Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-11-15
SCENES IN BELGIUM.

A correspondent of the Boston Atlas furnishes
the following description of scenes and incidents
on the route between Client and Antwerp, in
the province of Belgium, having been witnessed by
him during recent pedestrian excursion through
that region of country:
The road perfectly level paved in the centre with
hard bricks edge, and rounded off to the canals on
either side which branched the bitches which divide The
fields and supply water for gation-an auxiliary agricu
which farmers have yet TO learn the value Of The
canals bodeed with Of trees, trimmed with mahe-
NAUTICAL precision and at frequent intervals cottages
each with steep roof Of red tiles and groesquey
stack of chimneys, orchard grated dwarf stocks
garden blooming with gay flowers in boxhedged parerres
In the of this garden the road be
small artificial mound from which projected the stagnant
waters OF the canal lust hs resembling New England
farmers shoemakers shop painted in glarng coors. Here
the family assembled every evening to drink beer and gene
ally exchange passing word with those who go by the
road the scandaous chat of the their knitting
echoed by the croakng Of nnumeabe frogs and the clouds
of smoke pulled forth by the serving dspate the
uvia from the Shiny canal beneath Several Of the cottages
which entered distressngy neat for seemed pro-
anaon tread floors which rvaled snow drink from
pewter cups bright ncessant securing could make them
The had broad, goodnatued faces and heavy FORMS
whose roundty apparently increased by indefinite
number of short wooen pecoa displaying the embroidered
green clocks red stockings whose circumference would
nearly equal that of the waist of Boston BELLE They APP
peared to be laboous and active destitute Of high degree
OF feeling intellect and exceedingly devou Roman Caho
lies, their patron saints having prominent places in every
oo while they invariably suspended around their necks the
gold cross
"The a stout churish-looking set, who had APP
pareny copied exactly the costume and implements of their
grandhers yet could but admire their industry and
agricultural skfor the country bare and open heath
four hundred years ago. and rivals the tabled produc-
veness of the fields of Arcadia The barren sandy SOIL by
constant tng, irrigation and enrichment has been
cd into dark oam covered with luxuant and close crops Of
wheat clover and flax The annual value Of the latter crop
nearly nine millions Of doars-much of exported and
kaL
tenth of the entire population aided by steam and water
power.
Large quantities Of butter and cheese made for
port to England and France the cows always attended
by Children and their sleek glossy coats show that the
comb is not idle The wheat grows tall and has delicate
white grain, which shows its southern origin, being renewed
by cargo from Sicily every few years. is broad
cast between the first of September and the middle Of Dece-
be and has been proved yield large product of straw and
less OF grim If early, late Before
sowing the grain soaked in solution Of suphnuc acid,
OF imethe latter mixture in the proportion Of lbs to
gallon OF WATER the force of which often augmented by the
addition Of little salt There is also large quan-
of barley and hops raised for the brcwere Of which there
900 in Bclgum-bee being prominent article Of
port The farms rarely contain five each, which
supports family comfortably The average population Is
l735 inhabitants upon a square mile.
As we approached the village of St Nicholas the road
became hronged with PEASANTS the caps of the girls
fse decked with appets Of Mechn lace which peeress
might envy, and learned that il of the fifteen
nual hoydays upon which, well the Sabbath, they at
tend mass in the morning and dance in the afternoon The
quaint market place presented which forby recalled
the pictures Of Ienies bands of crossbowmen gay un
forms strove to keep step and that martial bearing
which civilians vanly strive 10 attain ustics foundered
through country dances 10 the music of blind fiddler mount
ed upon empty cask while their elders sat at small tables
smoking long clay pipes guzzlng beer from wooden
bcakcrs Above all the din might be heard most exquisite
melody, which bore resemblance any music heard
as asonishcd learn that il the con, chimes
Of bells assembled the scepe get view Of and found
every possible noe struck by machinery resembling that Of
church organ The performer working harder with both
hands and feet than any musician saw, and appeared
TO deserve bis salary for every in Belgium appropates
annual for It's calons those which cannot afford to
maintain professor having set played by cylinder,
like that Of barrel organ"