It was an hour before we got under way again, and when, after sailing down the long straight reach by Whitlingham, we came in sight of the eminence known as Postwick Grove, Wynne wished to land in order that he might see the view from the top. The man burst into open grumbling, so we asked him if the trip were undertaken for his pleasure or ours, and on his reluctantly admitting that it was for ours, we told him it was our pleasure to do as we liked, and he resigned himself to his fate. The watermen on these rivers are very civil, but they look with disfavour upon anything which interferes with actual sailing.
Well, the view from Postwick was worth seeing. The curving reaches of the river, animated with yachts, wherries, and boats, lay beneath us, and the green marshes were bounded by the woods of Thorpe, Whitlingham, and Bramerton, while the ruined church of Whitlingham stood boldly on the brow of the opposite hill.
Under way again, we presently reached Bramerton, where the “Wood’s End” public-house offers good cheer to the wherryman and boating-man.
The pleasure-steamers which run between Norwich and Yarmouth afford a quick but less pleasant way of seeing the river, and stop at Bramerton nearly every day in the week.
Now the higher ground falls away from the river on each side of us, and the belt of marshes widens, the river is higher than the surface of the land, and the water is lifted out of the many drains and dykes by means of turbine wheels, worked by the windmills which form such conspicuous objects in the landscape, and by more pretentious steam drainage mills.
Surlingham Ferry, 6 miles by river from Norwich, next came into view. The house, with its picturesque gables, lies in the shadow of a group of fine trees. A horse and cart was being ferried across on the huge raft as we approached, and the chain was only just dropped in time for us to pass.
There is a good inn at the Ferry, with limited but comfortable staying accommodation; and excellent roach fishing is often obtainable. The shore above the Ferry on the same side is suitable for mooring yachts to, as there is a fair depth of water close to the bank.
“What numbers of boats there are with people fishing?” said Wynne. “Do they all catch anything?”