tour through the eastern counties of england-第13章

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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　were　needful；　and　in　few

words　could　easily　prove；　that　Ipswich　must　have　the　preference　of

all　the　port　towns　of　Britain；　for　being　the　best　centre　of　the

Greenland　trade；　if　ever　that　trade　fall　into　the　management　of

such　a　people　as　perfectly　understand；　and　have　a　due　honest　regard

to　its　being　managed　with　the　best　husbandry；　and　to　the　prosperity

of　the　undertaking　in　general。　　But　whether　we　shall　ever　arrive　at

so　happy　a　time　as　to　recover　so　useful　a　trade　to　our　country；

which　our　ancestors　had　the　honour　to　be　the　first　undertakers　of；

and　which　has　been　lost　only　through　the　indolence　of　others；　and

the　increasing　vigilance　of　our　neighbours；　that　is　not　my　business

here　to　dispute。



What　I　have　said　is　only　to　let　the　world　see　what　improvement　this

town　and　port　is　capable　of；　I　cannot　think　but　that　Providence；

which　made　nothing　in　vain；　cannot　have　reserved　so　useful；　so

convenient　a　port　to　lie　vacant　in　the　world；　but　that　the　time

will　some　time　or　other　come　（especially　considering　the　improving

temper　of　the　present　age）　when　some　peculiar　beneficial　business

may　be　found　out；　to　make　the　port　of　Ipswich　as　useful　to　the

world；　and　the　town　as　flourishing；　as　Nature　has　made　it　proper

and　capable　to　be。



As　for　the　town；　it　is　true；　it　is　but　thinly　inhabited；　in

comparison　of　the　extent　of　it；　but　to　say　there　are　hardly　any

people　to　be　seen　there；　is　far　from　being　true　in　fact；　and

whoever　thinks　fit　to　look　into　the　churches　and　meeting…houses　on

a　Sunday；　or　other　public　days；　will　find　there　are　very　great

numbers　of　people　there。　　Or　if　he　thinks　fit　to　view　the　market；

and　see　how　the　large　shambles；　called　Cardinal　Wolsey's　Butchery；

are　furnished　with　meat；　and　the　rest　of　the　market　stocked　with

other　provisions；　must　acknowledge　that　it　is　not　for　a　few　people

that　all　those　things　are　provided。　　A　person　very　curious；　and　on

whose　veracity　I　think　I　may　depend；　going　through　the　market　in

this　town；　told　me；　that　he　reckoned　upwards　of　six　hundred　country

people　on　horseback　and　on　foot；　with　baskets　and　other　carriage；

who　had　all　of　them　brought　something　or　other　to　town　to　sell；

besides　the　butchers；　and　what　came　in　carts　and　waggons。



It　happened　to　be　my　lot　to　be　once　at　this　town　at　the　time　when　a

very　fine　new　ship；　which　was　built　there　for　some　merchants　of

London；　was　to　be　launched；　and　if　I　may　give　my　guess　at　the

numbers　of　people　which　appeared　on　the　shore；　in　the　houses；　and

on　the　river；　I　believe　I　am　much　within　compass　if　I　say　there

were　20；000　people　to　see　it；　but　this　is　only　a　guess；　or　they

might　come　a　great　way　to　see　the　sight；　or　the　town　may　be

declined　farther　since　that。　　But　a　view　of　the　town　is　one　of　the

surest　rules　for　a　gross　estimate。



It　is　true　here　is　no　settled　manufacture。　　The　French　refugees

when　they　first　came　over　to　England　began　a　little　to　take　to　this

place；　and　some　merchants　attempted　to　set　up　a　linen　manufacture

in　their　favour；　but　it　has　not　met　with　so　much　success　as　was

expected；　and　at　present　I　find　very　little　of　it。　　The　poor　people

are；　however；　employed；　as　they　are　all　over　these　counties；　in

spinning　wool　for　other　towns　where　manufactures　are　settled。



The　country　round　Ipswich；　as　are　all　the　counties　so　near　the

coast；　is　applied　chiefly　to　corn；　of　which　a　very　great　quantity

is　continually　shipped　off　for　London；　and　sometimes　they　load　corn

here　for　Holland；　especially　if　the　market　abroad　is　encouraging。

They　have　twelve　parish　churches　in　this　town；　with　three　or　four

meetings；　but　there　are　not　so　many　Quakers　here　as　at　Colchester；

and　no　Anabaptists　or　Antipoedo　Baptists；　that　I　could　hear　of　…　at

least；　there　is　no　meeting…house　of　that　denomination。　　There　is

one　meeting…house　for　the　Presbyterians；　one　for　the　Independents

and　one　for　the　Quakers；　the　first　is　as　large　and　as　fine　a

building　of　that　kind　as　most　on　this　side　of　England；　and　the

inside　the　best　finished　of　any　I　have　seen；　London　not　excepted；

that　for　the　Independents　is　a　handsome　new…built　building；　but　not

so　gay　or　so　large　as　the　other。



There　is　a　great　deal　of　very　good　company　in　this　town；　and　though

there　are　not　so　many　of　the　gentry　here　as　at　Bury；　yet　there　are

more　here　than　in　any　other　town　in　the　county；　and　I　observed

particularly　that　the　company　you　meet　with　here　are　generally

persons　well　informed　of　the　world；　and　who　have　something　very

solid　and　entertaining　in　their　society。　　This　may　happen；　perhaps；

by　their　frequent　conversing　with　those　who　have　been　abroad；　and

by　their　having　a　remnant　of　gentlemen　and　masters　of　ships　among

them　who　have　seen　more　of　the　world　than　the　people　of　an　inland

town　are　likely　to　have　seen。　　I　take　this　town　to　be　one　of　the

most　agreeable　places　in　England　for　families　who　have　lived　well；

but　may　have　suffered　in