taste, that the inhabitants prefer them to the English cattle,
which are much larger and fairer to look at; and they may very well
do so. Some have told me, and I believe with good judgment, that
there are above forty thousand of these Scots cattle fed in this
county every year, and most of them in the said marshes between
Norwich, Beccles, and Yarmouth.
Yarmouth is an ancient town, much older than Norwich; and at
present, though not standing on so much ground, yet better built;
much more complete; for number of inhabitants, not much inferior;
and for wealth, trade, and advantage of its situation, infinitely
superior to Norwich.
It is placed on a peninsula between the River Yare and the sea; the
two last lying parallel to one another, and the town in the middle.
The river lies on the west side of the town, and being grown very
large and deep, by a conflux of all the rivers on this side the
county, forms the haven; and the town facing to the west also, and
open to the river, makes the finest quay in England, if not in
Europe, not inferior even to that of Marseilles itself.
The ships ride here so close, and, as it were, keeping up one
another, with their headfasts on shore, that for half a mile
together they go across the stream with their bowsprits over the
land, their bows, or heads touching the very wharf; so that one may
walk from ship to ship as on a floating bridge, all along by the
shore-side. The quay reaching from the drawbridge almost to the
south gate, is so spacious and wide, that in some places it is near
one hundred yards from the houses to the wharf. In this pleasant
and agreeable range of houses are some very magnificent buildings,
and among the rest, the Custom House and Town Hall, and some
merchant’s houses, which look like little palaces rather than the
dwelling-houses of private men.
The greatest defect of this beautiful town seems to be that, though
it is very rich and increasing in wealth and trade, and
consequently in people, there is not room to enlarge the town by
building, which would be certainly done much more than it is, but
that the river on the land side prescribes them, except at the
north end without the gate; and even there the land is not very
agreeable. But had they had a larger space within the gates there
would before now have been many spacious streets of noble fine
buildings erected, as we see is done in some other thriving towns
in England, as at Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Frome, etc.
The quay and the harbour of this town during the fishing fair, as
they call it, which is every Michaelmas, one sees the land covered
with people, and the river with barques and boats, busy day and
night landing and carrying of the herrings, which they catch here
in such prodigious quantities, that it is incredible. I happened
to be there during their fishing fair, when I told in one tide 110
barques and fishing vessels coming up the river all laden with
herrings, and all taken the night before; and this was besides what
was brought on shore on the Dean (that is the seaside of the town)
by open boats, which they call cobles, and which often bring in two
or three last of fish at a time. The barques often bring in ten
last a piece.
This fishing fair begins on Michaelmas Day, and lasts all the month
of October, by which time the herrings draw off to sea, shoot their
spawn, and are no more fit for the merchant’s business – at least,
not those that are taken thereabouts.
The quantity of herrings that are caught in this season are
diversely accounted for. Some have said that the towns of Yarmouth
and Lowestoft only have taken 40,000 last in a season. I will not
venture to confirm that report; but this I have heard the merchants
themselves say, viz., that they have cured – that is to say, hanged
and dried in the smoke – 40,000 barrels of merchantable red