Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-06-15
Communicated 10 tie Springfield RTu]hean
Sketches over the Sea.
DUTCH NEATNEss.

Being in Amsterdam, we availed ourselves
Of the opportunity of visiting the village Of
Brock which is particularly celebrated for its
cleanliness. Crossing the river Y in a small
boat, we landed at the entrance of the Great
North of Holland Ship Canal, and while a car
rage was preparing, we went out TO see this
extraordinary work Of art. Ut was construct
ed in order to avoid the dangerous AND circuit
ous navigation of Zuyder Zee, which was a
great impcdiment to the commerce of Amstcr-
dam, as formerly all ships of any size were
obliged to unload some distance from the city,
or else to be carried in on " cames.' 1t is
about 20 miles long, commencing at Texcl,
and is 1915 feet wide al the top and SO at TIC
bottom, while the depth is 81 feet; this gives
suIclt Mt room Tor ~ u ingaies to pass, and the
time occupied IN going from Texel TO AmsIer-
dam is only IL hours, instead of the weeks
during which vessels were formerly liable to
be detained by the bad weather Of Zuydcr Zee.
The dock gates are of immense size, far sur
passing those at Liverpool the cost Of the
whole was somewhat over $l50,0O0.
A ride Of an hour brought us to Brock, GER
tainly the neatest place | ever saw, but it is
said 10 be no more so than many other villages
in The North of Holland; stral ge-s, however,
visit it more than other places, On account of
It's greater accessibility, and perhaps this slim
ulates the inhabitants TO he ncater than they
otherwise would be, in order to keep up this
source of revenue, which must be no inconsid-
cradle one. The population is only about 500,
and the inhabitants are chiefly occupied with
their dairles, where they make large quantities S
Of cheese. No carriages are allowed To enter
the town, and in fact there are no streets wide
enough for them, so that we were obliged To
leave ours at the outskirts, and walk through
the town Formerly pedestrians were even
obliged TO take off their shoes, but this has
been done away with. The streets are paved
with varicgated bricks and small pebbles, ar
ranged IN various Iattcrns, and by the side OF
many of them are small canals, covered with
green duck weed, which does not nj FIRST seem
10 agree with the neatncss of everything else, (
as it looks very like the green substance which
we often see IN stagnaut pools here but on
examination II appears to be very different
The houses are Tor the most part one story
Cnly, covered with parti-colorcd tiles and paint
cd green and white, which combination has
rather peculiar effect. Outside Of the door Of
every house we saw some SIN or eight palr OF
- sabOls' or wooden shoes of all sizes, and on
enquiry we were told that the inhabitants al
ways dropped oil their boats Gas some one has
called them) before entering the house. The
front door is seldom opened except on great
occasions, such as a marriage or tune al, ard
IN most houses the best room is ney,r dolled
by the presence OF amy one, except tie house
wife, and she only goes nto II to clean, which
is generally done as often as once week.
The houses all appear as If they were freshly
painted, aud we were grayely told that some
fthe better classes kept painter in the ho, So
all the time, but the guide books scout the
, aul hp rp1l,r h,4l1pVp IA - 4
suits him.
The streets and lltlc plots before the hous-
es, look as fthcy had Just been scrubbed, and
in one place where a cai had accldcntly fallen,
we saw the owner of the house come out and
pick it up. Might not the good inhabitants of
Gotham, to say nothing of some other places,
initiate :hs neatncss IN their streets We.
went into one of the houses and found the
apartments of the cows under the same roof
with the rooms used by the family, aud open
ing out OF them. The floor was paved with
tiles, and even here everything was as neat as
a parlor, and hazard nothing IN saying that
the cows are much better dOmlcilcd than a
large proportion of the inhabitants OF most
continental cities and towns On the walls
above the stalls, are hooks, which are Used to
iasien the cows tails To, IN order TO keep them
from getting dirty. The cheese is of the sort
known as " Dutch,' or sweet-milk F"
cheese il is made N small round moulds,
which can be taken apart in the middle and
after having acquire the shape, the cheese
are put into one of the II mou'ds, and cover
ed with salt; they are tuned every m' rnlng,
aud the sailing is repeated for twelve days, al
r. which they are soaked IN salt water for
week, when they are ready for the market 4
Besides lis neatness, Brock has another at
traction in the g rdcn Of Mcuhecr Van Eel <,
which certainly has the merlt ofbcing u rent
from anything else III the world. IL Is not
very large, but is very peculiarly lald out
there are many summer houses, rustic bridges,
SC, aud IN one place Chinese pagoda serves
for a litcon house. As you walk along you
see something sitting lightly on the water be-
fue YOU. which you at once take TO be a bona
/ dc swan. but on approaching II you discover
that II is only pasieboard representation Of
one. aud everything is in this style. In
Swiss cottage, an image Of an old man Is made
10 smoke pipe, move his eyes, and turn the
spinning wheel for an equally old woman, who
81. Haatnl "a.