SÏÀ-P0RTd.
Édifices.
Inland
Navigation.
T h e ftéi-iéSâffi Madders,' thfe maritime province,- conflits cMefl^'of
fàtidÿ'Êite^àlifl df>vfris$àïïd %as ife# iMééspas':'môft e f th e
ffatb the ScheM. There are hbtfcêver tWh |ïorts which deferfé par-
«PffljpfmSMljffi by me MééCft LTifchfeij déméèTts
ia b ïé frônf-ihé' flüices, b y whibh fhé * cÎÉ8fimj&eht 'h&ttfitry may hé
la id 1 ü;öaèl*y^amr.! ' And a firMarTifcumftartce givës hateie to; HelfSet
gMffipBjP Fek2pifi¥;<'uf Hofl&iiS,-; fituated in the iiland -Ôr-
fb tty . milts -moré' to • thé liofïh; Giiicâanlîm fays tM t th e - hàVefi' ‘of
àluys Wàs éapàbiê ôTbbhïàmiiig' 5<fê • fhips. The p o it and population
now yield grçatly- to thofe of Oftend. This prdy,other haven-on the
Flemifli Ihorè' hàs bceh cénlîderablÿ îfeqhented fince the Schëltf §&as
âbàhddfîed, v Tfte r td # n is ftîll computed tô cdôthiiï 14,000 fouis,
though -it fuffered greatly hy X#ho femousxfiegéydàiish yhflÉiriat'êd in
1604, when it wàs gallantly defended-by Sir, Francis Vére^ at the head
o f a few Englifh troops. Many Englifh h n k ilk s wEfe;fefltled,'herev before
Oftend feü a poe y tôfthe Ermichj;
Ip. général it m a y : be dfefervecLthat, even a to fh é a f f^ ^ 4 -days. pfery
traveller isdapreffed with furprize, not only at the > n um b e r-jgnt,^îha
great extent o f the, FlemMb; citigs, town^, and even vil^ag^y, ,'iin which
re fg e ftth e, ,Nediërlands;exç^édr«yery e p h ia p y ip Euig^^^iBnjÿ'lfeB^t-
ing the U nited Provinces« Thg chief edifices are the cathedral s, churches^
and monafteries 5 though a few cattles helongiqg to. anetfeaf yaat^ B
or ricU merchants, ufed -to attract fome notice : the fafte ’o f I « k
buildings being faithfully copied. h th e F km iih landfçapes, and more
remarkable for little prettinefs, peaked -roofs, fantaftic ornaments,Ithe
muddy, moat, and drawbridge, than for grandeur of qefign/^or amenity
of fituation.
Idle would be the afremgt éven tö enumerate the canals^ Wpitp
interféû thefe provinces in all directions. 1 Some p f *fhe’m 'JdaleI eyën
from the tenth century, and'the cabal from BruffêMb fheBcoéld'ra bfthe
îiktéehth. Other Impprtânt canals -ex^ènu
Oftéttd, and Other •cities, and towns, FfpeMafiy ïh th e wèftèfô dfftricts ;
but, under the Auftrian' domination, thefe important means e f f n -
* Sluys belonged to the United Provinces, ; tu t is 'here mentioned, confidering the Nether-
lands to the Rhine as an appendage o f France. Nieuport, a little fitting town, fcarcely deferves
notice.1 ' ' T^'tercourle
tercourfe were fhamefully neglefted, and it will require much time and
labour to reftore them to their former utility.3
. The manufactures and commerce o f the Netherlands, for a long
period 'fkperipr to a^y in, the weft/pf„|;pfopc, have fufferetj a fadipal
and total decline, owing partly to the other powers entering into competition,
and partly to the eftablifhment of freedom in the United
Provinces; whence iAmfetdadnj grofe upon the ru in s ' p f Antwerp,
p h a t.little commemeiiemaiHS; is, ahwflyw|Mlaqd
terna'l s employing s e r ^ | few Jia-tdyec vf^ls.,) The F ^ f rln d ia Company
eftablifhed at -Oftend was fnppreffed by^he^fe^Jpufyfiof. England, and
©flier ymwersy and dae^8,hiif>-s@mnierqe yvas .afterwards, carji^d on by
the Engliih eftabliihed Tet'rPf.ctbe manufadures a fftw
fragments refifei'a 'yhy Frynyh X is ‘ftla Xt~
newned far jflie .e^mbriqs -wLiyh,,(tjhencie ^derived" h e i r name ; as Tour-
bajy.-qf/Donti.iok wys, a g g ^ g n l j y , J a m o t t s A t Brpgep
there,,ftte „ftiU.Jp^e .manufactures ^ ’j^ p a d .jfps^^jhatze, , '^ d ‘ other
wQO.Ueps F-Coppde/able l^ r i c s jo f bro^d-cloljh, druggefs,’ fta llp o n s/an d
hoeJcijj.ga, were4 Pt^ g % :4 , «QmW^pH&Ev ysiyfrtwvoolTmuggled
froqy|iUglan§ ^ 'But.,thp .chief manu fa ^ n reh ar.e'linf^^tapeffry;' fine lin'en,
spd yshj[im -g ^ uffelSi AntW|rpl X p u v a in ^ whicli’ ftifl
enrich th&s.9Quptry^arQundv and induce the farmers tdT cultivate ’flaix,
T h e _f^emejjapds 0 r'oduct^” mr BOme'cifeb
fumption, almndance o f corn, and' vegetables; and th^Tod'Xirfines
wauMjbe^pme, impor^nt^ if the yoper^ions^were ikilfiifl'y5 "Conducted.
T h e re te& sy ^ g ab u n d a n c e to ftM fffq t ftfel1 j" w ith “ir6 n, 'porcelain d ay ,
aj^dvitiLer^mmodities. -
s The climate of the Netherlands confiderably refemliles that of the
fouth • of .Fnglatid., and is more .remarkable fo r nioifture -than for
warmth; .yet the duchy of Luxembourg produces fome wine, which
, probably, has the aufierhy of the Rhenilh, without its'fp irit.' The f a te .
of the country is in general level, and the femblance- of hills can fcarcely1
be (lifeoyered, ^except towards ifie Eaft, where a few .elevations relieve
th.e eye from the'generaLflatnefs o f the other fegioris. The-foil is in
.general ric h : fandy loam, foxnctimes' interiperfed ■ with fields of clay,
3 PliilipSj 4'S,. * 4 Marfhall, ii. n . I 5 Ibid. 63»
but
Inland
Ma y ig a - '
tio*. *
Manufai&urcs
and Com*
mercc.
Climate and
Seàfons. •
Face o f t^e
Soil and'..
Agriculture.