The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1893-05-18
Written for The Journal
Notes on Holland.
BY REV. GEO. +. TUFTS.

tabished by the Congress Of Vienna in
lsl5. left London one rainy evening at s
o clock, and reached IIarwich at 10.
Then stepped on board a steamer, and at
) o clock next morning, we were near the
continent. As our steamer entered the
river Mas and sailed for few hours
along its eircuitous banks, a new country
indeed met the eye. There We're high
windmils ia all directions scattered over
the broad fertile fields. pumping the
water that soaks through the dykes out
into the sea a large part Of this highly
/ productive country il below the level Of
| the ocean.
On reaching Rotterdam. a fine CONNER
cial city OF 200, 900 inhabitants, the Ian
guage. the dress, and the customs of the
| people told the stranger that nc was in a
foreign land The barber WAS full of large
ships and steamers: and right in the midst
Of the citv TUGS and small steamers were
moving III AT directions through the n-
Vulnerable canals happened 10 he
there on market day and II certainly
was curious sight To watch the people
from the country districts. who had come
~ the city TO dispose n their wares.
Farmers lad brought fruits, vegetables,
horses, cows, fowls. etc women he'd
/ brought butter and chcesrs and all solts
Nj fancy needle work, coarse ana tine
good, bad and Indifferent What scores
IF these articles We're for, ana how they
could al be disposed ~ w,s mystery u
me.
IN a public square. ! noticed bronze
statue Of Erasmus; and As our carriage, in
passing through the city, came to al nm
pretentious but solid looking old house, a
large fat iIolander cried 5at 1T the top ot
his voice in broken Eugiish 'Hele is
where Erasmus was born Over the
door the passerby plainly reads Hacr
est i'"rf" d9nnS m0a1ps gita eaf3tS Et"S-
mrs This is the small house where the
great Erasmus was born
noticed \ long funeral procession moS-
Il42 SLOWLY dlll"WGh one nf the linflral
streets. Tba hearse \ yely ner one
was drawn IN two blavk horses IL deep
mourning atlich blaek pall covering the
animals ald coming dawn Hi their foei
MI -ainy ihrou4h thc c~unry I Passed
ieyden twice, Init Lad NOT time To Stop.
I Mas greatly interested in Nmstcraam
INV lar4es city III Holland having
a population Of 100000 1T IS tile
most Ike Venice Of any city III Europe.
bat nearly fun times As largr Willie
Venice is built npon III Islands which
aye separated Nv ~ canals THAT are SPAN
neg w 57S arehed Stone bridges. Amst,r-
dam +, bHilt upon 80 islands, which are
connected M about ~ bridges; and the
canals II the city are nearly as numerous
as tie streets. and are parallel With them
Within 40 or 20 feet Of the high brick and
-tene buildings. boats and tugs and little
steamers are moving to ana fro The
streets are wide, and we'll paved
jhc churches Were di~peleA VI theil
decorations during tile Reformation
and now contain az work of art sucll
~ One sees IN the churches "a Roman
Catholic countries: but the art galleries
and museums OF Amsterdam ar, indeed
inc. 'l'he KpNal Museum, containing 35n
rooms covers three acres and J., fro.n
three 10 five stories high Among it's
nliles of pictures are many trnr the brush
al Rembrandt, tile maStel Nj LIGHT ana
shade and color, who established himself
at Amsterdam ut the age ot -. His two
masterpieces aro The Ni4ht Watch ann
Hague. His picture. tChriSt blessing
little children was purchased fol 9.5, oNO
More than 600 OF his paintings are m the
ant galleries II Europe- Tle finest puild
ING III the city n the RoyaI Palace, which
j. occupied by the sovereign six days in
the yeal. During the othel 800 days tho SER
wants occupy ii and keep the costly fulni-
ture in order 1t rests on IS. 695 piles
uiiyen into the sand, and covers some
three acres. The sculpture and paintings
ii contains are of great value. The ball
room is 100 feet long 90 feet wide and
100 feet from the floor all Of white mar
bic, and sculptured figures in high or bas-
relief cover every square yard of space
upon the walls and ceiling. All Of the
rooms noticed We're furnished in most
princely manner. Scores of battle flags
remind the visitor OF the revolution Of
1880. The history of the Netherlands
all through the political changes from the
ninth century when they formed a part
of the Empire of Challemagne, to the
revolution of 1880, when Belgium and
Holland became separate kingdoms--s
wildly described by painters and sculp-
tors. The marble and the canvas have
been made to speak The bloody schemes
Of Philip II OF Spain. beginning 1906 the
bigoted cruelty of the brutal duke of Alva;
the mercileSs Frederick son of Alva who
butchered innocent men without mercy.
and tied 800 citizens of Harlem back to
back and flung then into the sea. all such
scenes during the time Of the rise III the
Dutch Republic, the visitor Sees on can
vas and in marbein the art galleries and