New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-04
HOLLAND.

AMSTERDAM AND ITS GREAT CANAL
AMSTERDAM, Oct. 1.-Holland is plane in a math-
ematical sense, and plain in a descriptive sense
There is not hill in the country. Rocks have de-
serted it, Earthquakes have been afraid to touch it
Nothing has ever turned up in the land. The Dutch
must have been originally mermaids and mermen
for they must have existed before there was land to
live upon There is not much now. Land IS lux
nry in Holland. Just as there unhappy people
i'm England who never tasted DevOnsliTe cream, so
there must be Dutchmen in Holland who never saw
land At first sight there is nothing apparently sub
stantial about the country except the canal banks,
fine churches. and the people. The old churches
have the great grace of space. The people are
much the reverse of the types made familiar
to US by Diednch KnickeTbOcker. The men are
shrewd and the women plump; and honesty, enter
prise and activity in operation all over the land
The wonder is how so sloppy a territory has pro
duced the firm pushing energetic, consistent inhab-
itants it has Every Dutchman has something in
his mind and he pursues it with quiet tenacity
which commands respect and compasses his ends by
a series of resources which are very instructive to
visitor: and since steam and tramways have
brought Mynhecr Won Damp so near England, many
have come to the conclusion that he is worth seeing
for his own sake.
Through the sedgy banks of the Mas the river
takes its course exactly amid the mOnOtonOus seen
cry with which everybody is familiar in Dutch pic
lures The fields are fat and fat with verdure. The
only objects Of eminence are windmllls. The roads
through the fields are water-lanes; the sole fence
which divides field from another Is thin line OF
water The stranger TO the country is OF course sur
prsed to in0 The towns composed entirely OF water
streets. Wherever we have a cab or OmnlDus-Way,
the Dutch have waterway. Erasmus was born III
the watcT-streets of Rotterdam. His monument
stands IN the GrOOte Market. 1t is simple bronze,
and has a certain dignity IN the copious drapery IN
which he is clothed ana which gives you a sense OF
flRaff Tho sel4 rtVf-
tected from the damp Not far from the town lies
Schiedam uniuvltng little town which gives
great trouble To teetOtaers IL IS the great seat OF
Gin and pigs. Here are 200 dlslllereS at work and
10000 swine fattenmg. Delft, a lew miles higher
IN. famous two centuries ago for IT'S pottery
ware, is a quaint, quiet town, WITH hne
watersheds shaded with llme-tTees. Here IS
the PTiscnhCh, palace where the Dutch
in 1884 asSassinatcd William OF Orange, the founder
of Dutch liberty lie was shot on the staircase and
the charge must have been a stout one from the
depth and dimension Of the bullet hole IN the stone
which they still show you From this place yQ9
reach the Hague, along the pum banks OF the ola
stagnant canal Here all the prettlncss and p1mness
of Holland may be seen. The mode OF travelling
seems unchanged since the Flood. lhe DOatnan
starts when he peascs and the horse pulls if he has
"a mind to- and You arrive at the Hague sometime.
Indeed, on the railway nobody seems impatient
YOu stop at station after the time OF starting long
enough for new coat TO 90 out of fashion. As the
canal boat enters the Hague, il pushes by two cOos
sal statues OF Rembrandt ana COster' Whlch sIand
the banks OF the prOdlglOus iron 1Oundefy OF En-
thOyen. The Hague, for so many centuries the IA
vorite residence of the Dutch princes, is bright
spacious brilliant town. There is actually wood
here and watersheds in their greatest glory. Both
here and in HaaTlem You come at night upon
the danticst, solemn, shady streets, with tall
graceful trees waving their branches on high
with broad water the midst silvered by the BEAM
ing moon resembling an English park aud lake set
down in tho Strand or the broadway Everybody
has read of the murder Of the Dc wits, and the
political execution Of Oldenbaneyed, the darkest OF
Dutch tragedies. with which Mr. Motley has made
oil his readers acquainted Here YOU sec the mousse
rlar. lfsral and oItVn 70
where the De Wits were imprisoned ana torn 10
pieces. IL is untenanted, but still unchanged.
drawing of the house of the Grand TenSl0naiy cut
into the chimney piece OF the chamber III when
he was confined Is still clear ana distinct untouched
by time or any other deaclng fingers. below Is Ihe
cage where the religions martyrs were cOunncd, ana
almost underneath Is the torture chamber Of the
InquistiOn The rack is still in its place the chang
dish large enough 10 scOreh the cXticnhtes OF ~
heTetics al once and other well-kuOWn Instruments
toT enabling ODtuSe persons to comprehend Tic true
Faith.
The Dutch, who have always been famous for
canal making, are now engaged in constructing an
enormous one, IL miles IN length, from Amsterdam
down to the North Sea below Yelscm They, Of
course. cut through few miles Of land on their way
but their great difficulty IS binding ~ the sea
enormous banks. which 10 cOnstithse eternal bar
riers 70 the RESTLESS and swaying ocean, which has
long been accustomed 10 turbulent behavior IN this
part of the world The great breakwater at the
North Sea will with its lock- gates and great basin
for the reception OF vessels, project mile into the
violent waters The area OF the larbOr will beabOye
200 acres and the water will be deep enough to float
the Great Eastern. There will be great beauty and
finish in the work. Yelsem, not long 20 a houseless
and sedgy plain is now converted into busy manu-
factory Of immense blocks Of concrete. The blocks
are made Of bricks single, sand, and Portland ce-
IDent. After exposure 70 the air they acquire the
hardness of marble The average weight OF a block
is ten tuns. aud 5000 will be required 70 finish both
piers Were they placed above anOthert they would
make column 30 miles high, There 10 piers or
breakwater works ina Great Britain 20 be compared
i'm magnitude with this vast undertaking OF the
0uiet patient, modest Dutch. At great banquet at
HaarleIn 20 which had the honor OF an invitation,
Was celebrated the progress Of tho great canal.