Gillingwater's History of Lowestoft: a reprint: with a chapter of more recent eventsGillingwater, Edmund
History
Gillingwater's History of Lowestoft: a reprint: with a chapter of more recent events
Gillingwater, Edmund
Lothingland (England); Lowestoft (England)
over every surrounding barrier, and forced the fishes into the adjoining
fields, where they were found, weeks afterwards, sticking in the hedges.
In 1814, Mr. Cubitt, a county engineer, was employed to make a survey,
“with a view of ascertaining whether or not it was practicable to open a
communication with the sea at Lowestoft,” so as to enable vessels,
drawing eight feet of water, to pass into the lake, and thence by a
navigable canal, to Norwich. In 1821, he published his report, strongly
recommending the plan, but estimating the cost at £87,000. After much
opposition from the inhabitants of Yarmouth, and the gentlemen whose
property lay adjacent to the line of the proposed navigation, a Bill was
carried through both Houses of Parliament for making Lake Lothing
navigable for sea-borne vessels by a new cut, connecting that lake with
the ocean, from Lowestoft to Norwich. The Bill received the Royal
Assent, May the 28th, 1827, and the works were commenced in the same
year. Though not finally completed to Norwich till September 30th, 1833,
they were sufficiently advanced for the admission of the sea, and the
reception of shipping, in 1831. On Friday, the 3rd of June, in that year
the engineer having made the necessary arrangements for the purpose of
bringing vessels into the harbour, the _Ruby_, a beautiful yacht of
fifty-one tons burden, and drawing nine feet water, belonging to the
writer, entered the lake from the sea under full sail, with her colours
flying; and having on board the Chairman, Colonel Harvey, and other
Directors. She was followed by the _Georgiana_ yacht, of forty-eight
tons, belonging to John Fowler, Esq., of Gunton Hall, and by several
pleasure-boats and vessels of a smaller class. Some of the circumstances
attending the junction of the salt and fresh waters, in the first
instance, were remarkable. The salt water entered the lake with a strong
under-current, the fresh water running out at the same time to the sea
upon the surface. The fresh water of the lake was raised to the top by
the irruption of the salt water beneath, and an immense quantity of
yeast-like scum rose to the surface. The entire body of the water in the
lake was elevated above its former level; and on putting a pole down, a
strong under-current could be felt, bearing it from the sea, and at a
short distance from the lock next the lake there was a perceptible and
clearly defined line where the salt water and the fresh met; the former
rushing under the latter; and upon this line salt water might have been
taken up in one hand, and fresh water in the other. Lake Lothing was
thickly studded with the bodies of pike, carp, perch, bream, roach, and
dace; multitudes of which were carried into the ocean, and thrown
afterwards upon the beach; most of them having been bitten in two by the
dog-fish, which abound in the bay. It is a singular fact, that a pike of
about twenty pounds weight was taken up dead near the Mutford end of the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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