第 15 节
作者:
西门在线 更新:2021-02-20 18:43 字数:9322
now named; Winchelsea in Kent; and the like; so this town is; as it
were; eaten up by the sea; as above; and the still encroaching
ocean seems to threaten it with a fatal immersion in a few years
more。
Yet Dunwich; however ruined; retains some share of trade; as
particularly for the shipping of butter; cheese; and corn; which is
so great a business in this county; that it employs a great many
people and ships also; and this port lies right against the
particular part of the county for butter; as Framlingham; Halstead;
etc。 Also a very great quantity of corn is bought up hereabout for
the London market; for I shall still touch that point how all the
counties in England contribute something towards the subsistence of
the great city of London; of which the butter here is a very
considerable article; as also coarse cheese; which I mentioned
before; used chiefly for the king's ships。
Hereabouts they begin to talk of herrings and the fishery; and we
find in the ancient records that this town; which was then equal to
a large city; paid; among other tribute to the government; fifty
thousand of herrings。 Here also; and at Swole; or Southole; the
next seaport; they cure sprats in the same manner as they do
herrings at Yarmouth; that is to say; speaking in their own
language; they make red sprats; or to speak good English; they make
sprats red。
It is remarkable that this town is now so much washed away by the
sea; that what little trade they have is carried on by Walderswick;
a little town near Swole; the vessels coming in there; because the
ruins of Dunwich make the shore there unsafe and uneasy to the
boats; from whence the northern coasting seamen a rude verse of
their own using; and I suppose of their own making; as follows;
〃Swoul and Dunwich; and Walderswick;
All go in at one lousie creek。〃
This 〃lousie creek;〃 in short; is a little river at Swoul; which
our late famous atlas…maker calls a good harbour for ships; and
rendezvous of the royal navy; but that by…the…bye; the author; it
seems; knew no better。
From Dunwich we came to Southwold; the town above…named: this is a
small port town upon the coast; at the mouth of a little river
called the Blith。 I found no business the people here were
employed in but the fishery; as above; for herrings and sprats;
which they cure by the help of smoke; as they do at Yarmouth。
There is but one church in this town; but it is a very large one
and well built; as most of the churches in this county are; and of
impenetrable flint; indeed; there is no occasion for its being so
large; for staying there one Sabbath day; I was surprised to see an
extraordinary large church; capable of receiving five or six
thousand people; and but twenty…seven in it besides the parson and
the clerk; but at the same time the meeting…house of the Dissenters
was full to the very doors; having; as I guessed; from six to eight
hundred people in it。
This town is made famous for a very great engagement at sea; in the
year 1672; between the English and Dutch fleets; in the bay
opposite to the town; in which; not to be partial to ourselves; the
English fleet was worsted; and the brave Montague; Earl of
Sandwich; Admiral under the Duke of York; lost his life。 The ship
ROYAL PRINCE; carrying one hundred guns; in which he was; and which
was under him; commanded by Sir Edward Spragg; was burnt; and
several other ships lost; and about six hundred seamen; part of
those killed in the fight were; as I was told; brought on shore
here and buried in the churchyard of this town; as others also were
at Ipswich。
At this town in particular; and so at all the towns on this coast;
from Orfordness to Yarmouth; is the ordinary place where our summer
friends the swallows first land when they come to visit us; and
here they may be said to embark for their return; when they go back
into warmer climates; and as I think the following remark; though
of so trifling a circumstance; may be both instructing as well as
diverting; it may be very proper in this place。 The case is this;
I was some years before at this place; at the latter end of the
year; viz。; about the beginning of October; and lodging in a house
that looked into the churchyard; I observed in the evening; an
unusual multitude of birds sitting on the leads of the church。
Curiosity led me to go nearer to see what they were; and I found
they were all swallows; that there was such an infinite number that
they covered the whole roof of the church; and of several houses
near; and perhaps might of more houses which I did not see。 This
led me to inquire of a grave gentleman whom I saw near me; what the
meaning was of such a prodigious multitude of swallows sitting
there。 〃Oh; sir;〃 says he; turning towards the sea; 〃you may see
the reason; the wind is off sea。〃 I did not seem fully informed by
that expression; so he goes on; 〃I perceive; sir;〃 says he; 〃you
are a stranger to it; you must then understand first; that this is
the season of the year when the swallows; their food here failing;
begin to leave us; and return to the country; wherever it be; from
whence I suppose they came; and this being the nearest to the coast
of Holland; they come here to embark〃 (this he said smiling a
little); 〃and now; sir;〃 says he; 〃the weather being too calm or
the wind contrary; they are waiting for a gale; for they are all
wind…bound。〃
This was more evident to me; when in the morning I found the wind
had come about to the north…west in the night; and there was not
one swallow to be seen of near a million; which I believe was there
the night before。
How those creatures know that this part of the Island of Great
Britain is the way to their home; or the way that they are to go;
that this very point is the nearest cut over; or even that the
nearest cut is best for them; that we must leave to the naturalists
to determine; who insist upon it that brutes cannot think。
Certain it is that the swallows neither come hither for warm
weather nor retire from cold; the thing is of quite another nature。
They; like the shoals of fish in the sea; pursue their prey; they
are a voracious creature; they feed flying; their food is found in
the air; viz。; the insects; of which in our summer evenings; in
damp and moist places; the air is full。 They come hither in the
summer because our air is fuller of fogs and damps than in other
countries; and for that reason feeds great quantities of insects。
If the air be hot and dry the gnats die of themselves; and even the
swallows will be found famished for want; and fall down dead out of
the air; their food being taken from them。 In like manner; when
cold weather comes in the insects all die; and then of necessity
the swallows quit us; and follow their food wherever they go。 This
they do in the manner I have mentioned above; for sometimes they
are seen to go off in vast flights like a cloud。 And sometimes
again; when the wind grows fair; they go away a few and a few as
they come; not staying at all upon the coast。
Note。 … This passing and re…passing of the swallows is observed
nowhere so much; that I have heard of; or in but few other places;
except on this eastern coast; namely; from above Harwich to the
east point of Norfolk; called Winterton Ness; North; which is all
right against Holland。 We know nothing of them any farther north;
the passage of the sea being; as I suppose; too broad from
Flamborough Head and the shore of Holderness in Yorkshire; etc。
I find very little remarkable on this side of Suffolk; but what is
on the sea…shore as above。 The inland country is that which they
properly call High Suffolk; and is full of rich feeding grounds and
large farms; mostly employed in dairies for making the Suffolk
butter and cheese; of which I have spoken already。 Among these
rich grounds stand some market towns; though not of very
considerable note; such as Framlingham; where was once a royal
castle; to which Queen Mary retired when the Northumberland
faction; in behalf of the Lady Jane; endeavoured to supplant her。
And it was this part of Suffolk where the Gospellers; as they were
then called; preferred their loyalty to their religion; and
complimented the Popish line at expense of their share of the
Reformation。 But they paid dear for it; and their successors have
learned better politics since。
In these parts are also several good market towns; some in this
county and some in the other; as Beccles; Bungay; Harlston; etc。;
all on the edge of the River Waveney; which parts here the counties
of Suffolk and Norfolk。 And here in a bye…place; and out of common
remark; lies the ancient town of Hoxon; famous for being the place
where St。 Edmund was martyred; for whom so many cells and shrines
have been set up and monasteries built; and in honour of whom the
famous monastery of St。 Edmundsbury; above mentioned; w