AMBER.

JULY 2. SKIPSEY.

by a very narrow bank, fo is in much danger of being fome time or other loft.

The cliffs on the coast of Holderness are high, and composed of clay, which falls down in vaft fragments. Quantity of amber is washed out of it by the tides, which the country people pick up and fell : it is found fometimes in large maffes, but I never faw any fo pure and clear as that from the Baltic. It is ufually of a pale yellow color within, and prettily clouded; the outfide covered with a thin coarse coat.

After riding fome miles over a flat grazing country, paffed through the village of Skipfey, once under the protection of a caftle founded by Drugon or Drugan, a valiant Flandrian, who came over at the time of the conqueft. The Conqueror gave him in marriage one of his near relations; and as a portion, made him Lord of Holderness. Drugon by fome unlucky accident killed his fpoufe: but having his wits about him, haftened to the King, and informing his Majefty, that his Lady and he had a great defire to visit their native country, requested a fum of money for that purpose: the Conqueror immediately supplied the wants of Drugon; who had scarcely embarked, when advice was brought from Skipfey of the death of the Lady : purfuit was inftantly made, but in vain; the artful Flandrian evaded all attempts to bring him to juftice *.

Near this village is a confiderable camp; but I paffed it too haftily to determine, of what nation.

A few miles farther is Burlington Quay, a fmall town close to the fea. There is a defign of building a pier, for the protection of

• M. S. at Burton-Conftable.

shipping;

fhipping; at present there is only a large wooden quay, which
projects into the water, from which the place takes its name.
In February 1642, Henrietta, the fpirited confort of Charles I.
landed here, with arms and ammunition, from Holland. Batten,
a parlement admiral, had in vain tried to intercept her majesty;
but coming foon after into the bay, brutally fired for two hours
at the house where fhe lay, forcing her to take fhelter, half-dreffed,
in the fields. Nor parlement nor admiral were afhamed of this
unmanly deed; but their historian, the moderate Whitelock, seems
to blush for both, by omitting all mention of the affair. From
hence is a fine view of the white cliffs of Flamborough-Head,
which extends far to the East, and forms one fide of the Ga-
brantuicorum finus portuofus of Ptolemy, a name derived from the
British Gyfr, on account of the number of goats found there,
according to the conjecture of Camden. Perhaps, Euλiμer,
the epithet which Ptolemy adds to the bay, is ftill preserved in
Sureby, or Sure-bay*, a village a little north of Burlington Quay.
That the Romans had a naval ftation here, is more strongly
confirmed by the road called the Roman Ridge, and the Dikes,
which go by Malton to York, are visible in many places, and
ended here +.

A mile from hence is the town of Burlington. The body of the church is large, but the fteeple, by fome accident, has been destroyed, near it is a large gateway, with a noble gothic arch, the remains of a priory of black canons, founded by Walter de

* Camden, I. 899.

+ Drake's Hift. York. 34. Confult alfo his map of the Roman roads in York

fbire.

D

Gant,

JULY 3. FLAMBOROUGHHEAD.

Gant, in the beginning of the reign of Henry I. In that of Richard II, in the year 1388, the canons got liberty of inclofing their house with strong walls, to defend them from the attacks of pirates. I cannot help mentioning a proof of the manners of the clergy in early times, by relating a complaint of the prior to Innocent III. against the archdeacon of Richmond, who calling at this house with ninety-feven horses, twenty-one dogs, and three hawks, devoured in one hour, more provision than would have lafted the monks a long time. The grievance was redreffed. William Wode, the laft prior, was executed for rebellion in 1537. At that time, according to Speed, the revenue was 6827. 135. 9d. according to Dugdale, 547 l. 6 s. 1 d.

This coaft of the kingdom is very unfavorable to trees, for, except fome woods in the neighborhood of Burton-Conftable, there is a vaft nakedness from the Humber, as far as the extremity of Cathness, with a very few exceptions, which shall be noted in their proper places.

Went to Flamborough-Head. This was the Fleamburg of the Saxons, poffibly from the lights made on it to direct the landing of Ida, who, in 547, joined his countrymen in these parts with a large reinforcement from Germany; and founded the kingdom of Northumberland. In the time of Edward the Confeffor, Flamborough was one of the manors of Harold*, Earl of the Weft Saxons, afterwards King of England. On his death, the Conqueror gave it to Hugh Lupus, who, in perpetual alms, bestowed it on the monastery of Whitby +.

• Dugdale, Baron. I. 20.

† Dugdale, Monaft. I. 73.

The

The town is on the north fide; confifts of about one hundred and fifty small houses, entirely inhabited by fishermen, few of whom, as is faid, die in their beds, but meet their fate in the element they are fo converfant in. Put myself under the direction of William Camidge, Cicerone of the place, who conducted me to a little creek at that time covered with fish, a fleet of cobles having just put in. Went in one of those little boats to view the Head, coafting it for upwards of two miles. The cliffs are of a tremendous height, and amazing grandeur; beneath are several vaft caverns, fome clofed at the end, others are pervious, formed with a natural arch, giving a romantic paffage to the boat, different from that we entered. In fome places the rocks are infulated, are of a pyramidal figure, and foar up to a vaft height the bases of most are folid, but in fome pierced through, and arched; the color of all these rocks is white, from the dung of the innumerable flocks of migratory birds, which quite cover the face of them, filling every little projection, every hole that will give them leave to reft; multitudes were swimming about, others fwarmed in the air, and almost stunned us with the variety of their croaks and fcreams. I obferved among them Corvorants, Shags in fmall flocks, Guillemots, a few Black Guillemots very fhy and wild, Auks, Puffins, Kittiwakes*, and Herring Gulls. Landed at the fame place, but before our return to Flamborough, vifited Robin Leith's hole, a vast cavern, to which there is a narrow paffage from the land fide; it suddenly rifes to a great height; the roof is finely arched, and the bottom

:

* Called here Petrels. Br. Zool. No. 250.

ITS BIRDS.

JULY 4. FLIXTON.

SCARBOROUGH.

is for a confiderable way, formed in broad fteps, resembling a great but easy stair-cafe; the mouth opens to the sea, and gives light to the whole.

Lay at Hunmandby, a fmall village above Filey Bay, round which are fome plantations that thrive tolerably well, and ought to be an encouragement to gentlemen to attempt covering these naked hills.

Filey Brig is a ledge of rocks running far into the fea, and often fatal to shipping. The bay is fandy, and affords vast quantities of fine fish, such as Turbot, Soles, &c. which during summer approach the fhore, and are easily taken in a common feine or dragging-net.

Set out for Scarborough; paffed near the fite of Flixton, a hospital founded in the time of Athelstan, to give shelter to travellers from the wolves, that they should not be devoured by them*; so that in those days this bare tract must have been covered with wood, for those ravenous animals ever inhabit large forefts. These bofpitia are not unfrequent among the Alps; are either appendages to religious houses, or supported by voluntary fubfcriptions. On the spot where Flixton ftood is a farm-houfe, to this day called the Spital House. Reach

SCARBOROUGH, a town once ftrongly guarded by a castle, built on the top of a vast cliff, by William le Gros, Earl of Yorkshire, Albemarle, and Holderness, in the reign of Stephen. After the refumption of this, as well as other crown lands alienated by that prince, Henry . rebuilt the fortrefs, then grown ruinous,

• Camden, Brit. II. 9oz.