inconvenience of these hills, every day being obliged to go a great
way round about for fear of running aground; insomuch that in a few
years the navigation of that part of the river will be entirely
obstructed. Nevertheless, every one of these gentlemen-watermen
hopes it will last his time, and so they all cry, The devil take
the hindmost. But yet I judge it highly necessary that this be
made a national concern, like Dagenham breach, and that these hills
be removed by some means or other.
And now I have mentioned watermen, give me leave to complain of the
insolences and exactions they daily commit on the river Thames, and
in particular this one instance, which cries aloud for justice.
A young lady of distinction, in company with her brother, a little
youth, took a pair of oars at or near the Temple, on April day
last, and ordered the men to carry them to Pepper Alley Stairs.
One of the fellows, according to their usual impertinence, asked
the lady where she was going? She answered, near St. Olave’s
church. Upon which he said, she had better go through the bridge.
The lady replied she had never gone through the bridge in her life,
nor would she venture for a hundred guineas; so commanded him once
more to land her at Pepper Alley Stairs. Notwithstanding which, in
spite of her fears, threats, and commands; nay, in spite of the
persuasion of his fellow, he forced her through London Bridge,
which frightened her beyond expression. And to mend the matter, he
obliged her to pay double fare, and mobbed her into the bargain.
To resent which abuse, application was made to the hall, the fellow
summoned, and the lady ordered to attend, which she did, waiting
there all the morning, and was appointed to call again in the
afternoon. She came accordingly, they told her the fellow had been
there, but was gone, and that she must attend another Friday. She
attended again and again, but to the same purpose. Nor have they
yet produced the man, but tired out the lady, who has spent above
ten shillings in coach-hire, been abused and baffled into the
bargain.
It is pity, therefore, there are not commissioners for watermen, as
there are for hackney coachmen; or that justices of the peace might
not inflict bodily penalties on watermen thus offending. But while
watermen are watermen’s judges, I shall laugh at those who carry
their complaints to the hall.
The usual plea in behalf of abusive watermen is, that they are
drunk, ignorant, or poor; but will that satisfy the party
aggrieved, or deter the offender from reoffending? Whereas were
the offenders sent to the house of correction, and there punished,
or sentenced to work at the sandhills aforementioned, for a time
suitable to the nature of their crimes, terror of such punishments
would make them fearful of offending, to the great quiet of the
subject.
Now, it maybe asked, How shall we have our shoes cleaned, or how
are these industrious poor to be maintained? To this I answer that
the places of these vagabonds may be very well supplied by great
numbers of ancient persons, poor widows, and others, who have not
enough from their respective parishes to maintain them. These poor
people I would have authorised and stationed by the justices of the
peace or other magistrates. Each of these should have a particular
walk or stand, and no other shoe-cleaner should come into that
walk, unless the person misbehave and be removed. Nor should any
person clean shoes in the streets, but these authorised shoe-
cleaners, who should have some mark of distinction, and be under
the immediate government of the justices of the peace.
Thus would many thousands of poor people be provided for, without
burthening their parishes. Some of these may earn a shilling or
two in the day, and none less than sixpence, or thereabouts. And
lest the old japanners should appear again, in the shape of
linkboys, and knock down gentlemen in drink, or lead others out of
the way into dark remote places, where they either put out their
lights, and rob them themselves, or run away and leave them to be