in vast heaps, as if to be kept for sale; but[303] 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.[304]

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 exceedingly dear, even as high as
four pounds a chaldron;[305] 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 two hundred
chaldron 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 Queenhithe, and one
at the Three Cranes; one in Blackfriars, and one at the gate of
Bridewell; one at the corner of Leadenhall Street and Gracechurch; one
at the north and one at the south gate of the Royal Exchange; one at
Guildhall, 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 quarreled 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 I believe
it on any account whatever.

It remains to give some account of the state of trade at home in England
during this dreadful time, and particularly as it relates to the
manufactures