THE KINGDOM OF HOLLAND.

HOLLAND lies immediately north of Belgium, fronting to the west and north on the German Ocean, and is bounded east by Hanover and Rhenish Prussia, and south by Rhenish Prussia and Belgium. Its limits are between the latitudes of 50° 45′ and 53° 28′ N., and between the longitudes of 30 23′ and 7° 28′ E. The greatest length of the country from north-east to south-west is about 190 miles; its greatest breadth from east to west 123 miles, and the area of its surface 15,890 square miles.

Holland, in the early ages, is represented to have been an extended swamp, alternately covered and abandoned by the ocean. The inhabitants then lived on the sandy elevations, and fared on the produce of the waters. The period when they began to protect themselves by dykes is not known, but for centuries they have successfully combatted the waves of the sea, and the result has been a present safety and high state of cultivation to this amphibious territory. A great part of Holland is from 30 to 40 feet below the water-mark of the coast, and at various times the sea has burst its barriers, and on these occasions the most disastrous effects have been produced. In connection with the building of dykes the draining of the country naturally presents itself, and consequently we find Holland intersected in every direction with canals and sluices, which answer the double means of draining and internal communication, and being lined with rows of trees, tend to beautify a most flat and uninteresting country.

Along the coast there is a line of sand-hills or downs, in some places so high as to shut out the view of the sea from the tops of the tallest spires. These appear to be formed by a natural process, which is still going on, and which is owing to the action of the winds on the dry sands, which are borne in clouds of dust for more than a mile inland. These downs, except at the mouths of the rivers, form a sufficient barrier, and it is only to such excepted places that the attention of the Dutch is principally directed. There the dykes or bulwarks of earth have been constructed, and are carefully kept in repair. Across the country in all directions low mounds have been raised to enclose sections of land or fields, called "polders," which are surrounded and intersected by ditches, into which the water runs, and from which it is drawn off by pumps, worked by wind-mills, and carried along the tops of the dykes to the main canals which intersect the country on a level with the sea.

Holland, as might naturally be supposed, has, in consequence of its superabundance of water and its unsheltered exposure to the sea-breezc, a very humid climate, and a foggy atmosphere. This is more the case in summer than winter, the latter season being cleared of its vapor by the prevailing east winds and frosty atmosphere. Notwithstanding, however, this excessive moisture, the health of the people does not materially suffer, but there are certain diseases specially attributable to the peculiar atmospheric condition of the country. The industry of the people is chiefly directed to the breeding and rearing of cattle, and vast pastures, dazzling with the richest verdures, furnish abundant and wholesome nourishment to thousands of animals. In the north, wheat, flax and madder are raised, and in the south, where agriculture has made the greatest progress, tobacco and different

kinds of fruit trees cover the fields. Of the total surface more than twothirds is under cultivation; about 125,000 acres are covered with cities, roads, &c.; 250,000 acres by canals, rivers, &c.; and 1,935,000 by heaths, sea-shore, downs, peat-bogs, &c.

The great rivers of Holland are the Rhine, the Waal and the Meuse, all intimately connected. The RHINE enters Holland in a single stream, but soon divides into two great branches, the Rhine and the Waal, the latter of which joins the Meuse near Gorcum. The Rhine gives off another branch east of Arnheim, which joins the Yssel, and flows onward to the Zuyder-zee. It then flows westward and again divides; the branch called the old Rhine, flows past Utrecht and Leyden, and enters the sea by a sluice at Katwyk ; while the other, under the name of the Lech, joins the Meuse eastward of Rotterdam, and forms between it and the Waal the island of Betwe, the ancient "Insula Batavorum." The MEUSE flows through Dutch Limburg and North Brabant, joins the Waal near Gorcum, and then divides into two principal channels, one of which flows onward to the sea by Rotterdam, while the other passes through the Biesbosch and Hollands-deep, and forms two estuaries between the islands of Schouwen and Voorn, divided by Goree and Over-Flackee.

The ZUYDER-ZEE is a great gulf, which penetrates far inland between North Holland, and Friesland, Överyssel and Gelderland on the east. The southern portion was originally a large lake, the barrier between which and the sea was broken through by an inundation in 1225. It is much encumbered with sand banks, and subject to violent storms. The DOLLERT, a similar inlet between Groningen and Hanover, was formed likewise by an irruption of the sea in 1277. In South Holland and Zealand there are five estuaries communicating with the Meuse and the Scheldt.

The islands off the coast are chiefly accumulations of sand and alluvial deposits, and are very numerous. In Zealand are the islands of Walcheren, Schouwen, North and South Beveland, Tholen, &c.; in South Holland, Goree, Over Flackee, Voorn, Beierland, Ysselmond, &c.; Texel, Vlieland, Ter-Schelling, Ameland, Schiermonnick, and Borkum, opposite the Zuyder-zee and the coasts of Friesland and Groningen; and within the Zuyderzee, Wieringen, Urk, Schokland and Marken.

