inscriptions, transmitted to us from the ancient times of Greece and Rome. "Meritis et Aeternitati, Equitis, Hactenus Hollandia debet. Totum terrarum ambitum, Nautarum ac militum vidit. Expugnato speculatorio Proprætor patriæ classes et expeditiones Collatis cum hoste conflixit raro æquato Clade plerumq. victor ac triumphator e Anni Ciuclvin in freto maris Balthici, Prætoriam Suevorum invasit afflixit dein Proprætoria sua rejecit afflixit submersit, Undiq. circumfusus, disrepto globis Corpus ipse rex hostis, generosa forti tudinis hostilis admiratione, splendide Compositum patriæ remisit. Sic redeunt quos honos ac Virtus remittunt. Vixit annos Lix.' Several other celebrated Dutch admirals repose in the same church, of whom I shall notice only De Liefde and Brakel. The tomb of the former is designated merely by a large slab, slightly raised from the floor, with carved figures, and suitable inscriptions. That of Brakel is in the same part of the church, and consists of naval insignia, with a tablet shaded by standards, which a child is drawing aside, and the whole surmounted by his bust. The inscription, while it neither possesses the sententious brevity of that of Kortenaar, nor a plain enumeration of facts, like De Witt's, is remarkable for its quaintness and absurdity. It is in these words: 'Invicti herois JOHANNIS A. BRAKEL, Prætoris ut vocant nocturni, Manibus ac memoriæ sacrum. Adspice jam jam Leaving the interior of the church, and the objects of attraction and interest which it contains, I ascended the lofty tower, under the guidance of the old sexton, to enjoy the extensive prospect it affords. You mount a narrow winding stair-case, of more than three hundred steps, most of it being constructed of solid masonry, and arrive at a large uncovered flat, at the summit of the tower, surrounded by a a a strong balustrade. Here a view equally curious and extensive meets the eye. Beneath you, are the old-fashioned houses of Rotterdam, with their peaked roofs and red tiles, separated by narrow streets, and intersected by numerous canals, while on one side runs the Rotte, and on the other the Maas, with its broad havens, and green islands, and its waters covered with boats and ships. Green fields, with occasional groves of trees, extend all around, while the dead level of the surrounding country leaves the view uninterrupted, over all South Holland, from the Brielle and from Willemstadt to the Hague and Leyden, and even as far as Utrecht, which is just discernible in the distance; the country looking like an interminable meadow, or prairie, stretching out in every direction to the horizon. Of the drives in the environs of Rotterdam, the pleasantest is to the Plantaadje, or Plantation, just to the eastward of the city, on the banks of the Maas. The road is along the great dyke of the Maas, called Hooge-dyk, being in fact the continuation of the Hoogstraat. The whole country, through which the road passes, is a rich garden, which would be beautiful, notwithstanding the stiffness with which the grounds are laid out, but for the extreme lowness of the soil, and thick, damp foliage of the trees, which seem to envelope the country seats and farm houses in an atmosphere of mist. As you pass along the Hooge-dyke, all the cultivated grounds by the road side seem far below you, and are intersected with stagnant canals, covered with green pond-weed, which flourishes luxuriantly in the still water. Upon one of the broad canals, in the populous suburbs of the city, I observed a large flock of milk-white swans, swimming about unmolested by the boys in the streets; an example, among others, of the same kind, which I frequently noticed, of the great security of domesticated animals, of whatever kind, in Holland. Most of the country seats bear some quaint inscription over the entrance, in Dutch, forming a kind of name by which the house is distinguished. Various manufactories are seen, and among them is a large glass manufactory, near which we met a procession of small mules, marching into the city, loaded with panniers of glass. But in this quarter, as elsewhere in the neighborhood of Rotterdam, numerous wind-mills constantly meet the eye; and it is the same in every part of Holland; for the absence of water power, in so level a country, and the high price of coal, render it necessary to employ this mode of moving machinery. Indeed, most of the fuel used in Holland, for the ordinary purposes of life, is turf. The only wood consumed, is mere brush-wood, which is carefully tied up in little fagots, or bundles, for sale. All along on the road to the Plantaadje, the huge sails of these wind-mills are seen swinging in the air, reaching out from the misshapen tower to which they belong. The structure consists of three parts. The lower part is a tower, of a conical shape, usually six-sided, which forms the body of the mill, and is often surrounded by, or rises out of, the buildings connected with the works. At the summit of this, is a railed way going around it, and surmounted by another tower, of a figure similar to the first, and of a height sufficient for the arms or sails to play