tour through the eastern counties of england-第12章

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From　Harwich；　therefore；　having　a　mind　to　view　the　harbour；　I　sent

my　horses　round　by　Manningtree；　where　there　is　a　timber　bridge　over

the　Stour；　called　Cataway　Bridge；　and　took　a　boat　up　the　River

Orwell　for　Ipswich。　　A　traveller　will　hardly　understand　me；

especially　a　seaman；　when　I　speak　of　the　River　Stour　and　the　River

Orwell　at　Harwich；　for　they　know　them　by　no　other　names　than　those

of　Manningtree　water　and　Ipswich　water；　so　while　I　am　on　salt

water；　I　must　speak　as　those　who　use　the　sea　may　understand　me；　and

when　I　am　up　in　the　country　among　the　inland　towns　again；　I　shall

call　them　out　of　their　names　no　more。



It　is　twelve　miles　from　Harwich　up　the　water　to　Ipswich。　　Before　I

come　to　the　town；　I　must　say　something　of　it；　because　speaking　of

the　river　requires　it。　　In　former　times；　that　is　to　say；　since　the

writer　of　this　remembers　the　place　very　well；　and　particularly　just

before　the　late　Dutch　wars；　Ipswich　was　a　town　of　very　good

business；　particularly　it　was　the　greatest　town　in　England　for

large　colliers　or　coal…ships　employed　between　Newcastle　and　London。

Also　they　built　the　biggest　ships　and　the　best；　for　the　said

fetching　of　coals　of　any　that　were　employed　in　that　trade。　　They

built；　also；　there　so　prodigious　strong；　that　it　was　an　ordinary

thing　for　an　Ipswich　collier；　if　no　disaster　happened　to　him；　to

reign　（as　seamen　call　it）　forty　or　fifty　years；　and　more。



In　the　town　of　Ipswich　the　masters　of　these　ships　generally　dwelt；

and　there　were；　as　they　then　told　me；　above　a　hundred　sail　of　them；

belonging　to　the　town　at　one　time；　the　least　of　which　carried

fifteen　score；　as　they　compute　it；　that　is；　300　chaldron　of　coals；

this　was　about　the　year　1668　（when　I　first　knew　the　place）。　　This

made　the　town　be　at　that　time　so　populous；　for　those　masters；　as

they　had　good　ships　at　sea；　so　they　had　large　families　who　lived

plentifully；　and　in　very　good　houses　in　the　town；　and　several

streets　were　chiefly　inhabited　by　such。



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；