Lakes are numerous, but generally of small extent. HAARLAEMMER-MEER, or the Lake of Haarlaem, in North Holland, is, however, of considerable size, being 15 miles long and 8 in breadth. It communicates with the Zuyderzee by the Y, and is everywhere navigable. It was formed by an inundation of the sea about four centuries ago, and is separated from the North Sea by a neck of land about five miles broad. BIESBOSCH, in North Brabant, is a lake of 36 square miles in extent, formed in 1491 by a similar irruption, which overwhelmed 72 villages and 100,000 persons. The marshes occur chiefly in North Holland, Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe and Overyssel; and some of them are very extensive. Several of them have been drained, and their beds are called "polders," one of the most considerable of which was once occupied by the Lake of Naarden.

In almost all the provinces the towns communicate by canals, as they do elsewhere by roads, and these canals are traversed by "treckschuyts," which pass to and fro at fixed hours. The "North, or Great Ship Canal," which unites Amsterdam with Nieuwdiep, is large enough for ships of war, being 125 feet wide at the top, 38 at the bottom, and 21 feet deep. It is

about 50 miles in length, and was designed to enable vessels sailing to and from Amsterdam to avoid the dangerous navigation of the Zuyder-zee. It is the very life stream of Amsterdam, as without it that city must have sunk into comparative insignificance. This avenue of commerce was commenced in 1819, and completed in 1824, at a cost of nearly £1,000,000 sterling. The canal of Zederik extends from Vianen, on the Leck, to Gorcum, on the Meuse, and shortens by eight days the passage between Amsterdam and Cologne; and the canal of Zuid-Williems-Waast connects Bois-le-Duc with Maestricht, and admits vessels of 800 tons burthen. The roads which are everywhere excellent and broad, run for miles in straight lines along the tops of the dykes, and are paved with small bricks set on edge, so as to be very smooth for carriages. They are usually planted with rows of trees. The general transport business, however, is done on the canals, which here form the chief thoroughfares. Railroads have been introduced. The principal now in operation are those between Amsterdam and the Hague, and between Amsterdam and Arnem.

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Holland contains two distinct people: the Hollanders or Dutch; and the Frisons who occupy Friesland and its islands. A few Walloons, of the Græco-Latin stock, inhabit Limburg and some other places. The Dutch, says Mr. W. Chambers, are a sagacious and most respectable people. Their orderliness, industry and cleanliness are beyond all praise; they are at present, however, not an advancing race, or, on the whole, a thriving people. What may be the true cause of this it would perhaps be presumptious in me to say. My impression is, that there is little genius or enterprize amongst them; at least they seem to have no idea of readily adopting or employing mechanical expedients with the view of enlarging the bounds of manufacturing industry, while their inordinant self-esteem as a nation, prevents them from imitating those who are fit to set them an example. Satisfied with their usages, their industry and all that belongs to them, they remain the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. Their towns never seem to grow any larger, their canals and roads are what they were a hundred years since, (?) and, excepting some little additional energy in education, I am not aware of any advance they are making on a general scale. In short, they are a nation in stereotype, a work upon which few or no corrections or improvements can be permitted."

Perfect freedom in religious worship is allowed to all. The majority, however, of the Dutch are Calvinists, with a regularly constituted ministry. The Lutherans are next in numbers; the Mennonites and Remonstrants are also numerous, but all these sects taken in the aggregate do not amount to one-half the number of Calvinists. The clergy of all sects are maintained by government; and the expenses of the universities of Leyden, Utrecht, and Groningen, are also defrayed by the state. These are resorted to by all sects, indiscriminately, whose theological studies are provided for, under professors of their own faith.

The Dutch system of education is excellent. The institution and regulation of primary schools was commenced under the Batavian Republic, in 1804, but it was not until 1814 that it was in full effect. The great object in view is to educate every child in the simpler branches of general knowledge. General and local inspectors and boards of management superintend the whole, and no teacher is allowed to exercise his profession until properly examined as to his competency. The better class of schools are conducted by teachers, at their own risks. The law does not compel parents to send

their children to school, but the poor are not allowed any relief from the public funds unless they do send them to the " Armen" or poor schools; and the result is, that there are none without education. Secular and religious education are entirely separated, the first being entrusted solely to th clergy.

The government is a constitutional monarchy. The king shares the legislative power with the "States General," which are divided into two chambers: the first consisting of from 40 to 60 members nominated for life by the king; the second of 116 deputies, elected by the people of the provinces for three years. These take the title of "Hoghen Moghen" or High and Mighty Lords, and are assembled once a year at least. Each province has its own "States," composed of members belonging to these orders, viz., the nobility, citizens, and the country population. The provincial states assemble once a year at least, or as often as convoked by the king. The government of the colonies is vested exclusively in the king.

