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now named; Winchelsea in Kent; and the like; so this town is; as it

were; eaten up by the sea; as above; and the still encroaching

ocean seems to threaten it with a fatal immersion in a few years

more。



Yet Dunwich; however ruined; retains some share of trade; as

particularly for the shipping of butter; cheese; and corn; which is

so great a business in this county; that it employs a great many

people and ships also; and this port lies right against the

particular part of the county for butter; as Framlingham; Halstead;

etc。  Also a very great quantity of corn is bought up hereabout for

the London market; for I shall still touch that point how all the

counties in England contribute something towards the subsistence of

the great city of London; of which the butter here is a very

considerable article; as also coarse cheese; which I mentioned

before; used chiefly for the king's ships。



Hereabouts they begin to talk of herrings and the fishery; and we

find in the ancient records that this town; which was then equal to

a large city; paid; among other tribute to the government; fifty

thousand of herrings。  Here also; and at Swole; or Southole; the

next seaport; they cure sprats in the same manner as they do

herrings at Yarmouth; that is to say; speaking in their own

language; they make red sprats; or to speak good English; they make

sprats red。



It is remarkable that this town is now so much washed away by the

sea; that what little trade they have is carried on by Walderswick;

a little town near Swole; the vessels coming in there; because the

ruins of Dunwich make the shore there unsafe and uneasy to the

boats; from whence the northern coasting seamen a rude verse of

their own using; and I suppose of their own making; as follows;





〃Swoul and Dunwich; and Walderswick;

All go in at one lousie creek。〃





This 〃lousie creek;〃 in short; is a little river at Swoul; which

our late famous atlas…maker calls a good harbour for ships; and

rendezvous of the royal navy; but that by…the…bye; the author; it

seems; knew no better。



From Dunwich we came to Southwold; the town above…named: this is a

small port town upon the coast; at the mouth of a little river

called the Blith。  I found no business the people here were

employed in but the fishery; as above; for herrings and sprats;

which they cure by the help of smoke; as they do at Yarmouth。



There is but one church in this town; but it is a very large one

and well built; as most of the churches in this county are; and of

impenetrable flint; indeed; there is no occasion for its being so

large; for staying there one Sabbath day; I was surprised to see an

extraordinary large church; capable of receiving five or six

thousand people; and but twenty…seven in it besides the parson and

the clerk; but at the same time the meeting…house of the Dissenters

was full to the very doors; having; as I guessed; from six to eight

hundred people in it。



This town is made famous for a very great engagement at sea; in the

year 1672; between the English and Dutch fleets; in the bay

opposite to the town; in which; not to be partial to ourselves; the

English fleet was worsted; and the brave Montague; Earl of

Sandwich; Admiral under the Duke of York; lost his life。  The ship

ROYAL PRINCE; carrying one hundred guns; in which he was; and which

was under him; commanded by Sir Edward Spragg; was burnt; and

several other ships lost; and about six hundred seamen; part of

those killed in the fight were; as I was told; brought on shore

here and buried in the churchyard of this town; as others also were

at Ipswich。



At this town in particular; and so at all the towns on this coast;

from Orfordness to Yarmouth; is the ordinary place where our summer

friends the swallows first land when they come to visit us; and

here they may be said to embark for their return; when they go back

into warmer climates; and as I think the following remark; though

of so trifling a circumstance; may be both instructing as well as

diverting; it may be very proper in this place。  The case is this;

I was some years before at this place; at the latter end of the

year; viz。; about the beginning of October; and lodging in a house

that looked into the churchyard; I observed in the evening; an

unusual multitude of birds sitting on the leads of the church。

Curiosity led me to go nearer to see what they were; and I found

they were all swallows; that there was such an infinite number that

they covered the whole roof of the church; and of several houses

near; and perhaps might of more houses which I did not see。  This

led me to inquire of a grave gentleman whom I saw near me; what the

meaning was of such a prodigious multitude of swallows sitting

there。  〃Oh; sir;〃 says he; turning towards the sea; 〃you may see

the reason; the wind is off sea。〃  I did not seem fully informed by

that expression; so he goes on; 〃I perceive; sir;〃 says he; 〃you

are a stranger to it; you must then understand first; that this is

the season of the year when the swallows; their food here failing;

begin to leave us; and return to the country; wherever it be; from

whence I suppose they came; and this being the nearest to the coast

of Holland; they come here to embark〃 (this he said smiling a

little); 〃and now; sir;〃 says he; 〃the weather being too calm or

the wind contrary; they are waiting for a gale; for they are all

wind…bound。〃



This was more evident to me; when in the morning I found the wind

had come about to the north…west in the night; and there was not

one swallow to be seen of near a million; which I believe was there

the night before。



How those creatures know that this part of the Island of Great

Britain is the way to their home; or the way that they are to go;

that this very point is the nearest cut over; or even that the

nearest cut is best for them; that we must leave to the naturalists

to determine; who insist upon it that brutes cannot think。



Certain it is that the swallows neither come hither for warm

weather nor retire from cold; the thing is of quite another nature。

They; like the shoals of fish in the sea; pursue their prey; they

are a voracious creature; they feed flying; their food is found in

the air; viz。; the insects; of which in our summer evenings; in

damp and moist places; the air is full。  They come hither in the

summer because our air is fuller of fogs and damps than in other

countries; and for that reason feeds great quantities of insects。

If the air be hot and dry the gnats die of themselves; and even the

swallows will be found famished for want; and fall down dead out of

the air; their food being taken from them。  In like manner; when

cold weather comes in the insects all die; and then of necessity

the swallows quit us; and follow their food wherever they go。  This

they do in the manner I have mentioned above; for sometimes they

are seen to go off in vast flights like a cloud。  And sometimes

again; when the wind grows fair; they go away a few and a few as

they come; not staying at all upon the coast。



Note。 … This passing and re…passing of the swallows is observed

nowhere so much; that I have heard of; or in but few other places;

except on this eastern coast; namely; from above Harwich to the

east point of Norfolk; called Winterton Ness; North; which is all

right against Holland。  We know nothing of them any farther north;

the passage of the sea being; as I suppose; too broad from

Flamborough Head and the shore of Holderness in Yorkshire; etc。



I find very little remarkable on this side of Suffolk; but what is

on the sea…shore as above。  The inland country is that which they

properly call High Suffolk; and is full of rich feeding grounds and

large farms; mostly employed in dairies for making the Suffolk

butter and cheese; of which I have spoken already。  Among these

rich grounds stand some market towns; though not of very

considerable note; such as Framlingham; where was once a royal

castle; to which Queen Mary retired when the Northumberland

faction; in behalf of the Lady Jane; endeavoured to supplant her。

And it was this part of Suffolk where the Gospellers; as they were

then called; preferred their loyalty to their religion; and

complimented the Popish line at expense of their share of the

Reformation。  But they paid dear for it; and their successors have

learned better politics since。



In these parts are also several good market towns; some in this

county and some in the other; as Beccles; Bungay; Harlston; etc。;

all on the edge of the River Waveney; which parts here the counties

of Suffolk and Norfolk。  And here in a bye…place; and out of common

remark; lies the ancient town of Hoxon; famous for being the place

where St。 Edmund was martyred; for whom so many cells and shrines

have been set up and monasteries built; and in honour of whom the

famous monastery of St。 Edmundsbury; above mentioned; w

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