Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-01-29

dam gave way, ana the water came pour
ing in, covering the meadows, drowning
cattle and sheep, sweeping away farm
houses, villages and towns, destroying una.
nyalives and making sad havoc. But the
people filled up the breach, set the wind
mills a-going, pumped the whole country
dry again, and ever since have taken good
care to keep a the embankments strong
and 10 repair. There is a saying that
eternal vigilance is the price of liberty
but here in Holland it is the price OF life.
Men are on the watch all the tme to see
that there are no weak places in the en-
bankments. They are paid by the govern
ment, and have control of all the mills
They wage constant warfare with the
ocean. at cost of nearly three million
dollars every year; but with the wind for
an allv, they are enabled to keep the mar
shes drained, and Lave transformed the
bogs into beautiful meadows, pastures. or
chards and gardens, and built villages and
towns below the level of the sea.
SCENES ON THE CANALS.
The country is cut up by cansls-some
deep enough to float the largest ships :
Others small and narrow. You see hun.
dreds of boats. Stand with me on the
bank Of the great canal which leads from
the City of Amsterdam to the ocean, and
see the crafts. A boy riding horse trots
past us, the horse towing trekSchaten-a
packet boat-ra canal omnibus or stage
which Plies between Amsterdam and the
adjoining villages. A man stands at the
helm, aud his good wife is in the cabin
dealing ont bread, cheese and beer to the
passengers, who are eating, chatting, laugh
ing and smoking. The boat skins lighh y
owe: the water. and is far down in the bend
of the canal almost before you have had
time to see what the people are up to on
board. ... ... ...
Here comes lazy, numbering craft, al
most as broad as it is long. with a man and
boy tug ing at the tow line. 1t is loaded
with mud scooped up from the bottom of
the canal. They are taking It out into the
country to spread it on the land. Here is
family craft-a boat which is at the same
time a hnuse-the owner, with his wife
duu CnIiufcH, ilNlLO vi uOdiu' IAC lebiiSi
is tugging at the tow line. The air is still
to dav, aud he is obliged to pull the boat
along the stream; if it were breezy you
would see him hoist the sail and go scud-
ding away. His wife has long pole in
her hands, and is pushing with all her
might to help her husband and their two
children, boy and giI, are steering the
craft. They live on boaHl-eat and sleep
there in a little close CABIN. Here they
are to-day, tomorrow they will be at Har-
lem, and the next day at Leydeu, perhaps.
and the next week will be here al AmsteT-
dam agaiu with cargo of potatoes, or #
wood. or of something else. Now a schoon-
er. then barge, and then ship-her
masts tall as church stceples-the sailors
in the shrouds getting ready to shake out
the sails. On the bay beyond the green
meadows are hundreds of boats and
barges with sails set to catch the little
breath of wind which pnffs our faces -
Here comes beat oa led with cabbag"s
another loaded to the waters edge with
turnips- = another filled with sheep. Here
Is a marketman with chickens and geese,
which are cackling and gobhling.
The canals to great extent are the
streets of Holland In the summer they
are throngcd with boats of every desrrip-
ton and a month hence, men, women
and children will be skimmipg up and
down these streets on skates. having many
merry times through the wiuter.