and Batavier, alternately, every Wednesday and Saturday at 12 noon, from Brunswick Wharf, Blackwall, in connection with the Rhine Steamers.

London, Queenborough, and Flushing.By Chatham and Dover Rail to Queenborough; thence by Zeeland Co.'s Steamer, daily, to Flushing (Vlissingen).

Hull to Rotterdam.-Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Sea passage, 19 hours. Grimsby to Rotterdam (average passage, thirty hours).-Saloon, 20s.; return, 30s. Every Wednesday and Saturday.

Newcastle to Rotterdam.-The Tyne Shipping Steamers every Tuesday. Return, Friday. Leith to Rotterdam.-Every Monday and Friday.

At the outbreak of the Dutch war of liberation, it was taken from the Spaniards by the Dutch in 1572, William de la Marck commanding the Water Gueusen at the attack; the tercentenary of which event was celebrated 1872; when a Monument and a Sailor's Hospital were commenced, the king laying the foundation stone. Motley, the historian, author of the "Rise of the Dutch Republic," and other well known works, was present. A procession of trades in medieval costume was formed on this occasion. It was one of the cautionary towns delivered to the English in 1585, in whose hands it remained until 1616. At this point we find a ferry across the Maas. We arrive at the entrance of the New canal, which is 5 miles further up than Brielle. This canal has proved an invaluable aid in the navigation of the river. It bisects the Island of Voorn, and enables vessels of large burden to

In the maritime Provinces of Holland, there are neither mountains nor hills to relieve the eye from the monotony of one flat surface; and when viewed from the top of a tower or steeple the country appears like a vast marshy plain, intersected in all directions by an infinity of canals and ditches. The prospect is not however altogether uninteresting, though wanting in what we deem the first features of picturesque beauty, as it exhibits vast meadows of the freshest verdure, covered with numerous herds of cattle. The numerous vessels passing in every direction also tend to enliven the scene, and the close succession of farms, villages, and towns, show at once the industry and wealth of the country.

The Maas (French, Meuse), is the estuary which conducts the greater portion of the waters of the Rhine and Meuse into the sea. At its mouth there is a bar which causes vessels much difficulty to pass especially in a low tide, when there is only seven feet of water to sail in. Entering the Maas, we see to the left the Hoek (Hook) van Holland. a sandy bank stretching into the sea.

To the left we see Brielle, a fortified town of small dimensions, situated on the right bank of the river as we ascend the stream. It is celebrated as being the birth-place of Admirals Tromp and de Witt. At this point the vessel is boarded by the officers of customs, who examine the ship's papers, and close the hold of the vessel.

the Maas, from which place they can pass into the large and commodious port of

Helvoetsluys (or "Hell-foot Sluice") where we see a royal dock and arsenal. It was from here William III. set sail for England in 1688. It is the chief naval port for the Dutch in the south, and may be looked upon in reference to Rotterdam and the mouth of the Rhine and Meuse, in the same light as the Helder is to Amsterdam and the Zuyder Zee.

Vlaardingen is seen on the right, higher up, and is the chief station for the Herring fishery of Holland, in which a hundred or more vessels are engaged annually. The fishery season lasts from the 2nd of June to the 1st of November. The chartering of the herring fleet is an interesting affair; some time about the middle of June the officers to be employed assemble at the Stadhuis, or Town Hall, and take an oath of fidelity to the laws of the fishery convention. After this they hoist their flags, generally on the 14th of June, and proceed to the church to assist at the service specially celebrated for the occasion, with the object of praying for a successful season. The 14th of June, on which day they weigh anchor, is generally kept as a gala day devoted to amusement and feasting. The first fruits of the expedltion are looked for with much anxious expectation, watchmen being placed on the Vlaardingen steeple to keep a look out for the vessel which is despatched

home with the first fish taken. A cargo of herrings realises about 800 florins, and the first kegs are presented to the King and his Ministers.

Closer to Rotterdam, situated at a distance from from the river side, is

Schiedam. Population (1883), 24,160. This place is famous for its distilleries, with the refuse of which upwards of 30,000 pigs are fed annually. It has the appearance of a huge forge, which vomits, continually, volumes of smoke that cover the town with a black mist.

