The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-14
ODD EXPERIENCES ON
 WEE DUTCH ISLAND Happy Netherlands People Who Dwell Below Sea
 Level.
ARE AN AQUATIC RACE
Delightful sojourn on an Island in the Zuyder
 Zee.


 We had a delightful sojourn at the little Dutch village, of Bruinisse, on the island of Duiveland. This island forms part of the province of Zeeland Cor Sea land )-a province appropriately named, for a large part of it was re- claimed from the sea and lies below the sea level The Zealand people cen turies ago took swimming lion as their heraldic emblem, indicating at once their isolation and their strength for battling with difficulties, and they had a fitting Latin motto siGnifylng
 I struggle and I overcome"
 The courage and persistence shown by these people of the below-sea-leyel part of Holland in fighting their in- veterate and ever watchful enemy the sea is surely one of the finest passages in the whole history of human nature Nevertheless it is these struggles against well-nigh overwhelming odds on all sides that have made the Dutch what they are-the most remarkable little nation the world has ever known. Tine names "Netherlands" and 'Hol- land, by the way, are used inter- changeably, both meaning of course a hollow or low country, but the official term now generally recognized is Ne therlands."
 It was long after dark of the short winter day when the little steam tram that had brought us from Rosendaal dumped us out on high dike which seemed to us to be decidedly the Jumping of place." A rough arm of the sea called the Keetan lay before us, and half mile across it we could see a few gl mmering lights at zype This Zype we had picked out for our nights stopping place, and so we fol- lowed some other passengers aboard an impatient little steam ferryboat, which hurried across with us as if it was anxious to get through with its days work and take a rest, We all huddled round the srnokestack, for the wind off the North sea was keen.
 We asked in the best apology for Dutch We could muster the way to the nearest hotel, but were greatly taken back when We were told that there was no hotel there, and absolutely no house where we could stay, In fact. We found that Zype was not a place at all, but only place where a place ought to be, as we had thought from the map It was stopping port for the little steamer to Rotterdam, but that was all. But the railroad men and others took a kindly interest in us, and at last some one who talked some French made us understand that mile and a quarter further on there was the village of Bruinisse, where there was an inn. The old man who kept little bar at the waiting room gooa-natured- ly shut up shop and guided us along a dark and muddy road to our destina- ton.
 We had begun to think we wer out of the world entirely when we saw the reassuring lights of Bruinisse. Soon we reached the inn, where our guide explained our case to the host, who welcomed us with 8 cheery oldtime grace and called his handsome and motherly wife to come and look after our comfort. We sprang on them our stock question in Dutch whether they had beds for us, and what was our joy and surprise when our host re- sponded, in quaint English, tapping his finger impressively on his palm. Look here I got plenty room" Many years before, when young man, he had been sailor and picked up little English for which we were very glad. He was the finest looking little old grand fatherly man you ever saw, and we at once nicknamed him among ourselves Grandpa" His real name was John Storm, as we saw by some Japanese paper napkins they gave us at supper, with his inn card printed on and bear 1 ing also the wish in French for a bon appetit = good appetite"
 The most extravagant phrases l could use would scarcely convey to you clear idea of the spick-and span neatness of this remote little village inn. The Dutch are such an aquatic people that they even build their hous-
 
 probably due largely to the fact that the boat carpenters often work as house builders. The rooms are low, with small windows and liberal dis play of woodwork and huge beams and braces, suggesting the cabin of a sail | ing vessel, while the stairways are so steep and narrow that you can hardly | get up or down, and often rope is provided instead of a hand rail, as in the companion ways on board ship. ! Our rooms were the ''cutest" imagin- able. They bore a close resemblance to the staterooHs on a steamer, the beds being built in in regular bunk fashion Everything was so fine and them. The blankets, woven Of the most snow white wool, were half an inch thick and warm and soft as eiderdown
 1 have slept once or twice in million aires beds, and I supposed they were the limit of luxury, but they were not the equal of Grandpa" Storms at the village inn of Bruinisse.
 1 The houses were some of them very old, but nearly all were neat and cosy looking. The streets were paved with 1 brick, as is the case generally through out Holland stone and wood are both materials that are scarce in this little country. Here again the children thought we were irresistibly funny looking. As they clattered along the streets to school in their wooden shoes, they broke into volleys of laughter at our expense. Indeed, we had to admit that they were better dressed for the conditions than we, The weather was sloppy and their feet in their rude wooden shoes could be kept warmer and drier than ours in our coveted American leather shoes.