tour through the eastern counties of england-第14部分

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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；　was　founded；

which　most　people　erroneously　think　was　the　place　where　the　said

murder　was　committed。



Besides　the　towns　mentioned　above；　there　are　Halesworth；

Saxmundham；　Debenham；　Aye；　or　Eye；　all　standing　in　this　eastern

side　of　Suffolk；　in　which；　as　I　have　said；　the　whole　country　is

employed　in　dairies　or　in　feeding　of　cattle。



This　part　of　England　is　also　remarkable　for　being　the　first　where

the　feeding　and　fattening　of　cattle；　both　sheep　as　well　as　black

cattle；　with　turnips；　was　first　practised　in　England；　which　is　made

a　very　great　part　of　the　improvement　of　their　lands　to　this　day；

and　from　whence　the　practice　is　spread　over　most　of　the　east　and

south　parts　of　England　to　the　great　enriching　of　the　farmers　and

increase　of　fat　cattle。　　And　though　some　have　objected　against　the

goodness　of　the　flesh　thus　fed　with　turnips；　and　have　fancied　it

would　taste　of　the　root；　yet　upon　experience　it　is　found　that　at

market　there　is　no　difference；　nor　can　they　that　buy　single　out　one

joint　of　mutton　from　another　by　the　taste。　　So　that　the　complaint

which　our　nice　palates　at　first　made　begins　to　cease　of　itself；　and

a　very　great　quantity　of　beef　and　mutton　also　is　brought　every　year

and　every　week　to　London　from　this　side　of　England；　and　much　more

than　was　formerly　known　to　be　fed　there。



I　cannot　omit；　however　little　it　may　seem；　that　this　county　of

Suffolk　is　particularly　famous　for　furnishing　the　City　of　London

and　all　the　counties　round　with　turkeys；　and　that　it　is　thought

there　are　more　turkeys　bred　in　this　county　and　the　part　of　Norfolk

that　adjoins　to　it　than　in　all　the　rest　of　England；　especially　for

sale；　though　this　may　be　reckoned；　as　I　say　above；　but　a　trifling

thing　to　take　notice　of　in　these　remarks；　yet；　as　I　have　hinted；

that　I　shall　observe　how　London　is　in　general　supplied　with　all　its

provisions　from　the　whole　body　of　the　nation；　and　how　every　part　of

the　island　is　engaged　in　some　degree　or　other　of　that　supply。　　On

this　account　I　could　not　omit　it；　nor　will　it　be　found　so

inconsiderable　an　article　as　some　may　imagine；　if　this　be　true；

which　I　received　an　account　of　from　a　person　living　on　the　place；

viz。；　that　they　have　counted　three　hundred　droves　of　turkeys　（for

they　drive　them　all　in　droves　on　foot）　pass　in　one　season　over

Stratford　Bridge　on　the　River　Stour；　which　parts　Suffolk　from

Essex；　about　six　miles　from　Colchester；　on　the　road　from　Ipswich　to

London。　　These　droves；　as　they　say；　generally　contain　from　three

hundred　to　a　thousand　each　drove；　so　that　one　may　suppose　them　to

contain　five　hundred　one　with　another；　which　is　one　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　in　all；　and　yet　this　is　one　of　the　least　passages；

the　numbers　which　travel　by　Newmarket　Heath　and　the　open　country

and　the　forest；　and　also　the　numbers　that　come　by　Sudbury　and　Clare

being　many　more。



For　the　further　supplies　of　the　markets　of　London　with　poultry；　of

which　these　countries　particularly　abound；　they　have　within　these

few　years　found　it　practicable　to　make　the　geese　travel　on　foot

too；　as　well　as　the　turkeys；　and　a　prodigious　number　are　brought　up

to　London　in　droves　from　the　farthest　parts　of　Norfolk；　even　from

the　fen　country　about　Lynn；　Downham；　Wisbech；　and　the　Washes；　as

also　from　all　the　east　side　of　Norfolk　and　Suffolk；　of　whom　it　is

very　frequent　now　to　meet　droves　with　a　thousand；　sometimes　two

thousand　in　a　drove。　　They　begin　to　drive　them　generally　in　August；

by　which　time　the　harvest　is　almost　over；　and　the　geese　may　feed　in

the　stubbles　as　they　go。　　Thus　they　hold　on　to　the　end　of　October；

when　the　roads　begin　to　be　too　stiff　and　deep　for　their　broad　feet

and　short　legs　to　march　in。



Besides　these　methods　of　driving　these　creatures　on　foot；　they　have

of　late　also　invented　a　new　method　of　carriage；　being　carts　formed

on　purpose；　with　four　stories　or　stages　to　put　the　creatures　in　one

above　another；　by　which　invention　one　cart　will　carry　a　very　great

number；　and　for　the　smoother　going　they　drive　with　two　horses

abreast；　like　a　coach；　so　quartering　the　road　for　the　ease　of　the

gentry　that　thus　ride。　　Changing　horses；　they　travel　night　and　day；

so　that　they　bring　the　fowls　seventy；　eighty；　or；　one　hundred　miles

in　two　days　and　one　night。　　The　horses　in　this　new…fashioned

voiture　go　two　abreast；　as　above；　but　no　perch　below；　as　in　a

coach；　but　they　are　fastened　together　by　a　piece　of　wood　lying

crosswise　upon　their　necks；　by　which　they　are　kept　even　and

together；　and　the　driver　sits　on　the　top　of　the　cart　like　as　in　the

public　carriages　for　the　army；　etc。



In　this　manner　they　hurry　away　the　creatures　alive；　and　infinite

numbers　are　thus　carried　to　London　every　year。　　This　method　is　also

particular　for　the　carrying　young　turkeys　or　turkey　poults　in　their

season；　which　are　valuable；　and　yield　a　good　price　at　market；　as

also　for　live　chickens　in　the　dear　seasons；　of　al