The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-05-03

Su~rs@ a&o 4SP&pops Wunoun3, Wu1Cn " CouIsc
very interesting all such things are. The Dutch
being the only European nation which enjoys the
privilege Of trading with Japan they may be said to
have the monopoly in the matter of Japanese collec
tons. My cicerOne" had lived many years in ia
PAM and highly interested with bis descriptions
of the manners and customs Of the Japanese and his
explanations of the various articles which the muse
um contains. | must confess was surprised at the
degree operecton to which many OF the arts OF cvll
zation have attained in that remote and litteknown
country. AT the Hague is the largest collection OF
trees that saw in Holland 1t is the Royal Park,
and avery fine one Isl quite large enough to shut
out fields and houses from the view, when is in
the middle OF tan extent of forest which one might
scarcely expect to find in Holland, considering the
general nakedness of the country At the end of
this park is little palace, fitted up very prettily with
articles Of japanese manufacture, and variety of
other singular fancies, and containing besides
very admirable pictures by the most celebrated mas
tiers of the Dutch school.
Ofthe other sights" and curiosities Of the Hague
shall say nothing, for did not them; and will
spare you the history of my walk TO the shore of the
German Ocean, three miles from the city, il being
pretty much the thing a walk to the sea-shore
any where else. Two hours ride brought back
to Rotterdam, and there stepping board the Ant
werp steamer, babe adeu TO Holland, highly de-
lighted with my six days journey through the
country, and only dissatisfied because could
not stay longer. In taking leave Of Holland, how
ever, must protest against two things which
tormented me amazingly first, the hotels, which
very inferior, and very dear secondly, the crowd Of
idle drones who bese the traveller wherever he goes
Will oficious offers Of their services either to carry
his baggage or to act as his guide. There is get
ting rid of them, either by kind by angry words,
and at HARLEM, where, in many other places, l
took the liberty of carrying my own knapsack, Gan
"nalienabie right" conceived,) was followed and
logged by set of these fellows, from the railroad
ton the hotel, and really apprehended that they
would take my innocent knapsack from me by force,
and run over me into the bargain. There seems to
be no police, Ono efficient police at least in Holland,
for if there WERE travellers would be subjected to
such tormenting nterferences. In Paris, for
pie, such things where to be seen.
The voyage from Rotterdam to Antwerp by water,
lies through series Of straits nets and of the
sea- which cut up the district lying at the mouths of
the Mouse and the Scheldt into sort of Archipelago
These numerous channels are in many instances the
consequences of foundations, and saw several i'm
mense shoals of sand and mud, rising above the
face of the water at low tide and many miles in ex-
tent which once formed habitabe, and popu-
lous terra frma In passing through
the narrow channels which separate these vast shoals,
the several times ran fast aground, and was
very much afraid should have to keep the gulls COM
pany for day or So
AT length however, | arrived safely at Antwerp,
and set my foot upon the dominions of his Belgian
Majesty in violent thunderstorm, drenched to the
skin, and with the water pouring from my Heidelberg
straw hat, as from slate roof. stad in Antwerpa
day, which busily and most agreeably passed in
exploring its numerous churches with their fine pic
lures and admirable sculpture in wood; its magnii-
cent cathedral, an admirable monument of Gothic
chitecture, containing of the finest paintings in
the world; its gallery of paintings, particularly in
terestng from its containing the masterpieces of Ru
bens; its quays and basins its antique streets.
Astounding in relics of the architecture of days long
past. But Antwerps but wreck of what it once
was: during the reign of Charles V. it contained
200 900 inhabitants, and was the richest city n Eu-
rope has only IS, 900 inhabitants but little COM
merce and is dull and lifeless U might almost say
country village.
From Antwerp, fastened on by the railroad, (you
know Belgium is the country f railIoads to Brus-
sells, the Belgian capital This is rather handsome
city, of hundred thousand inhabitants much cleaner
than continental cities generally and wIthal very
agreeabe-looking place 1t is said to be "Pars on
small scale" and this believe to be in great degree
true. Its houses its cafes and restaurants its boule-
wards, and the features and manners of its nhabl-
tants remind one strongly of the French capital.
sroed about Brussels twelve hours so,-took a
lounge in the park, Ga garden of the Tuileres son
small SCALE )-entered of the palaces, which be-
longs, rather strangely to the King of Holland,--
peeped into one of the churches, where | heard
splendid mass and some fine painted windows
passed an hour in the museum of natural history and
the picture gallery (ralher dull after the fine of
Amsterdam, Antwerp, and the Hague, land at 10
F. NJ, found myself in the "interior" of the Paris
diligence, via Cambria. And SO ended my two days
tour in Belgium. did not visit Client, nor Burgess,
nor Liege, nor Mechlin, all Of which towns contain
many objects of interest did not visit the field OF
Waterloo Would you believe it, There is nothing
more true than that distance lends enchantment to
the view" Three years ago should have thought 1t
impossible for me 60 within hundred miles of Wa
teroo without visiting the famous battle-ground it,
self But when | was actually within nine miles of
it, so little did about it, that was unwilling to
stay another day it. The fact is, was tired OF
travelling and sightseeing, and money and time both
failed me- So FASTENED back to Paris with all speed.
OF the ride from Brussels to Paris, should say moth
ing even if l had space, il was dull undressing
and fatiguing, to an noIerable degree
7 h. he history of
and long time have been about it, though l have
done it, for the most part, in veiy summary way L
hope it was not altogether without interest.