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；　often　return
  with　an　Essex　ague　on　their　backs；　which　they　find　a　heavier　load
  than　the　fowls　they　have　shot。
  It　is　on　this　shore；　and　near　this　creek；　that　the　greatest
  quantity　of　fresh　fish　is　caught　which　supplies　not　this　country
  only；　but　London　markets　also。　　On　the　shore；　beginning　a　little
  below　Candy　Island；　or　rather　below　Leigh　Road；　there　lies　a　great
  shoal　or　sand　called　the　Black　Tail；　which　runs　out　near　three
  leagues　into　the　sea　due　east；　at　the　end　of　it　stands　a　pole　or
  mast；　set　up　by　the　Trinity　House　men　of　London；　whose　business　is
  to　lay　buoys　and　set　up　sea　marks　for　the　direction　of　the　sailors；
  this　is　called　Shoe　Beacon；　from　the　point　of　land　where　this　sand
  begins；　which　is　called　Shoeburyness；　and　that　from　the　town　of
  Shoebury；　which　stands　by　it。　　From　this　sand；　and　on　the　edge　of
  Shoebury；　before　it；　or　south　west　of　it；　all　along；　to　the　mouth
  of　Colchester　water；　the　shore　is　full　of　shoals　and　sands；　with
  some　deep　channels　between；　all　which　are　so　full　of　fish；　that　not
  only　the　Barking　fishing…smacks　come　hither　to　fish；　but　the　whole
  shore　is　full　of　small　fisher…boats　in　very　great　numbers；
  belonging　to　the　villages　and　towns　on　the　coast；　who　come　in　every
  tide　with　what　they　take；　and　selling　the　smaller　fish　in　the
  country；　send　the　best　and　largest　away　upon　horses；　which　go　night
  and　day　to　London　market。
  N。B。　…　I　am　the　more　particular　in　my　remarks　on　this　place；
  because　in　the　course　of　my　travels　the　reader　will　meet　with　the
  like　in　almost　every　place　of　note　through　the　whole　island；　where
  it　will　be　seen　how　this　whole　kingdom；　as　well　the　people　as　the
  land；　and　even　the　sea；　in　every　part　of　it；　are　employed　to
  furnish　something；　and　I　may　add；　the　best　of　everything；　to　supply
  the　City　of　London　with　provisions；　I　mean　by　provisions；　corn；
  flesh；　fish；　butter；　cheese；　salt；　fuel；　timber；　etc。；　and　clothes
  also；　with　everything　necessary　for　building；　and　furniture　f