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.
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