The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-17
I'M AMERICAN in EUROPE.
Observations Upon the Life and Politics
Of Thirty Years Ago.
BY THE LATE
JAMES SHEP ERD PIKE.


steamer Baron o.: landed from a boat In a
ssaia This port and leland are slandered In
the guide books by being called unhealthy.
There are two basins to this harbor. entered
By separate narrow channels. one through a
I gate. the other not. The latter leads to the
naval basin. which 10 entered through double
gates and Is kept full. Here were several frig-
ates and other Government vessels All about
the hsrbor are heavy brick sea walls and sea
bikes, with tho ordinary Accomplishments OF
piles. jetties. and heavy stone shore pave
mshte. with piles ut intervals between the
stones The Government em ploys |. 900 work
men ut this station. The best mechanics are
paid one and half euildens t52 cents per day.
the year. except Sundays. and allowing them
one half wages when they are sick not over
fourteen days. and paying doctors bills
and for medicines. The wages range
from this sum even to half a form II centsl
for ordinary laborers. the worklnen in all
cases finding and feeding themselves The
town now contains about 10000 inhabitants.
It 10 not as It 10 all eyed. fever and ague place.
The famous English expedition that took the
town has given It a bad name. But the British
army took tho fever by landing on the oppo-
site shore and brought their disorders to Wis
singer. The whole island Is thckly popu-
lnE00
beat quality and higher than tho country
about Tho Hague At the latter place it seems
to DO about two feet generally above the level
Of the water In the bitches. and almost all in
pasture or grass. In Wa'cheren n largo por
ton lies four or six feet above tho drainage.
and It Is under the plough, bearing peas.
beans. and most luxurant wheat in large
quantities. 1t likewise abounds in fine coun-
try places aud the smooth brick paved roads
are everywhere fringed with the willow. and
che horse chestnut The willow is largely Gull
tivated for use in tho dikes.
MiddleburR. the central town OF the island
contains 10000 Inhabitants. 1t is a CHEEKY old
place. with the salt water flowing up a straight
river to the heart OF the town. Thcre was tho
annual fair here. with the boys'and girls hug
ginR one another in the streets
Rode from Middeburg over to West Rapelle
by way Of Domturg to see the famous dikes
at the former place. A mile or two Of sea wall
IL here made to fila space between the dunes.
Let me try to descrihe what u sea dixie IS.
The embankment Is from 40 to so feet high.
The slope toward the sea Is very gradual
Along the highest part o! the dixie Is WIDE
Rravelled. splendid carriage road. Toward the
sea and next to the road comes u belt OF grass
100 feet wide.
Next to this Is another belt of equal width OF
straw mating. scanned closely by hidden
stakes to the ground. Beyond this comes the
belt next the sea, over which the water in
oessantly foams. This Is apparently even
wider than either Of the other two. making the
entire slope Of the dixie some 800 feet on its
oceans face. This last section is sometimes
com possd OF twias not much longer than the
handle OF q coachman's whip laid endwise to
the water five or six inches in thickness.
Through these are driven round stakes four
feet long and two in diameter. which are loft a
foot above the twigs. These stakes are n foot
apart and united by weaving OF willow twigs
two or three inches high. which effectually Sc
cires the bed OF twigs below. and over them
the surf rolls and washes harmlessly. In
moro exposed places piles are driven in rows
q very short distance apart. perhaps two feet.
and pavement OF large. square stones laid on
the earth between them.'the piles projecting a
foot or twO In the most dangerous parts
these piles are left six feet above the surface
and the tops secured by cross beams bolted in
squares over tho entire piling This vast piece
Of work Is constantly watched aud kept in per-
feet order. There are always kept stacks Of
straw. reeds. ,twigs. stakes. and piles OF stone
standing along the line OF dixie. ready for use.
and police always present on duty. The
annual repairs of this single piece OF dixie are
said to cost $4,000. For a long distance be-
yond the dking there are stone windows
projecting from the dunes into the sea. at in
tervals Of about a furlong. These operate to
collect the sand las 1t drifts along the beach
and prevent Outlying by the sea.
At Domburr these and also little fences Of
reeds runni ng out a few feet from the shore.
for the same purpose. are TO be found
May IA. 1S62.-Rotterdam is very busy COM
mercal mart There is an inlnity OF river craft
n I'm siIa q a
OF water which makes its intestinal canals as
numerous as those OF the human body. Here
congregate all the small craft propelled by
steam and wind which navigate the waters OF
tho Mas and the Rhine. and oil its nu-
merous arms and tributaries under whatever
various names they are called. The large
ships, OF which there are mani. coming and
departing. lie on the mini river opposite the
town. whore there are no wharyes. nut only u
continInous quay OF great width. where the
Sometimes they lie in tho stream 10 discharge.
The tide flows In and out worry rapidly, max
assnst @a The 'T oHd do " IN
strong for four hours. Whom the Rhine Is in
freshet tho water OF the river is turbid and
yellow but now May II looks very clear and
patuIal as Il runs ,past oar windows at tho
New Bath Hotel. Eyerywhere the Dutch arc
except that the women work out Of doors Just
like the men; But they are worthy people;
the town bordsrns on tho liver ' The r arr
streets and lanes OF this village are, singuarly
free from anythipg like sqqalor The children
swarm. but are always in tidy attire. and it Is
tho same with the grown people.
May ~ Drove three hours in the environs
Of Haarlsm. and 70 the country seats OF tho
last We found a change In the soil and atmos-
pheTe. both being here warm and dry. It's
cultivated in Holland; the dunes generally
dens SURROUND tho town and create IN i'm
Real estate and rents here are low priced.
The hotel whore stay rented for 100 francs u
year. and. though not extensive, Is large
Sp8ugh for the place. It was built for a hotel
ever since: 1t has a quaint appearance espe:
ciAlly the Kitchen. with its huge fireplace and
windows high up. 1t IL not unlikely that some
of the passengers Of the May Flower put up At
There are fine old buildings dating back to the
close OF the sixteenth century. Many rich per-
sons reside here. and numerous private houses
hear marks OF great comfort
No American appreciates the proportion
ssc.ch swelling talk bears to the public utter
II Is only when We sit quietly down in an old
country like Holland whose Vicissitudes and
al hnN tIfaNt haxTa d. Oh 10.