EAST COAST SAILING DAYS

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27736, 13 August 1955, Page 3

EAST COAST SAILING DAYS

5 . , Once Upon a Tide. By Hervey Benham. George G. Harrap and Co., Ltd. 240 pp. , Mr Benham, through his writings on i the famous East Coast sailing barges i and smacks, is already well known to t lovers of the sea and sailing men, and * this book is a worthy companion to r its two predecessors. It deals with the 1 period when the East Coast coasting - trade was at its heights when the little i ships were counted by the hundred, i when every creek, estuary and tidal - inlet Had its port and maintained its - fleet; before the railways had dealt s their crippling. blow to water-borne . trade. Mr Benham has not contented - himself by dealing solely with the col- - her brigs and other traders of the - period, but has included chapters on - the boats used in’ the various fishing r industries that flourished in those 1 times. Also he has something s to say of the smugglers, the salvage - men, and the famous Harwich packets. Obviously Mr Benham had to t undertake a great deal of painstaking B research before he cotild write this i book. One cannot but admire the zeal :. and enthusiasm he brought to the task, r and the skilful and interesting fashion - in which he presents the results. The - book is well illustrated with reproF ductions of photographs, old paintings and engravings.