i86 MEM OIK S of the 
2. Fens, the call begins about Wdinfleet, and ends at Sibfye, 
yielding a great plenty'and variety of fowl and fifh, particularly, 
duck, mallard and teal, which are ufually taken in decoys, and 
lent to London-^ about Midfuinmer^ at moulting time, feveral 
peribns go in fmall boats amongft the reeds, and knock them 
down with long poles 5 thro' thele fens run great cuts or drains, 
which abound in fiih, eipecially pike, fome of which are very 
larfe- there are alio vaft flocks of geele ^ but both fifh and 
oeel'e tafte muddy and rank 5 but the geefe, when fed with corn, 
eat as good as others^ they are pulled for their feathers about fix 
times a year, and thrice for rheir quills. Between Spalding and 
Croivland grow large crops of oats, as alio large quantities o£ Ra- 
■pum Sylveftre called cole-feed, of which they make oil, by break- 
ing it between two large black marble ftones of near a ton weight, 
one Handing perpendicular on the other in mills, called oil-mills 5 
fome go with fails, and ferve alio to drain the fens, and are cal- 
led engines, and they difcharge great quantities of \yater ^ after 
preffin^ out the oil from the cole-feed, what remains is called 
cakes, ^hich is burnt for fuel, and they heat ovens therewith 5 
they are alio exported to Holland, where they feed their kine 
with them. 
-. Pafture-grounds, which lie between the fea and the fens, 
are very fertile, feeding a great number of fat oxen and fl;eep, 
which are weekly fent in droves to London. 
Kear the fens llands Sojfon, remarkable for its church, ileeple 
and river 5 the church is very lofty, and cieled with Irifi oak, 
nearly wrought, its body is 100 foot wide^ the fteeple is a tower 
of 285 footliigh, octangular towards the top, of curious carved 
ftone-work, ftanding not above 12 yards from the n\er Ifitham, 
It is only 52 foot wide and 40 in length, at each angle is a large 
buttrefs • records mention its foundation to be laid 9 foot below 
the bottom of the river ^ the length of the church is equal to the 
height of the fteeple j the pillars, which are very neat and fmall 
tor their height, the windows and flans are equal in number to 
the months, weeks and days in a year 3 from its top Lincoln and 
Lyn may be leen, as alio Ihips on the fea at a great dillance 5 it 
is a great land-mark, it being leen above 40 miles at lea 3 the 
river is remarkable for good pike, according to the old rhyme 3 
An Jlnkham eel, and a With am pike, 
All England cannot fliew the like. 
It 
