The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-08

walled with stone held between piles. w
rode high above the rest of the country
and could see the roofs of the barns ant
houses even with the top of the bikes. or
the opposite side the trees showed out like
bushes over the wall. which extended on ana
on up the river as far as our eyes coul1
reach.
We passed the great forts that guard this
entrance TO Europe. and went on through
I at fiat country on the edge of the sea.
At times We could see the fields beyond
the walls with the cattle feeding UPON
them. Long lines of trees marked out .h5
road which seemed to be marching over
the landscape. making me think of Mac
beth's woods coming to Dunsinane.
We soon left the Scheldt and passing
through locks came into the canal of South
Beveland. This is one of the largest ca
mails of Southern Holland.
1t is wide and high banked. and so straight
that the tugs and barges which fill il grow
smaller and smaller and finally block the
canal in the distance.
| The locks are old fashioned. They ore
moved by hand by quaint old Dutchmen in
caps. roundabouts and fat pantaloons. At
every lock Dutch girls brought out fruit and
knickknacks to sell to the passengers. They
were pretty girls and l liked their quaint
| costumes.
They wore short skirts. white clogs and
black stockings. Several had on bright
vests and two had horns of gold over each
of their eyes. the horns twisted around in
the shape of Il miniature old ia shioned bed
spring.
Three others had gold or silver helmets
fitted light to thelr heads. showing ont
through their lace caps. They laughed as
we dealt with them, but invariably got The
best of the bargain.
HORSE POWER. MAN
POWER AMI STEAM.
Most of the craft OF this canal is carried
along by tugs. although some barges are
pulled by men and women and others by
horses.
So far but little electricity has been ap-
piled to these canals. although this matter
Is seriously considered by the Dutch.
AT every Few steps along the way are posts
Tor tying the boats, and we now and then
passed boats at anchor.
Leaving the South Beveland canal we en-
tered the Ooster Scheldt, a sort of branch
oil the sea, and then went on between me
islands of Duiveland and Trolen into the
Mas canal.
The waters of the Ooster ScheIdt are wide
and spotted with islands. We passed many
sailing craft and now and then went by a
tug towing great barges.
With the glass we could see schools of
black seals on the sand flats. and farther
back hundreds of Holstein cattle lying out
in the sun.
We entered the Hollandische dep and
then the canals and mouths of the Mas.
now going by villages on the banks, and
now seeing the second stories of other vii
lase houses which were apparently looking
over the bikes and watching us go by.
The Dutch canals are almost as thickly
populated as the waterways of China. Ev-
cry barge we passed had its family upon IT,
an evidence of the thousands of Dutch
families which live and die upon boats.
Babies are born upon them, and many have
no other homes.
We frequently saw children %trotting UP
and down the roofs of the barges. within
six inches of drowning. and now and then
a little one tied with a rope to the mast.
On many of the boats the women were
cooking; on some they were hanging out
the washing. and on one a little Dutch girl
held up her doll baby and laughed as we
went by.
Every village along the canal ha. its own
boats tied to the banks, and the larger
towns were cut up by canals SO that boats
from the main canals could be taken into
them by means of locks.
We stopped for "A time at Dordrecht.
which, in the Middle Ages. was one Of the
richest Of all the Dutch citiex