Advised by friend to try Norfolk Broads for holiday. Oulton Broad,
Wroxham Broad, Fritton Decoy (curious name!), Yare, Waveney, and no
end of other rivers. Yachting, shooting, fishing, pretty scenery,
divine air, he says. Have come down to Yarmouth for a start.
Up the Bure in a yacht, and into river Thurne. All right so far. Fish
scarce. My pilot says, "wait till I get to Hickling Broad. _Full_ of
bream and roach." I agree to wait.
In Hickling Broad. Surprised to find notice-boards up all round
saying, "sailing" is prohibited in the Broad, also fishing and
shooting! "What's the meaning of this?" I ask pilot. He says, "it's
all the doings of the Lord of the Manor." Wants to keep the Broad free
from tourists. He certainly does it "as to the Manor born." Quite a
village autocrat. Shall I be the "Village HAMPDEN?" I will.
Fishing. Several men on bank shouting at me. One comes off in a boat
and serves me with a summons. This might almost be called a Broad hint
to go away! But I don't go. I stop and fish. Another man comes off in
boat and threatens me with action "on behalf of riparian owners." Tell
him "ripe-pear-ian season isn't till Autumn, and I shall wait here
till then." He doesn't see the joke--perhaps too broad for him.
Other yachtsmen, we hear, have been stopped, and threatened. Yachtsmen
up in arms generally. Savage artists wander along banks, denouncing
Lord of Manor of Hickling. Say they have "right of way" along banks
(sounds as if they were Railway Guards). Hear that Lord of Manor is
going to put a gunboat on Broad, also torpedoes. Hear, also, that
Wroxham Broad--one of the biggest--is to be closed in same way.
Disgusted at such inhospitality. Back to Yarmouth. Give up yacht,
and decide to go to Switzerland instead. Find Yarmouth yacht-owners
furious with Hickling's Lord of Bad Manners. Say "closing the Broads
will ruin them." Very likely, but it'll help the foreign hotel-keeper.
Glad to see they've started a "Norfolk Broads Protection Society,"
subscriptions to be sent to Lloyd's Bank. "I know a Bank"--and all
lovers of natural scenery and popular rights ought to know it too, and
help in giving the Hickling obstructionist a "heckling," when he takes
the matter (also the Manor) into Court.
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[Illustration: INANITIES OF THE DRAWING-ROOM.
"SEEN THE _ENFANT PRODIGUE_, MR. SOFTEY?"
"NO; WAITING TILL THEY DO IT IN _ENGLISH_!"]
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