The revenue is derived principally from a land tax, excise duties and customs. In amount it varies little from 70,000,000 florins. The public debt amounts to 1,253,974,457 florins, or about $500,000,000, and the yearly interest to about $18,000,000, or more than half the total revenue.

The army in time of peace consists of one regiment each of grenadiers and foot chasseurs; 10 of infantry; 2 each of heavy artillery, light dragoons, and lancers; 2 batallions of field, and 1 of volunteer and 3 of militia artillery; 1 corps of flying artillery; 2 companies of artillery workmen, 1 division of pontooneers, 1 batallion of artillery drivers, and 1 corps of sappers and miners, forming two batallions. The navy consists of 8 ships of the line, with 55 frigates and a number of smaller vessels, mounting altogether 2,274 guns; besides, one exercise ship, 6 war steamers, 6 transports, &c. The number of vessels in commission in 1848 were 48, carrying 302 guns, and building and in ordinary 86, or in all 134. The merchant marine consists of 1,528 ships, and 241,676 tons.

Holland is not a manufacturing country. Some linens are made, however, as also woollen and cotton articles, but chiefly for domestic consump tion. Tapes and other smaller wares are made at Haarlaem, and bleaching done to some extent. Sugar refining is exclusively carried on in Amsterdam. Gin, of favorite brands, is made at Schneidam and other places, and the breweries are also large and numerous. Ship and boat building seems to be at the present time the chief branch of manufacturing industry.

The coast fisheries and the whale fisheries employ many seamen ; and there are altogether about 80 vessels employed in the herring fisheries, most of them belonging to Vlaardingen and Maas-Sluis, two places on the Meuse, below Rotterdam.

One of the most profitable branches of the Dutch industry, is the growth and pressing of the seed-oils.

Neither so flourishing as in the sixteenth century, nor yet so inconsiderable as in 1814, the commerce of Holland is still far from its natural capacity. The principal imports consist of grain, salt, wines, timber, lean cattle for fattening, millinery, and iron and other raw materials of manufac ture, besides sundry manufactured articles for the commission trade. The latter is a very important branch of Dutch commerce, as well as that of exchange. The flower trade still flourishes. The exports are agricultural and dairy produce, salted provisions, spices and other East India staples, madder, tobacco, flowers (bulbs,) oil, gin, seeds, hides, borax, and camphor.

The Dutch trading towns are, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Middelburg, Flushing, Briel, Dort, Enkhuizen, Zieriksee, Groningen and Utrecht.

The kingdom is divided into ten administrative divisions, called provinces, which are sub-divided into districts, and the latter into cantons. Parts of Limburg and Luxemburg have lately been added, but Luxemburg is not a part of the Kingdom of Holland, and only belongs to the king in his capacity of Grand Duke. It is properly a part of the German Confederacy.

LUXEMBURG...

.232..... THE HAGUE.

......... .............1,156................160,680................139........ Luxemburg.

The chief cities and towns are, Amsterdam, the Hague, Rotterdam, Groningen, &c. AMSTERDAM, the principal city of the kingdom, though not the capital, is situated on the right bank of the river Y or Ai, at the mouth of the Amstel, which divides it into two parts. It is besides intersected by many canals, which form upwards of 90 islands, communicating by 290 bridges, some of stone and some of wood. The streets, almost all straight, are built along the canals, are well paved, have foot-paths, and are well lighted at night. The two finest, called the Heeren-gracht and the Kaiser-gracht, in the middle of the city, are magnificent, and of considerable length, but the houses are all built of brick, and painted in various colors. Amsterdam is the seat of the general administration of the marine, whose vast magazines and ship-building yards are truly remarkable. It contains a great number of scientific and literary institutions. The Stadt-house, now the Royal Palace, is a magnificent modern structure, and the TownHouse, the East and West India Houses, the Exchange, Arsenal, Churches, &c., present individually specimens of the best styles, and as a whole give to the city an important aspect.

The prosperity of Amsterdam dates from 1648, when the Scheldt was closed to commerce, and its prosperity has declined since the re-opening of that river. The canals, and the railroad which connect it with the distant parts of the country and with other states, will probably restore its far waned fortunes. The population exceeds 220,000. Commerce is the prevailing pursuit of the citizens, there being few manufactures here or in the other parts of Holland. The vicinity is truly charming, being for miles around one vast garden, blooming with every variety of flowers, of which the Dutch flora is so redundant.

HAARLAEM, the capital of the province of North Holland, 12 miles west of Amsterdam, is a large but thinly peopled town, of some 22,000 inhabitants. It has many fine public buildings. Haarlaem is noted for its bleacheries, wax-works, tissues of wool and silk, type-foundries, and particularly its gardens, which produce immense quantities of flowers, the material of a