within the recollection of the editor, there were 60 boats employed in catching mackerel, and in a propitious season, that species of fish has produced in billingsgate market a sum of £10,000, with which the town was enriched. in the autumn, 20 of these boats were fitted out for the herring voyage, and one boat has been known to land during the season from 20 to 30 lasts of herrings, each last containing 10,000 fish, computing 132 to the 100. [4] the families of mighell and wichelo are all that appear to remain as of spanish origin. from this record we likewise learn, that the town was fortified to the sea by a flint wall, and that the fort, called the block-house, had been then lately erected. the east-gate of this wall, in a line with the block-house was actually standing last year, and has been since taken down to open a more convenient entrance to a battery lately built.[5] [5] the kindness of a friend has enabled me to supply this work, with a view of the town taken from the sea in 1743, when the wall, block house, and east gate were partly standing. the town at present consists of six principal streets, many lanes, and some spaces surrounded with houses, called by the inhabitants squares. the great plenty of flint stones on the shore, and in the corn-fields near the town, enabled them to build the walls of their houses with that material, when in their most impoverished state; and their present method of ornamenting the windows and doors with the admirable brick which they burn for their own use, has a very pleasing effect. the town improves daily, as the inhabitants, encouraged by the late great resort of company, seem disposed to expend the whole of what they acquire in the erecting of new buildings, or making the old ones convenient. and should the increase of these, in the next seven years, be equal to what it has been in the last, it is probable there will be but few towns in england, that will excel this in commodious buildings.[6] [6] the recent publications on the present state of the town, will amply establish the prophecy of our historian. here are two public rooms, the one convenient, the other not only so, but elegant; not excelled perhaps by any public room in england, that of york excepted: and the attention of the proprietor in preparing every thing that may answer for the conveniency and amusement of the company, is extremely meritorious. for divine service there is a large church, pleasantly situated on a rising ground above the town; but at a distance that is inconvenient to the old and infirm. the dissenters, who, of all denominations, amount to but forty families, have a presbyterian, a quakers, and an anabaptists meeting-house. the men of this town are busied almost the whole year in a succeeding variety of fishing; and the women industriously dedicate part of their time, disengaged from domestic cares, to the providing of nets adapted to the various employments of their husbands. the spring season is spent in dredging for oysters, which are mostly bedded in the thames and medway, and afterwards carried to the london market; the mackerel fishery employs them during the months of may, june, and july; and the fruits of their labour are always sent to london; as brighthelmston has the advantage of being its nearest fishing sea-coast, and as the consumption of the place, and its environs, is very inconsiderable. in the early part of this fishery they frequently take the red mullet; and near the close of it, abundance of lobsters and prawns. august is engaged in the trawl-fishery, when all sorts of flat fish are taken in a net called by that name. in september they fish for whiting with lines; and in november the herring fishery takes place, which is the most considerable and growing fishery of the whole. those employed in this pursuit show an activity and boldness almost incredible, often venturing out to sea in their little boats in such weather as the largest ships can scarce live in. part of their acquisition in this way is sent to london, but the greatest share of it is either pickled, or dried and made red. these are mostly sent to foreign markets, making this fishery a national concern.[7] [7] there are 300 fishermen, 11 vessels, and 57 fishing boats belonging to this place. in examining the ancient and modern descriptions of the baiae in campania, where the romans of wealth and quality, during the greatness of that empire, retired for the sake of health and pleasure, when public exigencies did not require their attendance at rome, and comparing them with those of brighthelmston, i can perceive a striking resemblance; and i am persuaded, that every literary person who will impartially consider this matter on the spot, will concur with me in opinion, giving, in some measure, the preference to our own baiae, as exempt from the inconvenient steams of hot sulphureous baths, and the dangerous vicinity of mount vesuvius. and i have no doubt but it will be equally frequented, when the healthful advantages of its situation shall be sufficiently made known. spirit of discovery. a night on the niger. (_from the landers travels; unpublished_.) we made no stop whatever on the river, not even at meal-times, our men suffering the canoe to glide down with the stream while they were eating their food. at five in the afternoon they all complained of fatigue, and we looked around us for a landing-place, where we might rest awhile, but we could find none, for every village which we saw after that hour was unfortunately situated behind large thick morasses and sloughy bogs, through which, after various provoking and tedious trials, we found it impossible to penetrate. we were employed three hours in the afternoon in endeavouring to find a landing at some village, and though we saw them distinctly enough from the water, we could not find a passage through the morasses, behind which they lay. therefore we were compelled to relinquish the attempt, and continue our course on the niger. we passed several beautiful islands in the course of the day, all cultivated and inhabited, but low and flat. the width of the river appeared to vary considerably, sometimes it seemed to be two or three miles across, and at others double that width. the current drifted us along very rapidly, and we guessed it to be running at the rate of three or four miles an hour. the direction of the stream continued nearly east. the day had been excessively warm, and the sun set in beauty and grandeur, shooting forth rays tinged with the most heavenly hues, which extended to the zenith. nevertheless, the appearance of the firmament, all glorious as it was, betokened a coming storm; the wind whistled through the tall rushes, and darkness soon covered the earth like a veil. this rendered us more anxious than ever to land somewhere, we cared not where, and to endeavour to procure shelter for the night, if not in a village, at least under a tree. accordingly, rallying the drooping spirits of our men, we encouraged them to renew their exertions by setting them the example, and our canoe darted silently and swiftly down the current. we were enabled to steer her rightly by the vividness of the lightning, which flashed across the water continually, and by this means also we could distinguish any danger before us, and avoid the numerous small islands with which the river is interspersed, and which otherwise might have embarrassed us very seriously. but though we could perceive almost close to us several lamps burning in comfortable-looking huts, and could plainly distinguish the voices of their occupants, and though we exerted all our strength to get at them, we were foiled in every attempt, by reason of the sloughs and fens, and we were at last obliged to abandon them in despair. some of these lights, after leading us a long way, eluded our search, and vanished from our sight like an _ignis fatuus_, and others danced about we knew not how. but what was more vexatious than all, after we had got into an inlet, and toiled and tugged for a full half hour against the current, which in this little channel was uncommonly rapid, to approach a village from which we thought it flowed, both village and lights seemed to sink into the earth, the sound of the peoples voices ceased of a sudden, and when we fancied we were actually close to the spot, we strained our eyes in vain to see a single hut,all was gloomy, dismal, cheerless, and solitary. it seemed the work of enchantment; every thing was as visionary as sceptres grasped in sleep. we had paddled along the banks a distance of not less than thirty miles, every inch of which we had attentively examined, but not a bit of dry land could any where be discovered which was firm enough to bear our weight. therefore, we resigned ourselves to circumstances, and all of us having been refreshed with a little cold rice and honey, and water from the stream, we permitted the canoe to drift down with the current, for our men were too much fatigued with the labours of the day to work any longer. but here a fresh evil arose which we were unprepared to meet. an incredible number of hippopotami arose very near us, and came plashing, snorting, and plunging all round the canoe, and placed us in imminent danger. thinking to frighten them off, we fired a shot or two at them, but the noise only called up from the water and out of the fens, about as many more of their unwieldy companions, and we were more closely beset than before