The daily gazette., 1880-10-06

ABOUT AMSTERDAM, ROTTERDAM
AND THE DUTCH-A VISIT TO
''FRAGRANT'' COLOGNE.
COLOGNE, Germany, Sept. 8.
Regular correspondence of Gazette.
Since leaving Ireland events have
crowded too rapidly for record. We
crossed the channel and took rail for
London, where we spent few days
preparatory to going to the CONT
nent. Whilst here we visited the
Royal Exhibition of fruits and flow
ers at the Crystal Palace, and wit
messed the first collection of hot
house fruits grapes particularly, and
flowers perfect of their kinds. Of
outdoor fruits, the gooseberries and
plumbs were very fine; many Of the
latter specimens excelling in size
the apples on exhibition. The ap-
pies were quite inferior in every re-
spcct.
Peaches, apricots and nectarines
fair; but these fruits can only be
grown under glass, and cost the
grower about one shilling each to
grow them. The melons, though
considered fine, were poor indeed
when compared with our Jersey
fruit. They were all of the cante-
loupe family, and would not bring
twenty five cents per basket in our
Wilmington markets though Re e
valued from fifty to seventy five
cents each. Indeed they would
scarcely find buyer with us at any
price.
The grapes were remarkably fine.
Many OF the punches contributed by
Baron Roth child weighed from five
to seven pounds each, and the ber-
ries were very large. Of the flow
ers, the dahlias, margurites and
gladoli were simply perfect in for
nation and color. The moist climate
of England is much more favorable
to flowers than our hot and dry eli.
ate, and flowers of most varieties
bloom more profusely and last long
er than with us.
From London we crossed over to
Holla d landed at Flushing and pro-.
ceeded directly to Rotterdam and
Amsterdam. The industry and
thrift noticeable everywhere in Hol-
land are truly refreshing after wit.
Messing the poverty and distress ol
Ireland. Every one, man, woman
and child seems to be busy and to be
cheerful.
But the visitor from abroad is con.
stantly apprehensive lest the sea
may break over the slight banks
and overwhelm the whole land. Hol.
land is really lower than the sea. In.
deed, it was once sea itself, and by
the preserving industry of its people
it was banked in and tho waters
barred by embankments, leaving the
rich bottoms a prize to the brave
and industrious workers, who still
keep unceasing we tch and ward over
their captured domains.
Look about you and you see one vast
level plain stretching away on every
hand as far as the eye can see, and
bounded only by the horizon. A sea
| of green grass, with not fence, and
only an occasional house or a wind
mill Tapping its lazy sails to break the
monotony. Further on we see cattle
grazing, large spotted cattle in fine
condition, and sometimes herd of the
| heavy dutch looking horses are on the
pastures.
Before we reach Rotterdam, we
have seen all the agricultural belong
ings of this slow, happy and indus
trious people, from the heavy iron hoe,
the old fashioned sickle and the short
moving scythe to the heavy plough,
with it's two big wheels at the end OF
the beam, it's three horses driven by
the man IN smock frock, and handles
held by the stout woman IN her scar
let petticoats, that come half way be-
low the knees.
| We look in vain for the typical
| dutchman rotound, red-faced aud his
ever present pipe. Plenty of smokers
there are, but the big -bellied represen-
tative is not often met in Holland.
The men are rather spare and small,
whilst the women, Gt may be because
Of their healthy, out of door occupa-
tions,) are stout, ruddy and stolid-no
great beauties to be sure, but surely
useful. They take equal part with the
men in all the farm work. We see
them reaping, pitching hay and stack
ing as well as hoeing and plowing.
They drive the carts, which are drawn
| by heifer or two heifers harnessed
together, or, by big dog or, want
ing one of these, they take the shafts
themselves and draw enormous loads
of hay, wood or peat. The women are
everywhere the fair features in the
landscape, and their dresses of scarlet,
orange, yellow and blue give color and
beauty to the scene.
Rotterdam, though a large city, has
little in it to interest MS, and we proceed
to Amsterdam, the Venice of Holland.
Here the broad canals form the roadway
of the streets, and are constantly filled
with vessels of all descriptions. The
warehouses along the canals have hoist
ing machinery attached to the upper
windows so that the cargo from the boats
may be raised to any of the many
stories.
Most of the houses on the canals lean
out of perpendicular, and seem about to
topple over into the water. Indeed it
seems that many of the large six and
seven storied buildings MUST fall, and
we hurry past them least we should be
entrarped in the ruins. But no, there
they have been standing a hundred
Years, at least, and there the dutchmen
believe they will stand for century
more.
The whole town is built upon three
hundred thousand piles, driven down
into the hard-pan beneath the surface.