Tour　Through　the　Eastern　Counties　of　England
  by　Daniel　Defoe
  I　began　my　travels　where　I　purpose　to　end　them；　viz。；　at　the　City
  of　London；　and　therefore　my　account　of　the　city　itself　will　come
  last；　that　is　to　say；　at　the　latter　end　of　my　southern　progress；
  and　as　in　the　course　of　this　journey　I　shall　have　many　occasions　to
  call　it　a　circuit；　if　not　a　circle；　so　I　chose　to　give　it　the　title
  of　circuits　in　the　plural；　because　I　do　not　pretend　to　have
  travelled　it　all　in　one　journey；　but　in　many；　and　some　of　them　many
  times　over；　the　better　to　inform　myself　of　everything　I　could　find
  worth　taking　notice　of。
  I　hope　it　will　appear　that　I　am　not　the　less；　but　the　more　capable
  of　giving　a　full　account　of　things；　by　how　much　the　more
  deliberation　I　have　taken　in　the　view　of　them；　and　by　how　much　the
  oftener　I　have　had　opportunity　to　see　them。
  I　set　out　the　3rd　of　April；　1722；　going　first　eastward；　and　took
  what　I　think　I　may　very　honestly　call　a　circuit　in　the　very　letter
  of　it；　for　I　went　down　by　the　coast　of　the　Thames　through　the
  Marshes　or　Hundreds　on　the　south　side　of　the　county　of　Essex；　till
  I　came　to　Malden；　Colchester；　and　Harwich；　thence　continuing　on　the
  coast　of　Suffolk　to　Yarmouth；　thence　round　by　the　edge　of　the　sea；
  on　the　north　and　west　side　of　Norfolk；　to　Lynn；　Wisbech；　and　the
  Wash；　thence　back　again；　on　the　north　side　of　Suffolk　and　Essex；　to
  the　west；　ending　it　in　Middlesex；　near　the　place　where　I　began　it；
  reserving　the　middle　or　centre　of　the　several　counties　to　some
  little　excursions；　which　I　made　by　themselves。
  Passing　Bow　Bridge；　where　the　county　of　Essex　begins；　the　first
  observation　I　made　was；　that　all　the　villages　which　may　be　called
  the　neighbourhood　of　the　city　of　London　on　this；　as　well　as　on　the
  other　sides　thereof；　which　I　shall　speak　to　in　their　order；　I　say；
  all　those　villages　are　increased　in　buildings　to　a　strange　degree；
  within　the　compass　of　about　twenty　or　thirty　years　past　at　the
  most。
  The　village　of　Stratford；　the　first　in　this　county　from　London；　is
  not　only　increased；　but；　I　believe；　more　than　doubled　in　that　time；
  every　vacancy　filled　up　with　new　houses；　and　two　little　towns　or
  hamlets；　as　they　may　be　called；　on　the　forest　side　of　the　town
  entirely　new；　namely　Maryland　Point　and　the　Gravel　Pits；　one　facing
  the　road　to　Woodford　and　Epping；　and　the　other　facing　the　road　to
  Ilford；　and　as　for　the　hither　part；　it　is　almost　joined　to　Bow；　in
  spite　of　rivers；　canals；　marshy　grounds；　&c。　　Nor　is　this　increase
  of　building　the　case　only　in　this　and　all　the　other　villages　round
  London；　but　the　increase　of　the　value　and　rent　of　the　houses
  formerly　standing　has；　in　that　compass　of　years　above…mentioned；
  advanced　to　a　very　great　degree；　and　I　may　venture　to　say　at　least
  the　fifth　part；　some　think　a　third　part；　above　what　they　were
  before。
  This　is　indeed　most　visible；　speaking　of　Stratford　in　Essex；　but　it
  is　the　same　thing　in　proportion　in　other　villages　adjacent；
  especially　on　the　forest　side；　as　at　Low　Leyton；　Leytonstone；
  Walthamstow；　Woodford；　Wanstead；　and　the　towns　of　West　Ham；
  Plaistow；　Upton；　etc。　　In　all　which　places；　or　near　them　（as　the
  inhabitants　say）；　above　a　thousand　new　foundations　have　been
  erected；　besides　old　houses　repaired；　all　since　the　Revolution；　and
  this　is　not　to　be　forgotten　too；　that　this　increase　is；　generally
  speaking；　of　handsome；　large　houses；　from　20　pounds　a　year　to　60
  pounds；　very　few　under　20　pounds　a　year；　being　chiefly　for　the
  habitations　of　the　richest　citizens；　such　as　either　are　able　to
  keep　two　houses；　one　in　the　country　and　one　in　the　city；　or　for
  such　citizens　as　being　rich；　and　having　left　off　trade；　live
  altogether　in　these　neighbouring　villages；　for　the　pleasure　and
  health　of　the　latter　part　of　their　days。
  The　truth　of　this　may　at　least　appear；　in　that　they　tell　me　there
  are　no　less　than　two　hundred　coaches　kept　by　the　inhabitants　within
