The second trade was that of coals from Newcastle-upon-Tyne,without which the city would have been greatly distressed;for not in the streets only,but in private houses and families,great quantities of coals were then burnt,even all the summer long and when the weather was hottest,which was done by the advice of the physicians.Some indeed opposed it,and insisted that to keep the houses and rooms hot was a means to propagate the temper,which was a fermentation and heat already in the blood;that it was known to spread and increase in hot weather and abate in cold;and therefore they alleged that all contagious distempers are the worse for heat,because the contagion was nourished and gained strength in hot weather,and was,as it were,propagated in heat.
Others said they granted that heat in the climate might propagate infection -as sultry,hot weather fills the air with vermin and nourishes innumerable numbers and kinds of venomous creatures which breed in our food,in the plants,and even in our bodies,by the very stench of which infection may be propagated;also that heat in the air,or heat of weather,as we ordinarily call it,makes bodies relax and faint,exhausts the spirits,opens the pores,and makes us more apt to receive infection,or any evil influence,be it from noxious pestilential vapours or any other thing in the air;but that the heat of fire,and especially of coal fires kept in our houses,or near us,had a quite different operation;the heat being not of the same kind,but quick and fierce,tending not to nourish but to consume and dissipate all those noxious fumes which the other kind of heat rather exhaled and stagnated than separated and burnt up.Besides,it was alleged that the sulphurous and nitrous particles that are often found to be in the coal,with that bituminous substance which burns,are all assisting to clear and purge the air,and render it wholesome and safe to breathe in after the noxious particles,as above,are dispersed and burnt up.
The latter opinion prevailed at that time,and,as I must confess,Ithink with good reason;and the experience of the citizens confirmed it,many houses which had constant fires kept in the rooms having never been infected at all;and I must join my experience to it,for Ifound the keeping good fires kept our rooms sweet and wholesome,and I do verily believe made our whole family so,more than would otherwise have been.
But I return to the coals as a trade.It was with no little difficulty that this trade was kept open,and particularly because,as we were in an open war with I the Dutch at that time,the Dutch capers at first took a great many of our collier-ships,which made the rest cautious,and made them to stay to come in fleets together.But after some time the capers were either afraid to take them,or their masters,the States,were afraid they should,and forbade them,lest the plague should be among them,which made them fare the better.
For the security of those northern traders,the coal-ships were ordered by my Lord Mayor not to come up into the Pool above a certain number at a time,and ordered lighters and other vessels such as the woodmongers (that is,the wharf-keepers or coal-sellers)furnished,to go down and take out the coals as low as Deptford and Greenwich,and some farther down.
Others delivered great quantities of coals in particular places where the ships could come to the shore,as at Greenwich,Blackwall,and other places,in vast heaps,as if to be kept for sale;but were then fetched away after the ships which brought them were gone,so that the seamen had no communication with the river-men,nor so much as came near one another.
Yet all this caution could not effectually prevent the distemper getting among the colliery:that is to say among the ships,by which a great many seamen died of it;and that which was still worse was,that they carried it down to Ipswich and Yarmouth,to Newcastle-upon-Tyne,and other places on the coast -where,especially at Newcastle and at Sunderland,it carried off a great number of people.
The making so many fires,as above,did indeed consume an unusual quantity of coals;and that upon one or two stops of the ships coming up,whether by contrary weather or by the interruption of enemies I do not remember,but the price of coals was exceeding dear,even as high as 4a chalder;but it soon abated when the ships came in,and as afterwards they had a freer passage,the price was very reasonable all the rest of that year.
The public fires which were made on these occasions,as I have calculated it,must necessarily have cost the city about 200chalders of coals a week,if they had continued,which was indeed a very great quantity;but as it was thought necessary,nothing was spared.However,as some of the physicians cried them down,they were not kept alight above four or five days.The fires were ordered thus:-One at the Custom House,one at Billingsgate,one at Queenhith,and one at the Three Cranes;one in Blackfriars,and one at the gate of Bridewell;one at the corner of Leadenhal Street and Gracechurch;one at the north and one at the south gate of the Royal Exchange;one at Guild Hall,and one at Blackwell Hall gate;one at the Lord Mayor's door in St Helen's,one at the west entrance into St Paul's,and one at the entrance into Bow Church.I do not remember whether there was any at the city gates,but one at the Bridge-foot there was,just by St Magnus Church.
I know some have quarrelled since that at the experiment,and said that there died the more people because of those fires;but I am persuaded those that say so offer no evidence to prove it,neither can Ibelieve it on any account whatever.
