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 4 a 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 200 chalders
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 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 and the trade in the city. At the first breaking out of the
infection there was, as it is easy to suppose, a very great fright
among the people, and consequently a general stop