Year: 1877

SAYS q writer In an Engl1SL maSallne :
Within few miles of Rotterdam is a
town that will thoroughly satisfy the
antiquarian. Age stares you in the face.
On all sides such en- accumulation OF old
and interesting houses, that in perambu-
lating the street you turn your head
from side to side like a Chinese man
DARN, and scarce know how to take it all
in, vet proceed. I had heard no one in
Holland speak Of bort in terms of praise.
Those of whom I made inquiries had
never seen it. My visit was but the re-
suit of an impression that something
worthy of note would be found there.
Far short, indeed, was the expectation OF
the reaity-not always the rule in life.
I saw and wondered. Street after street
of ancient houses. Every possible out
line that professed anything of the pic
turesque. Few of the square, stiff.
straigA buildings familiar to ordinary
experience. Not only ancient outlines,
but house-fronts also. No modernized
bricks and stone; no window-sashes
painted white at least for the most
part. Nothing could be more pictur-
esaue or ancient looking, more quaint
and interesting than one of these canals.
Every house hoary with age, varying In
shape and size; now tall, with gabled
roof, now small and diminutive, as If
gradually sinking into decrepitude and
the grave. Here and there wooden bal
comics overhung the water, covered with
creepers and flowers, that dropped in
graceful boughs and tendrils, emblems
+ life and beauty amidst decay. The
water beneath reflected all the quaint
multitude of outlines. Above every town
in Holland-the dead cities scarce ex-
cepted-Dort carries You back into the
past centuries away from the world OF
to-day into that OF the Middle Ages.
No town I had visited 80 delighted me.
I had seen nothing like it in Holland. 1t
was not, as in some places, house or a
building here and there standing out
from its neighbors to delight by its
charms it was the general tone and
character of the whole place. The mar
Vel of passing from street to street, find
ing the one prevailing type of age and
beauty. So that at last one could only
exclaim: "And still they GOMEZ And
the wonderful old canal views were multi
piled. Many of the small side streets,
only wide enough to admit our startling
eqripage, and send an affrighted pedes.
trian flying IN a doorway for refuge,
whence they would peep ont with wonder
in their eyes and homage in their mien ;
manv of these small side streets were
full of diminutive houses dating back
three centuries and more, untouched
since the days of their first youth. One
of the characteristics of the place was
the remarkable manner in which many OF
the houses were out of the perpendicu-
lar. This is the case more or less
throughout Holland. The soil being
loose and sandy, the piles sink, the
foundations give way, and the houses nod
to each other. But in bort the feature
was carried often to almost an alarming
point. In many instances it looked as if
q gentle push would send down an old
building crashing to the earth. More
than once it was difficult to pass lean
ing tenement without positive fear. Not
a few were propped up with beams to
support their old age. This feature
materially added to the picturesqueness
of the town increased the look and
feeling of antiquity of q life ended ;
seldom met with, but full OF inexpres-
sible charm.