  the　circumference　of　these　few　villages　named　above；　besides　such
  as　are　kept　by　accidental　lodgers。
  This　increase　of　the　inhabitants；　and　the　cause　of　it；　I　shall
  enlarge　upon　when　I　come　to　speak　of　the　like　in　the　counties　of
  Middlesex；　Surrey；　&c；　where　it　is　the　same；　only　in　a　much　greater
  degree。　　But　this　I　must　take　notice　of　here；　that　this　increase
  causes　those　villages　to　be　much　pleasanter　and　more　sociable　than
  formerly；　for　now　people　go　to　them；　not　for　retirement　into　the
  country；　but　for　good　company；　of　which；　that　I　may　speak　to　the
  ladies　as　well　as　other　authors　do；　there　are　in　these　villages；
  nay；　in　all；　three　or　four　excepted；　excellent　conversation；　and　a
  great　deal　of　it；　and　that　without　the　mixture　of　assemblies；
  gaming…houses；　and　public　foundations　of　vice　and　debauchery；　and
  particularly　I　find　none　of　those　incentives　kept　up　on　this　side
  the　country。
  Mr。　Camden；　and　his　learned　continuator；　Bishop　Gibson；　have
  ransacked　this　country　for　its　antiquities；　and　have　left　little
  unsearched；　and　as　it　is　not　my　present　design　to　say　much　of　what
  has　been　said　already；　I　shall　touch　very　lightly　where　two　such
  excellent　antiquaries　have　gone　before　me；　except　it　be　to　add　what
  may　have　been　since　discovered；　which　as　to　these　parts　is　only
  this：　That　there　seems　to　be　lately　found　out　in　the　bottom　of　the
  Marshes　（generally　called　Hackney　Marsh；　and　beginning　near　about
  the　place　now　called　the　Wick；　between　Old　Ford　and　the　said　Wick）；
  the　remains　of　a　great　stone　causeway；　which；　as　it　is　supposed；
  was　the　highway；　or　great　road　from　London　into　Essex；　and　the　same
  which　goes　now　over　the　great　bridge　between　Bow　and　Stratford。
  That　the　great　road　lay　this　way；　and　that　the　great　causeway
  landed　again　just　over　the　river；　where　now　the　Temple　Mills　stand；
  and　passed　by　Sir　Thomas　Hickes's　house　at　Ruckolls；　all　this　is
  not　doubted；　and　that　it　was　one　of　those　famous　highways　made　by
  the　Romans　there　is　undoubted　proof；　by　the　several　marks　of　Roman
  work；　and　by　Roman　coins　and　other　antiquities　found　there；　some　of
  which　are　said　to　be　deposited　in　the　hands　of　the　Rev。　Mr。　Strype；
  vicar　of　the　parish　of　Low　Leyton。
  From　hence　the　great　road　passed　up　to　Leytonstone；　a　place　by　some
  known　now　as　much　by　the　sign　of　the　〃Green　Man；〃　formerly　a　lodge
  upon　the　edge　of　the　forest；　and　crossing　by　Wanstead　House；
  formerly　the　dwelling　of　Sir　Josiah　Child；　now　of　his　son　the　Lord
  Castlemain　（of　which　hereafter）；　went　over　the　same　river　which　we
  now　pass　at　Ilford；　and　passing　that　part　of　the　great　forest　which
  we　now　call　Hainault　Forest；　came　into　that　which　is　now　the　great
  road；　a　little　on　this　side　the　Whalebone；　a　place　on　the　road　so
  called　because　the　rib…bone　of　a　great　whale；　which　was　taken　in
  the　River　Thames　the　same　year　that　Oliver　Cromwell　died；　1658；　was
  fixed　there　for　a　monument　of　that　monstrous　creature；　it　being　at
  first　about　eight…and…twenty　feet　long。
  According　to　my　first　intention　of　effectually　viewing　the　sea…
  coast　of　these　three　counties；　I　went　from　Stratford　to　Barking；　a
  large　market…town；　but　chiefly　inhabited　by　fishermen；　whose　smacks
  ride　in　the　Thames；　at　the　mouth　of　their　river；　from　whence　their
  fish　is　sent　up　to　London　to　the　market　at　Billingsgate　by　small
  boats；　of　which　I　shall　speak　by　itself　in　my　description　of
  London。
  One　thing　I　cannot　omit　in　the　mention　of　these　Barking　fisher…
  smacks；　viz。；　that　one　of　those　fishermen；　a　very　substantial　and
  experienced　man；　convinced　me　that　all　the　pretences　to　bringing
  fish　alive　to　London　market　from　the　North　Seas；　and　other　remote
  places　on　the　coast　of　Great　Britain；　by　the　new…built　sloops
  called　fish…pools；　have　not　been　able　to　do　anything　but　what　their
  fishing…smacks　are　able　on　the　same　occasion　to　perform。　　These
  fishing…smacks　are　very　useful　vessels　to　the　public　upon　many
  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；　wher