tour through the eastern counties of england-第2章

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occasions；　as　particularly；　in　time　of　war　they　are　used　as　press…

smacks；　running　to　all　the　northern　and　western　coasts　to　pick　up

seamen　to　man　the　navy；　when　any　expedition　is　at　hand　that

requires　a　sudden　equipment；　at　other　times；　being　excellent

sailors；　they　are　tenders　to　particular　men　of　war；　and　on　an

expedition　they　have　been　made　use　of　as　machines　for　the　blowing

up　of　fortified　ports　and　havens；　as　at　Calais；　St。　Malo；　and　other

places。



This　parish　of　Barking　is　very　large；　and　by　the　improvement　of

lands　taken　in　out　of　the　Thames；　and　out　of　the　river　which　runs

by　the　town；　the　tithes；　as　the　townsmen　assured　me；　are　worth

above　600　pounds　per　annum；　including；　small　tithes。　　NOTE。　…　This

parish　has　two　or　three　chapels　of　ease；　viz。；　one　at　Ilford；　and

one　on　the　side　of　Hainault　Forest；　called　New　Chapel。



Sir　Thomas　Fanshaw；　of　an　ancient　Roman　Catholic　family；　has　a　very

good　estate　in　this　parish。　　A　little　beyond　the　town；　on　the　road

to　Dagenham；　stood　a　great　house；　ancient；　and　now　almost　fallen

down；　where　tradition　says　the　Gunpowder　Treason　Plot　was　at　first

contrived；　and　that　all　the　first　consultations　about　it　were　held

there。



This　side　of　the　county　is　rather　rich　in　land　than　in　inhabitants；

occasioned　chiefly　by　the　unhealthiness　of　the　air；　for　these　low

marsh　grounds；　which；　with　all　the　south　side　of　the　county；　have

been　saved　out　of　the　River　Thames；　and　out　of　the　sea；　where　the

river　is　wide　enough　to　be　called　so；　begin　here；　or　rather　begin

at　West　Ham；　by　Stratford；　and　continue　to　extend　themselves；　from

hence　eastward；　growing　wider　and　wider　till　we　come　beyond

Tilbury；　when　the　flat　country　lies　six；　seven；　or　eight　miles

broad；　and　is　justly　said　to　be　both　unhealthy　and　unpleasant。



However；　the　lands　are　rich；　and；　as　is　observable；　it　is　very　good

farming　in　the　marshes；　because　the　landlords　let　good　pennyworths；

for　it　being　a　place　where　everybody　cannot　live；　those　that

venture　it　will　have　encouragement　and　indeed　it　is　but　reasonable

they　should。



Several　little　observations　I　made　in　this　part　of　the　county　of

Essex。



1。　　We　saw；　passing　from　Barking　to　Dagenham；　the　famous　breach；

made　by　an　inundation　of　the　Thames；　which　was　so　great　as　that　it

laid　near　5；000　acres　of　land　under　water；　but　which　after　near　ten

years　lying　under　water；　and　being　several　times　blown　up；　has　been

at　last　effectually　stopped　by　the　application　of　Captain　Perry；

the　gentleman　who；　for　several　years；　had　been　employed　in　the　Czar

of　Muscovy's　works；　at　Veronitza；　on　the　River　Don。　　This　breach

appeared　now　effectually　made　up；　and　they　assured　us　that　the　new

work；　where　the　breach　was；　is　by　much　esteemed　the　strongest　of

all　the　sea　walls　in　that　level。



2。　　It　was　observable　that　great　part　of　the　lands　in　these　levels；

especially　those　on　this　side　East　Tilbury；　are　held　by　the

farmers；　cow…keepers；　and　grazing　butchers　who　live　in　and　near

London；　and　that　they　are　generally　stocked　（all　the　winter　half

year）　with　large　fat　sheep；　viz。；　Lincolnshire　and　Leicestershire

wethers；　which　they　buy　in　Smithfield　in　September　and　October；

when　the　Lincolnshire　and　Leicestershire　graziers　sell　off　their

stock；　and　are　kept　here　till　Christmas；　or　Candlemas；　or

thereabouts；　and　though　they　are　not　made　at　all　fatter　here　than

they　were　when　bought　in；　yet　the　farmer　or　butcher　finds　very　good

advantage　in　it；　by　the　difference　of　the　price　of　mutton　between

Michaelmas；　when　it　is　cheapest；　and　Candlemas；　when　it　is　dearest；

this　is　what　the　butchers　value　themselves　upon；　when　they　tell　us

at　the　market　that　it　is　right　marsh…mutton。



3。　　In　the　bottom　of　these　Marshes；　and　close　to　the　edge　of　the

river；　stands　the　strong　fortress　of　Tilbury；　called　Tilbury　Fort；

which　may　justly　be　looked　upon　as　the　key　of　the　River　Thames；　and

consequently　the　key　of　the　City　of　London。　　It　is　a　regular

