St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-10-24
NUMBER FOUR.

The Land OF Dykes and Ditches-a
Quaint and Interesting Country--Rot-
terdam, The Hague, HaarIem and Am
sterdam-Picture Galleries and Pal
aces-A Dutch Watering PIace-Am
Organ Concert at Haarlem.
HOTEL RoNDEEL,
Amsterdam, July, 1879.
A QUAINT COUNTRY.
Holland is one of the quaintest and
most interesting countries i'll Europe.
1t is not picturesque in the sense that
Switzerland is picturesque, because it is
Il dead level except where the dunes
line the shores of the North Sea, but
the interminable canals lined with wind
mills, and the odd appearance of the
towns with their peculiarly built houses
and antique churches quickly interest
the stranger. Green fields, parks and
flowers are not wanting and the sur
roundings of the principal cities are in
all cases very pleasant and in some Ie-
ally beautiful. The great royal park
at The Hague with its noble trees, de-
lightful drives, and dainty Huis ten
Bosch (House in the WoOd) is scarcely
surpassed by those at Versailles and
Fontainebleau except in extent. The
Huis ten Bosch is royal villa erected
Hx-t 1,.n Il 90 Drin ialy
ry of Orange in memory of her husband,
the stakeholder of the Netherlands dur
ing the Thirty Years War. Nearly the
whole country would be under water
but for the ingenuity of its engineers
who have built dykes and sea walls,
and the watchfulness of the men who
are appointed to keep an eye on the sea
and guard against its encroachments.
Vast tracks of land have been reclaim
ed and they make the best of Hollands
gardens. Horticulture is practiced
everywhere, and the flower beds and
gardens around Haarlem are justly eel
ebrated. More than two centuries ago
the flower trade of Holland became a
mania, and tulip roots were as impOr-
tant objects of speculation as silver and
copper stocks are now. 1t is recorded
that one of the rarest roots brought 13,
900 flOrins.
ROTTERDAM.
We came across the North Sea from
England, departing from Harwich and
landing at Rotterdam. The trip was
made at night on the largest and best
of the steamers of the Great Eastern
Railway line, which was found none toe
large or none too comfortable to meet
the luxurious tastes of the American
traveller, who forms his standards il
such things from the great boats oil
Long Island Sound and our western
rivers. 1t should be mentioned tina
our party was not as large as it was il
Scotland and England, a division into
sections having been made at London
The season has been rainy and unpleas
ant on the Continent as well as in Grea
Britain, but we have been favored will
delightful weather. We reached Rot.
terdam on bright, genial, sunny morn.
ing and after good breakfast at the
Hotel Victoria took good survey Of
the city, first on foot and then in car.
Tiages. Rotterdam is not as pronounced.
ly "Dutchn as Amsterdam, but its busy
streets and canals, so jumbled in con.
fusion that the ships masts seem tc
protrude from the roofs of the neigh.
boring houses, form a quaint, and, tt
an American eye, a comical aspect
The GrOOte Kerk, or church of st. Law
renee, contains some interesting tomb
of old Dutch Admirals and large or
gan which is said to rival the celebrated
Haarlem instrument. The museum a
Rotterdam is not large, nor is it as in
teresting to the art student as those a
The Hague and at Amsterdam where
the richest works of the Dutch painters
both ancient and modern, are to b,
l
galleries of Antwerp. Erasmus wa
born in Rotterdam and his memory il
perpetuated by statue which wa
erected in 1862, nearly two hundred
years after his birth.
THE HAGUE.
From Rotterdam we jourDeyed to Th,
Hague by rail passing through Delft
Here the King resides and be gathers
around him the aristocracy of his realm
so that the city has more social anC
political Importance, than business
show. This distinction quickly strike
the visitor both in the character of th,
people, and in the appearance of th,
streets which are lined for large par
by handsome dwellings and beautiful
gardens, with here and there a palace
more pretentiOus and with a create
wealth of gardens and parks than tn,
rest. The museum contains some fin,
pictures by Rembrandt, Jan Steen, Val
Dyck, Wouverman and others, ant
Paul Potter's famous Bull, which wa
once stolen by the French and carrie,
off to the Louvre, is also to be seel
there. So, too, is Rembrandt's cele
brated School of Anatomy. Several o
RavesteDn's paintings are displayed il
the Stadhuis or Town Hall. There ar,
several monuments and statues, tn,
chief of which is the imposing Nationa
Monument which was erected some tel
years ago to commemorate the restora