Rotterdam is next seen at a turn of the river. The Maas, facing the town, is from 40 to 45 feet deep, thus enabling vessels of the largest tonnage to moor close to the houses. The Steamers land their passengers on the west quay, near the Boompjes. The latter is singularly picturesque, in consequence of the large avenue of beautiful elms which stretch along its banks giving the quay its name-Boompjes, which means little trees. On this quay is situated the Custom House. Through passengers for Cologne, &c., are conveyed free, by river steamer, to the Rhynspoorweg terminus.

ROTTERDAM (Station).

Hotels:---Victoria Hotel; New Bath Hotel; Hotel des Pays Bas; De Hollande; Hotel Verhaaren (Spaansche Kade); Leygraaff; Du Passage; Coomans; St. Paulus; and Hotel Weimer, very conveniently situated.

Resident English Consul.

English Church and Scotch Church Services. The English Church, on the east side of the Haringvliet, has emblazoned on its portal the arms of Queen Anne and of the Duke of Marlborough.

English Physician.

Conveyances.-Railways to Hague, Leyden, Haarlem, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem, Emmerich, and Oberhausen (for all parts of Germany), see BRADSHAW'S Continental Guide. Railway to Breda and Antwerp. A connecting rail runs through the town across the river, by a viaduct and bridge to meet the Central Belgian line from Dort.

Post and Telegraph Office.-Beurs Plein. Rotterdam is situated on the right bank of the Maas, near its confluence with the Rotte. Population of 169,480. One-fourth Roman Catholic,

7,000 Jews. The form of the town is that of a triangle, made up of about an equal proportion of streets and canals, the principal of the latter being the Leuve, Oude, Nieuwe, Scheepmakers and Wynhaven, and the Haringvliet, which discharge themselves into the Maas,

In Holland both tea and coffee are excellent. By no means order bacon or fish, or broiled ham and The eggs; they are usually a failure abroad. best thing to have is plain boiled eggs, or cold meat, or cotelettes aux pommes de terre frites, or an omelette aux herbes fines. The charge for breakfast is from a florin to a florin and a half (1s. 8d. to 2s. 6d.) Table d'hôte dinner is at four or halfpast four; a bell usually rings to call the company together. The charge, including ordinary wine, is about two guilders (3s. 4d.) Higher priced wines can be chosen from the carte. Never drink The best substitute is water; it is very bad. Seltzerwater, or bottled beer.

The hotels in Holland are managed in the French style. At most sixpence each is charged for candles (bougies) in the room, and about tenpence a day for attendance (service).

The shops are tolerably good, but they see too many English not to know how to charge high. A Turk's head, with a gaping mouth, gaudily painted and set above the door is the sign of a druggist's shop. A Bible carved in stone over the door indicates the deaconries for charity. Mirrors set at an angle outside the windows will also catch the stranger's eye; these reflect whatever is passing in the street, and are called "spies."

The visitor to Rotterdam, for the first time, will be surprised at the large number of draw-bridges keeping up a communication. The canals, crowded with vessels discharging cargoes at the very doors of the shops and warehouses, will appear quite as singular. Thus the easy communication with the sea has contributed largely to swell the tide of It has over eighty prosperity for Rotterdam.

merchant ships constantly employed in the service of its foreign commerce, which make the voyage to and from India in nine months. Its chief foreign trade is with Batavia, but a good traffic is also maintained in the productions of the East. Its corn and provision trades are also very great,

whilst its dockyards, supplied with timber from the upper parts of Germany contiguous to the Rhine, make it the seat of a busy industry in shipbuilding.

The appearance of the town, its novel and attractive combination of trees, bridges, water, and vessels; its old houses, overhanging their foundation, as if about falling in ruins; its shops and the semi-barbarous images in their front, together with its many other peculiar scenes and customs, will serve to amuse the visitor who enters it for the first time, much better than any lengthened description we can give of its buildings and institutions. The high street, called Hoogstraat, is built upon a broad, low dyke, or embankment, which formerly protected the town against inundation. The more modern and regularly built portion is to be found to the west, south, and south-west of this street, which once bounded the old city on the south.

One chief object of attraction in Rotterdam is the bronze Statue of Erasmus, standing on vaulting of considerable width, which spans a canal, and on which is held the principal market. The house in which Erasmus was born, in 1467, is now a gin shop, and is to be seen at No. 3, Breede Kerk Straat; it bears the following inscription-" Hic est parva domus, magnus quâ natus Erasmus." His real name was Gerrit-Gerritz, which he changed into Desiderius Erasmus.