fortification。　　The　design　of　it　was　a　pentagon；　but　the　water

bastion；　as　it　would　have　been　called；　was　never　built。　　The　plan

was　laid　out　by　Sir　Martin　Beckman；　chief　engineer　to　King　Charles

II。；　who　also　designed　the　works　at　Sheerness。　　The　esplanade　of

the　fort　is　very　large；　and　the　bastions　the　largest　of　any　in

England；　the　foundation　is　laid　so　deep；　and　piles　under　that；

driven　down　two　an　end　of　one　another；　so　far；　till　they　were

assured　they　were　below　the　channel　of　the　river；　and　that　the

piles；　which　were　shed　with　iron；　entered　into　the　solid　chalk　rock

adjoining　to；　or　reaching　from；　the　chalk　hills　on　the　other　side。

These　bastions　settled　considerably　at　first；　as　did　also　part　of

the　curtain；　the　great　quantity　of　earth　that　was　brought　to　fill

them　up；　necessarily；　requiring　to　be　made　solid　by　time；　but　they

are　now　firm　as　the　rocks　of　chalk　which　they　came　from；　and　the

filling　up　one　of　these　bastions；　as　I　have　been　told　by　good

hands；　cost　the　Government　6；000　pounds；　being　filled　with　chalk

rubbish　fetched　from　the　chalk　pits　at　Northfleet；　just　above

Gravesend。



The　work　to　the　land　side　is　complete；　the　bastions　are　faced　with

brick。　　There　is　a　double　ditch；　or　moat；　the　innermost　part　of

which　is　180　feet　broad；　there　is　a　good　counterscarp；　and　a

covered　way　marked　out　with　ravelins　and　tenailles；　but　they　are

not　raised　a　second　time　after　their　first　settling。



On　the　land　side　there　are　also　two　small　redoubts　of　brick；　but　of

very　little　strength；　for　the　chief　strength　of　this　fort　on　the

land　side　consists　in　this；　that　they　are　able　to　lay　the　whole

level　under　water；　and　so　to　make　it　impossible　for　an　enemy　to

make　any　approaches　to　the　fort　that　way。



On　the　side　next　the　river　there　is　a　very　strong　curtain；　with　a

noble　gate　called　the　Water　Gate　in　the　middle；　and　the　ditch　is

palisadoed。　　At　the　place　where　the　water　bastion　was　designed　to

be　built；　and　which　by　the　plan　should　run　wholly　out　into　the

river；　so　to　flank　the　two　curtains　of　each　side；　I　say；　in　the

place　where　it　should　have　been；　stands　a　high　tower；　which　they

tell　us　was　built　in　Queen　Elizabeth's　time；　and　was　called　the

Block　House；　the　side　next　the　water　is　vacant。



Before　this　curtain；　above　and　below　the　said　vacancy；　is　a

platform　in　the　place　of　a　counterscarp；　on　which　are　planted　106

pieces　of　cannon；　generally　all　of　them　carrying　from　twenty…four

to　forty…six　pound　ball；　a　battery　so　terrible　as　well　imports　the

consequence　of　that　place；　besides　which；　there　are　smaller　pieces

planted　between；　and　the　bastions　and　curtain　also　are　planted　with

guns；　so　that　they　must　be　bold　fellows　who　will　venture　in　the

biggest　ships　the　world　has　heard　of　to　pass　such　a　battery；　if　the

men　appointed　to　serve　the　guns　do　their　duty　like　stout　fellows；

as　becomes　them。



The　present　government　of　this　important　place　is　under　the　prudent

administration　of　the　Right　Honourable　the　Lord　Newbrugh。



From　hence　there　is　nothing　for　many　miles　together　remarkable　but

a　continued　level　of　unhealthy　marshes；　called　the　Three　Hundreds；

till　we　come　before　Leigh；　and　to　the　mouth　of　the　River　Chelmer；

and　Blackwater。　　These　rivers　united　make　a　large　firth；　or　inlet

of　the　sea；　which　by　Mr。　Camden　is　called　IDUMANUM　FLUVIUM；　but　by

our　fishermen　and　seamen；　who　use　it　as　a　port；　it　is　called　Malden

Water。



In　this　inlet　of　the　sea　is　Osey；　or　Osyth　Island；　commonly　called

Oosy　Island；　so　well　known　by　our　London　men　of　pleasure　for　the

infinite　number　of　wild　fowl；　that　is　to　say；　duck；　mallard；　teal；

and　widgeon；　of　which　there　are　such　vast　flights；　that　they　tell

us　the　island；　namely　the　creek；　seems　covered　with　them　at　certain

times　of　the　year；　and　they　go　from　London　on　purpose　for　the

pleasure　of　shooting；　and；　indeed；　often　come　home　very　well　laden

with　game。　　But　it　must　be　remembered　too　that　those　gentlemen　who

are　such　lovers　of　the　sport；　and　go　so　far　for　it；　ofte