on its side, without touching the railing. Finally, above all, is a kind of headpiece, looking like a huge cap, composed of a frame, in which the а axle of the sails revolves. Large timbers often project from the sides, to give strength to the whole, which increases the singularity in appearance of the fabric. The Plantaadje is a grove of trees and shrubbery, laid out with much taste, as a public promenade, affording a fine view of the river, the city, and many surrounding objects, and serving as a place of resort in the summer season. It is intersected by alleys for walking and driving, and possesses that extreme and rich verdure that a moist climate naturally imparts. On the side of Rotterdam, amid the masts of the shipping, and the lofty dwellings and magazines, the most conspicuous object is the church of Saint Lawrence, with its lofty square tower; and this not relieved by spires and domes, which usually occur in the distant prospect of a great city. But there would seem to be comparatively very little time in which such a promenade can be enjoyed; for although at each of my visits to Rotterdam, in the summer, the weather was mild, yet it was generally changeable and cloudy, furnishing very few of those clear, bright days, in which the thick foliage of an extensive grove would be most desirable. Add to this, the universal dampness of the nights, when the exhalations from the canals and rivers, and the heavy dews, are apt to render exposure to the evening air prejudicial to the health. Still, the Plantaadje forms a promenade which would be worthy of any city in Europe. At the eastern extremity of the city, are situated the Arsenal, and the Navy-Yard. The latter is particularly worthy of attention; this, and the similar establishment at Amsterdam, having so long and so largely contributed to sustain the naval glory of Holland. To reach the Navy-Yard at Rotterdam, you cross the Oudehaven in a ferryboat, and pass along the canal called the Haringvliet, upon a broad quay, similar to the Boompjes. It is by no means so sumptuous as some of the navy-yards in the United States. Several large ships were on the stocks, some of them new, others old ones undergoing repairs or changes, which are placed, like ours, under cover, but not with the sides built up, so as to form a perfect house. I was gratified to find a sixty-four gun ship on the stocks, copied after an improved American model, which had been adopted at the suggestion of the Duke of Saxe Weimar, after his visit to the United States. In this place I was also shown two articles of regal pomp, which, it must be confessed, are somewhat appropriate in a country like the Netherlands, of rivers, canals, and islands but half emerged from the sea. These were a steam-yacht, and a rowing-yacht, belonging to the king. The steam-yacht was a beautiful vessel, of the long model, richly ornamented with carved work and gilding, having brass chains, plates, and rods, brass ornaments of the engine and its chimney, brass cannons upon the deck, and every thing as bright and beautiful as Dutch cleanliness and pains-taking could render it. The wheel-house bore the arms of the house of Orange-Nassau, with the motto, 'JE MAINTIENDRAI,' in large gilt letters. Nothing could exceed the finish and elegance of the engine, which was entirely exposed to view from the deck, and was of domestic workmanship, and pot, like so many of the steam-engines which one sees on the continent, imported from England. The interior of the vessel, except so far as it was occupied by the machinery, and persons employed in the management of it, was divided into very sumptuous apartments, for the use of the various members of the royal family; panelled with mahagony, and decorated with rich hangings, chairs, bedding, and other furniture, including a very costly service of plate. In short, every thing was, in taste and style, befitting a prince; but the examination of the whole gave me a more vivid impression of the great splendor of our own steam-boats and packet ships ; the difference between them and the yacht being by no means considerable. I was informed that the use of this yacht is permitted to any of the great public officers, they defraying the expense of coals, for the time being; because the machinists and mariners remain permanently attached to the vessel, and the king himself does not have sufficient occasion to use her, to keep the machinery in good order, and the men in practice. The rowing yacht, being sixty feet by twelve, was also very beautiful; white outside, with carving and gilding along the gunwale; the inside dark blue, with a canopy of blue over the stern. At the bows were gilt figures of Neptune, in his seachariot, preceded by Tritons, and over the stern-board, Fame, protecting the escutcheon of Orange-Nassau. of the general aspect of the shops in Rotterdam, and of the market people, I have already spoken. Many other particulars may be stated, as illustrative of the appearance of the city, and of the customs of the inhabitants in regard to trade. Cherries, currants, gooseberries, and raspberries, as well as strawberries, were cried