Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-05-01

y
ton 10 sail up the rivor from tho ocean v
in q steamboat or in @ ship, aud find S
yourself so high above the housos that r
YOU can almost look down tho CHM G
ncys, also to SEQ cattle and sheep feed !
ing down below, and men catching
fish above.
We're it not for tho windmills, tho
river, tho ocean and tho rain would
soon flood the fields and meadows and I
sot all tho houses aAoat; but, because
tho mills are always going, tho boys
and girls Of Dutchlaad sleep securely
ut night, so to school, cat their three
meals day, play in tho streets, 60 TO
church On Sunday, without ever
dreaming oc any danger.
Once there was terrible disaster;
dam gave way, and tho water came
pouring in, covering tho meadows,
drowning cattio and sheep, sweeping
away arm.houscs, villages and towns,
destroying many lives and making |
sad havoc. But the people filled Up
the breach, set tho windmills n going,
pumped tho whole country dry again,
and over since havo taken good care
! to keep all Tho cmbankmcnts strong
and in repair. There il BAY ing that
"ctcrnal vigilance is tho price of libor-
ty," but here in Holland it is tho price
Of lie. Men are on tho watch nll the
time to SEQ that there gro no weak
places in tho cmbankmonts. They
arc paid by Government, and have
control of Ill the mills. They wage
constant warfare with the ocean, at a
cost Of nearly tbree million dollars
every year but, with tho wind for an
ally, they aro enabled to keep the
marshes drained, and have transform
cd the bogs into beautiful moadows,
pastures, orchards and gardens, and
built villages and towns below the
level of tho SEQ.
SCENES ON THE CANALS.
The country is cut up by canals
somo deep enough to float tho largest
, of ships, others small and narrow
l You SEQ hundreds Of boats. Stand
IS with me on the bank Of the great ca
V nal which leads from tho city Of Am
: sicrIam 10 tho ocean and SEQ tn,
c crafts. A boy riding horse trot:
past us-thc horse towing trckschuil
q en-, packet boat, q canal omnibus O
., stage which plies between Amsterdam
II and tho adjoining villages. A maj
D. stands ut the helm and his good wifi
&c is in tho cabin dealing out breac
le chocso and beer TO tho passenger
III who arc eating, chatting, laughin
of and smoking. The boat skins light
Is ov or tho water and is far down in th
II bend Of tho canal, aim ost before 20
d, have had time to sec what tho poop
or arc up TO Oh board.
in Hero comes lazy, lumbcring Graf
ns almost as broad as it is long, with
sh nan and boy tuyging at the tow-liu
1t is loaded with mud scooped up fro
'ie tho bottom of tho canal. They q
he taking it out into tho country
'as spread it on tho land. Hero is fal
'er lily craft-a boat which is at tho sar
he time house-the owner, with
N; wifo and children, living on boar
NY The father is tugging ut the tow-lir
hes The air is still to-day, and ho is o
ons ligcd to pull the boat along tho strea
ced if it were breczy you would SEQ h
one hoist tho sail and 50 scudding awa
tho His wife has u long pole in her han
vas and is pushing with all her might
tho help her husband and their two c!
tho dron, boy and girl, arc steering ,
30 craft. They 1.-Two on board-eat q
not sleep there in littlo close cabin
aol' Horc they arc to-day, to morrow tt
'uso will be ut Haarlem, and tho day at
out at Loydcn, perhaps, and next vi
'nK- will bo here at Amsterdam again W
gar q cargo of potatoes, or of wood, o.
into something else. Now a schoo.
men then barge, and then q ship
md masts tall as church stoeplos-the
Inc lors in the shronds getting roady
shake out the sails. On the bay
turo yond the grcen meadows arc
sher drcds of boats and bargcs with
"lno set to catch tho little breath Of v
mills which puffs in our faces. uere co
nave boat loaded with cabbages-ano
tho loaded to the waters edgo with
shcS' nips-another filed with sheo
'cesn Hero is malketman with chic
and geese, which are cackling
30 g. gobbIing.
ono Tho canals to great extent ar,
ana streets of Holland. In tho sun
'th OF thoy ore thronged with boats OF
ry description; and month b
men women and children will be
ac;ne ming up and down these street
ssn.. skates, having many merry
s .a through tho winter.
along Daniel Wahster onca rana
NJ the "Small is the sun that is requir
o thir. patronizs a newspaper, and amp