A Journal of the Plague Year (Oxford World's Classics) by Daniel Defoe

Author:Daniel Defoe [Defoe, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Classic
ISBN: 9780199572830
Amazon: 1594628319
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 1895-01-01T12:00:00+00:00

I have given an Account already of what I found to ha’ been the Case down the River among the Sea-faring Men, how the Ships lay in the Offing, as ’tis call’d, in Rows or Lines a-stern of one another, quite down from the Pool as far as I could see. I have been told, that they lay in the same manner quite down the River as low as Gravesend, and some far beyond, even every where, or in every Place where they cou’d ride with Safety as to Wind and Weather; Nor did I ever hear that the Plague reach’d to any of the People on board those Ships, except such as lay up in the Pool, or as high as Deptford Reach, altho’ the People went frequently on Shoar to the Country Towns and Villages, and Farmers Houses, to buy fresh Provisions, Fowls, Pigs, Calves, and the like for their Supply.

Likewise I found that the Watermen on the River above the Bridge, found means to convey themselves away up the River as far as they cou’d go; and that they had, many of them, their whole Families in their Boats, cover’d with Tilts and Bales,* as they call them, and furnish’d with Straw within for their Lodging; and that they lay thus all along by the Shoar in the Marshes, some of them setting up little Tents with their Sails, and so lying under them on Shoar in the Day, and going into their Boats at Night; and in this manner, as I have heard, the River-sides were lin’d with Boats and People as long as they had any thing to subsist on, or cou’d get any thing of the Country; and indeed the Country People, as well Gentlemen as others, on these and all other Occasions, were very forward to relieve them, but they were by no means willing to receive them into their Towns and Houses, and for that we cannot blame them.

There was one unhappy Citizen, within my Knowledge, who had been Visited in a dreadful manner, so that his Wife and all his Children were Dead, and himself and two Servants only left, with an elderly Woman a near Relation, who had nurs’d those that were dead as well as she could: This disconsolate Man goes to a Village near the Town, tho’ not within the Bills of Mortality, and finding an empty House there, enquires out the Owner, and took the House: After a few Days he got a Cart and loaded it with Goods, and carries them down to the House; the People of the Village oppos’d his driving the Cart along, but with some Arguings, and some Force, the Men that drove the Cart along, got through the Street up to the Door of the House, there the Constable resisted him again, and would not let them be brought in. The Man caus’d the Goods to be unloaden and lay’d at the Door, and sent the Cart away; upon which they carry’d the Man before a Justice of Peace; that is to say, they commanded him to go, which he did.

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