in all the streets; and heaps of these fruits, as well as of various kinds of garden vegetables, were exposed for sale in all directions, on little benches in various places, and often upon the pavement itself. Holland is reputed to excel all other countries in the quality of the ordinary vegetables for the table; but I had no reason to believe that their fruits or vegetables were in any respect superior to our own. In fact, other countries, having adopted the same improved mode of cultivation, are able to produce in perfection many things of this kind, for which the kitchen gardens of Holland had gained so much celebrity. At the bake-houses, and on the stalls, in the streets, you see also piles of the coarse black bread, which, with fish, potatoes, and other cheap vegetables, forms the food of the poor. It is baked in solid masses, nearly of the form of a huge brick, and is composed of coarse, unbolted rye. It is harsh, sour, and gritty, and not to be compared in flavor with the worst bread, made of rye and maize, or maize alone, used in the United States. Rotterdam possesses no market-houses comparable to those of Boston and Philadelphia. The Corn Market and Flax Market are each built with a covered colonnade, or gallery, for the better exhibition of those commodities; but are of very plain architecture and materials. Some few of the buildings, connected with commerce, are spacious and sightly, such as the Oostindisch Huis, or East India House, on the Boompjes, and the West India House, on the Haringvliet ; which, since the change in the condition of the East and West India Companies, are chiefly employed as private ware-houses. Enormous quantities of coarse potters' ware and stone-ware may be seen exposed for sale in large vessels, lying in the havens, their decks heaped up with piles of jugs, pans, and other articles of the same kind. Great simplicity and plainness are observable in the places of business, of the merchants and others; and in some instances, the absence of external show is quite remarkable. Thus, to reach the counting-room of the principal money-broker, who is a rich Jew, you pass under a low, obscure arched passage, into an inner court, removed from public view; and in this respect widely different from the offices of the same class of persons in this country, which are so generally placed in conspicuous situations. In a country famed for the manufacture of toys, the shops for the sale of them naturally attracted my attention; and in that of Meyer and Blessings, I found many of these amusing specimens of Dutch ingenuity, with other articles of mechanical skill, of a higher class, particularly musical clocks, of uncommon excellence. One of these, valued at nine hundred guilders, was made to play sixteen choice airs, containing within it a fine organ, operated on by machinery, unlike those which are commonly seen, where the music is that of the piano-forte. Indeed a taste for music is evidently one of the traits of the Dutch; as may be inferred from the great sums expended in the chimes of belles, and in the purchase of church-organs, of such extraordinary power and beauty. Rotterdam has grown up entirely since the fourteenth century, when it was a poor fishing village. Its commercial prosperity depends, in a great measure, upon its local position, which gives it command of the trade of the provinces bordering on the Maas, and renders it in part the market of the Rhine. Its greatest commerce is in madder, sugar, tobacco, and gin; to which, of course, it adds a participation of trade in the other great staples of consumption or production in Holland. Three fourths of the madder produced in the whole country, are disposed of in Rotterdam. Flax, grain, and cheese, are exported abroad in large quantities; while its internal trade, on the canals and rivers, in various imported commodities, and in articles of its own manufacture, is of course extensive. Nothing here struck me as more singular, than the want of literary taste, and the absence of thirst for intelligence, of which many circumstances convinced me. In a city the second in Holland, and nearly as populous as Boston, there was but one newspaper, and that of small size, and of little merit. Books are neither abundant nor cheap, and the comparatively small number of shops in which they are sold, contain a very meagre assortment. The libraries are few, and but poorly stocked; and there are scarcely any exterior marks of literary cultivation, in the shape of public establishments. Compared with those of Boston, the libraries, publishing houses, literary institutions, and monuments of art, sink into insignificance. And I afterward found the contrast almost equally striking, between Rotterdam and the cities of Belgium ; such as Antwerp, Ghent, and Brussels. But institutions of charity and beneficence abound, some of which are, in several things, peculiar. The Oudemannenhuis, or Old Men's House, situated in the Hoogstraat, was founded for the support of a certain number of infirm old men, part of whom lived entirely upon the proceeds of donations and legacies, given for the maintenance of |
