148 



MEMOUIALS OF RAY : 



Here hath been a very large and fair abbey, the church 

 whereof is yet standing almost entire. This belongs to 

 the Cholmondeleys. There are the same sorts of fish 

 taken at Whitby as at Scarborough ; and some others 

 they named to us, as dabs [Platessa limanda^ billards, [?] 

 whitemawes, [?] sword-fishes [XipJdas gladms^ seals, &c., 

 which we saw not. Near this town are one or two alum 

 works.* The process of making alum we partly saw, 

 and partly received by relation from the workmen. In 

 the alum-mine are found very hard round stones, which 

 the workmen call catsheads, oh similittidinem. 



We saw here all along the shores the people making 

 of kelp, which they do by laying the alga and Fmus ma- 

 rinus on heaps, and when it is dry, burning it ; while it 

 is burning, they stir it to and fro with an iron rake, and 

 so it condenses and cakes together, in the manner we see 

 kelp ; whereas, should they not stir it, it would go to ashes, 

 as other plants burned use to do ; si fides autorihus. 



Whitby hath a very fair and commodious haven ; 

 about sixty ships of eighty tons a-piece or more belong 

 to this town ; it is governed by twenty-four burgesses. 

 St. Hildas, by his prayers, delivered the country from 

 snakes, which were changed into these stones, f (vide 

 Camden ;) si credere fas sit. 



From Whitby, August the 12th, we hastened to Gis- 

 burgh,J where we saw the ruins of that famous abbey, 

 the church whereof seems to have been comparable to 

 the best cathedrals in England. We ascended the top of 

 that noted hiU, called Roseberry, or Ounsberry Topping, 

 the top whereof is fastigiate, like a sugar-loaf, and serves 

 for a sea-mark ; it may be seen at a great distance, viz., 

 from Stanmore, which is in a right line, above twenty 

 miles ofi". From hence we had a prospect of that pleasant 



* Of wliicli an account may be seen in Mr. Ray's Collection of English Words. 



•\ The comu ammonis, or ammonites of the present day, which are still 

 found at Whitby.— E. L. 



% " Eormerly (saith Camden) very famous for a beautiful and rich monas- 

 tery, and may, in point of pleasantness, and a grateful variety, and other 

 advantages of nature, compare with Puteoli in Italy." (See Bishop Gibson's 

 edition of Camden, p. 910.) 



