Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 7.djvu/225

 12 s. vii. SEPT. 4, 1920.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

181

LONDON, SEPTEMBER k, 1920.

CONTENTS. No. 125.


 * A Short Tour through Part of Holland and

Flanders Taken by John Aikin in 1784, 181 Extracts from the Aldeburgh Records : Chamberlain's Account- Books, 184 Principal London Coffee-houses, Taverns and Inns in the Eighteenth Century, 185 An English Army List of 1740, 187 Hugh Davis (or Davys), Winchester Scholar Tolerance of Alcoholic Influence Etymology of " Liverpool," 188 Economy in Paper" Quarrelling with one's bread and butter," 189.

^QUERIES :- John Clare's Asylum Poems Anstie: Le Neve: Arderne De Gour&ues Hodgson Family " Bosh "= Violin ' Kino-Erbffnungsfeier,' 189 The Weather in 1639-40 Workman Wilkes or Wilks The Horoscope of Jamaica Owen McSwiny Capt. Lacy The Hedges in England The Miraculous Host of Wilsnack Ardagh Family Barton Families. 190 Domestic History of the Nineteenth Century Folk-lore of Field Mice "A Mirror for Shorthand Writers" A Rod of Pickle J. E.Evans, Publisher, Long Lane, Smithfield Police B"aton : Admiralty, 191 Camille Bromelow of Cheshire Fathers of the House of Commons, 1901-1920, 192.

iREPLIES :- Service Heraldry Taillear dubh na Tuaighe. 192 Parr's Bank " Seevier " Culcheth Steuben'd 4 Death of Napoleon,' 193 Col. Melchoir Guy Dickens- French Titles The Word " Premier." 194 The "'Umble " Commons: "Revenue" Cardinal Aleander's Epitaph Bar, 195 The Aqua Vita Man 'The Spectator,' 196 Black Mass Willow Pattern China Lowestoft China- Early English Tourists at Chamonix, 197 Sailors' Chanties Sir Pollycarpus Wharton Macaulay Queries War- wickshire Sayings Exted- Wideawake Hats-Rawlins Mahogany and the Dictionaries, 198 Dealas a Place of Call Author of Quotation Wanted. 199.

.NOTES ON BOOKS :-' Feudal Cambridgeshire ''Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society.'

-Notices to Correspondents.

A SHORT TOUR THROUGH PART OF HOLLAND

AND FLANDERS TAKEN BY JOHN AIKIN IN 1784.

DR. JOHN AIKIN was created M.D. by the 'University of Leyden in 1784, and at that "time made a tour in Holland of which the following pages are the journal. The -conditions of travel in those days were -so curiously different from modern ones, and the possibility of adventures so much greater, that this simple account, offered to the readers of * N. & Q.' by another of his descendants, may be of interest if only for these reasons.

A SHORT TOUR THROUGH PART OF HOLLAND AND FLANDERS.

On July 6th 1784 I left London about four in the afternoon in a postchaise, accompanied by Mr. K. The road for some miles through Bow and Stratford appeared like a continued town ; from thence a flat unanimated country reaches to Rumford. After this, the country begins to be more varied and pleasant, with many gentle- men's seats, and neat cheerful farm houses, mostly plastered over. We drove without stopping through Chelmsford, and only noticed, the magnificent front of the new county gaol. Near this town are some hop gardens, which looked very agreeably. At half past nine we reached our inn at Witham. For the last five or six miles, it was too dusky for prospect.

July 1th. We left Witham at six, travelling through a flat corn country, bare of people, and affording few objects, to Colchester. This is a pretty large well built old town, very quiet, and abounding with remains of antiquity. We viewed the Castle, a large strong square fortress, entire on the outside. It brought to my mind the famous siege of Colchester in the civil wars when Goring and Lucas made such a gallant defence.

From hence we proceeded through a similar but rougher country to Manningtree, where we came at once in sight of the estuary which sepa- rates Essex from Suffolk. At low water there is but a narrow channel, with large marshes on each side, smelling disagreeably, and looking like the native soil of agues and fevers.

A pleasant varied country leads from hence to Harwich which we reached at noon, a small neat port town, very pleasantly situated on an extre- mity of land opposite the German Ocean. Here we passed the time by strolling about the town and along the beach, picking up sea plants and shells, and looking at the fishing vessels running in and out. The weather was perfectly fine, and all objects gay and pleasant. After a tedious waiting for the mail, we hurried on board the paquet near 8 o'clock. We fell down the river with the tide, and sailed close under Landguard- fort, a large handsome fortress on a low point of land which commands the entrance. On clearing the harbour, we found a brisk but contrary wind. The evening was fine and warm, with frequent lightning in the horizon, and the moon silvering the waves. Not being able to advance, we cast anchor, when the vessel heaved and rolled considerably.

July 8. At three in the morning I came on deck, and saw the sun rising like a vast ball of fire out of the ocean. The vessel was under sail again, with frequent tacks and little advance. Contrary winds and calms prevailed all that day, and the following night.

July Qth. The wind freshened and became fairer. The vessel went steadier, and all the passengers ate a tolerable breakfast, and came on deck again. In the afternoon land was descried, and all sickness and low spirits vanished. We ran in with a fair gale, and were much amused at the various objects on shore becoming more and more distinct, and opening one after another. We sailed close along the shore of the isle of Goeree, and at 5 in the evening landed at Hel- voetsluys.