THe odd Accidents of an unusual multitude of Fish that lately came into, and were taken in Tower-ditch, and other Creeks belong­ing to the River of Thames, ha­ving occasion'd much discourse a­bout this City, it has been thought convenient for publique satisfaction to give a particular and true Relation of the matter, with its most remarkable circumstances which the Reader may take as fol­lows, on the Testimony of credible eye-witnesses.

On Friday the Twentieth of this instant October, it being that day High-water at London-bridge a­bout ten a Clock; the Tide coming in and flow­ing (according to the usual manner, when it is permitted by the gates being open) into the Moat or Ditch that surrounds the Royal Arsenal, com­monly [Page 2] called the Tower of London, brought with it an incredible number of Fish; Insomuch that a poor Boy who was playing, or otherwise idling on the Bank, being (as we hear) the first disco­verer would needs seeing such a great quantity un­dress himself as far as his Shooes, Stockings and Breeches, and so waded in, and took up divers of them with his hands and flung them to the shoar, this was before eight a clock, being there then but young Flood.

The sight of his action soon drew many others to be at once spectators and admirers of the mat­ter, and that which added to their wonder, was that they could plainly see great numbers of small Fish floating as it were with their heads on the surface of the water, which made many others go in like­vvise, some vvith Netts, and others vvithout; for the shoal vvas so numerous that they could hardly miss of catching several at a time onely vvith their hands; They seemed not so much to use their na­tural povver of svvimming vvith their Fins, as to lye still and suffer themselves to be gently carried vvith the Current of the stream, but vvhen touch'd (unless suddenly toss'd up and taken) could nimbly glide away, so that 'twas plain they had life, but were in a manner stupified, and did not exercise it till provoked thereunto by some external Vio­lence.

[Page 3] The number or quantity taken in all it is not at all possible to set forth, considering how many per­sons by several means imploy'd themselves to take them; my self spake with three persons that seve­rally affirm'd each of them got near a Bushel, as for the particular kinds of the Fish they were such as the River is generally stor'd with, that is to say, Roaches, Dace, Perches, Eels, &c.

These Fish whilst in the Water were generally observed to gasp as for ayr, and many of them immediately as soon as they were touch'd, dyed; and presently stunk, which were flung away: o­thers appeared ruddy and fresh, and many people (especially of the meaner sort) drest and eat of them, affirming that they never tasted better, nor did any Indisposition or ill effects follow to any that fed on them that we can hear of.

Divers Gentlemen and Citizens that had Water Spaniels would fling in stones or the like, and the Dogs following to fetch them; seldome fail'd in stead thereof to bring out a Fish in their mouths. When the Tide fell, great quantities were left gasping on the banks, some alive, but more dead; and some Fisher-men having planted Nets at the Sluce or Gate where the water goes out, caught a vast number.

[Page 4] Nor was it only here, for at Lime-house-bridge, The Shore at Wapping; Black-wall; the Dock­head in Southwark, and other places there was the like; and above Bridge also, (as we are informed) the same was observed by divers Fisher-men, who admired at the prodigious draughts they made that day, above all other times.

The reasons of this wonderful plenty of Fish ap­pearing in so strange a manner, are variously assign­ed; To say 'tis a thing ordinary, will be contra­dicted by common experience. For as the like had not been known before, so was not there any such thing the very next Tide after, or any time since, though expected and curiously observed by many; To ascribe it to chance is below the thoughts of a wise man, who knows there is no such thing as that fortuitous Goddess existent in the world, save in the vain and ignorant imaginations of fools, who blindly attribute thereunto whatever they can­not understand, whereas in truth nothing comes to pass without its proper causes, Cooperating to a certain determinate effect.

[Page 5] Nor need we run to such a silly Asilum for the solution of this business; some think the cause may onely be, that great multitudes of Fish brought down by the fresh waters after the late rains, be­ing suddenly hurried into the salt water, which late­ly has (by reason of the former long drought,) been observed to flow beyond the usual marks, even almost as far as London-Bridge, might be the occa­sion of it. The River Fish being disturbed with that brackish Aliment, flying from it into every opportune creek. But others rather judge it might be caused by great quantities of some stupefying Bait thrown or faln in, which laying them for a time as it were asleep, made them insensibly be born in with the current of the Tide; We know several sorts of Pasts artificially made, and some natural druggs which Fish are extreamly greedy of; have a quality so to intoxicate them, that they may easily be taken up by hand; and that something of like kind was in this case is very probable from their gasping and swimming on the surface of the water, which operating more with some than o­thers according to the quantity received, might oc­casion the killing and putrefaction of part, whilst the rest remained (though not altogether undistem­pered) yet more lively and wholesome.

[Page 6] We read in History, that as Augustus was once walking on the Shoar, several Fishes leap'd out of the Sea and cast themselves at his feet, which by the learned of those times was construed as a good Omen, that Nepture had adopted and received him for his Lieutenant over the Ocean instead of Sextus Pompeius; nor was the prediction frustrated by the event, the Empire of the World (as well by Sea as Land) being soon after peaceably vested in that illustrious and well deserving Roman.