　fixes　there　by　the　nature　of　the　thing；　as　the　herring…

fishery　to　Yarmouth；　the　coal　trade　to　Newcastle；　the　Leeds

clothing　trade；　the　export　of　butter　and　lead；　and　the　great　corn

trade　for　Holland；　is　to　Hull；　the　Virginia　and　West　India　trade　at

Liverpool；　the　Irish　trade　at　Bristol；　and　the　like。　　Thus　the　war

has　brought　a　flux　of　business　and　people；　and　consequently　of

wealth；　to　several　places；　as　well　as　to　Portsmouth；　Chatham；

Plymouth；　Falmouth；　and　others；　and　were　any　wars　like　those；　to

continue　twenty　years　with　the　Dutch；　or　any　nation　whose　fleets

lay　that　way；　as　the　Dutch　do；　it　would　be　the　like　perhaps　at

Ipswich　in　a　few　years；　and　at　other　places　on　the　same　coast。



But　at　this　present　time　an　occasion　offers　to　speak　in　favour　of

this　port；　namely；　the　Greenland　fishery；　lately　proposed　to　be

carried　on　by　the　South　Sea　Company。　　On　which　account　I　may　freely

advance　this；　without　any　compliment　to　the　town　of　Ipswich；　no

place　in　Britain　is　equally　qualified　like　Ipswich；　whether　we

respect　the　cheapness　of　building　and　fitting　out　their　ships　and

shallops；　also　furnishing；　victualling；　and　providing　them　with　all

kinds　of　stores；　convenience　for　laying　up　the　ships　after　the

voyage；　room　for　erecting　their　magazines；　warehouses；　rope　walks；

cooperages；　etc。；　on　the　easiest　terms；　and　especially　for　the

noisome　cookery；　which　attends　the　boiling　their　blubber；　which　may

be　on　this　river　（as　it　ought　to　be）　remote　from　any　places　of

resort。　　Then　their　nearness　to　the　market　for　the　oil　when　it　is

made；　and　which；　above　all；　ought　to　be　the　chief　thing　considered

in　that　trade；　the　easiness　of　their　putting　out　to　sea　when　they

begin　their　voyage；　in　which　the　same　wind　that　carries　them　from

the　mouth　of　the　haven；　is　fair　to　the　very　seas　of　Greenland。



I　could　say　much　more　to　this　point　if　it　wer