The Church of St. Lawrence, called the Groote Kerk, is a structure of the fifteenth century, being built in 1472, and lately restored. Its architectural proportions are much neglected, and do not present a very fine appearance. It is surmounted by a tower 210 feet high, from which can be obtained an excellent view of the town and surrounding country, which, like all scenes in Holland, is peculiar and distinctive presenting a combination of wood and water, avenues and farm-yards stretching along a singularly level horizon, only broken by an occasional church spire or windmill rising in the distance. This church contains a large number of monuments, among which are those of Admirals de Witt and Codener, erected by the States-General. Sacristan, 25 cents Tower, 50 cents additional. The Organ will attract attention on account of its immense size and sweet tone; it has 6,500 pipes, 91 stops, aud

its argest metal pipe is 36 feet long, and 17 inches in diameter. It is 90 feet high, and considered superior to the organ of Haarlem. The organist will play for an hour for a fee of ten florins.

The Exchange, above which is a fine collection of philosophical instruments, and an Industrial Art Museum. Daily, 25 cents.

The Town Hall or Stadhuis is a fine building, having a composite portico. The House formerly occupied by the East India Company, near the Hotel des Pays Bas, is noticeable. The Dock-yard, though small, is worth a visit, and can be seen by an order from any respectable householder. In it is preserved the stern of the Royal Charles, which was taken by the Dutch in 1667. The Picture Museum, bequeathed to the town by M. Boymans, 1857, was burnt, 1864, and has been rebuilt. The collection, part of which was saved, and has been increased, can be seen daily, except Monday, by paying a small fee. The Archives and the Town Library, with 30,000 vols., are in the same building. Open 11 to 3. Apply to the librarian. The following are the most noteworthy pictures:-J. G. Cuyp, a portrait; Alb. Cuyp, a dead hare and grey horses; Rembrandt, a large unfinished allegorical sketch; Ruysdael, two landscapes; A. van de Velde, the Farrier; E. van de Velde, Man on Horseback; Hobbema, two landscapes; Jan Steen, Feast of St. Nicholas, and An Operation for Stone: Eeckhout, an Interior, Ruth and Boaz; Micrevelt, Portrait of Barneveld; Klinkenburg, View at the Hague. Catalogue (in French), 75 cents.

The Zoological and Botanic Gardens may be visited in the morning.

After dinner the Park, at the West End, may be visited. A band plays here on Summer evenings, and coffee and refreshments can be had. Ornamental water, with swans, pretty shrubberies and plantations, and a statue of Tollens, one of the popular poets of Holland, make this spot very delightful. A number of very pretty houses and gardens line the road thither, and the great Sailors' Home lies to the left.

Small screw Trekschuiten ply every hour to Delft and the Hague. Steamers to Nymegen every morning in summer, and every second morning during the winter months.

Steamers daily to Middelburg, in Zealand, in 7 hours; to Dordrecht, 13 hours; to Gouda, 24

hours; to Hertogenbosch (Bois-le-Duc), 6 hours. To London, three times a week; to Antwerp, daily, in 10 hours; to Hull, Dundee, Edinburgh, Grimsby, Harwich, Newcastle:-For hours of sailing and further particulars, see Bradshaw's Continental Guide. From Groote Veerhaven to Kattendrecht a ferry boat plies, fare 15 cents. Here the left bank of the Maas is formed by an island called Ijsselmonde, and which, though only 15 miles in length, by 7 in width, is surrounded and intersected by dykes to the extent of 2.000 miles in length.

ROUTE 19a-
THE RHINE (A.)

Rotterdam to Nymegen.

The voyage from Rotterdam to Nymegen, up the Waal, generally occupies twelve hours, and if for a party, where there are several ladies, the state cabin should be engaged. It may be reached by rail via Utrecht, Arnhem, and Cleve. Dordrecht may be reached via the Grand Central Belgian Line to Antwerp and Brussels, lately opened. It crosses the Moerdijk by a fine viaduct with a swing bridge in it.

The "Waal" is the largest of the arms into which the Rhine divides on reaching Holland.

Leaving Rotterdam, we first pass, on the left, the guard-ship, and Feyenoor, the seat of a large engineering and foundry establishment, where we see the banks at both sides dotted with numerous picturesque villas and summer residences. At the Spaaniars-Diep, windmills, cottages, and shipyards are seen, and at this point the Lek joins the Maas.

Dort, or Dortrecht (Station), on the Antwerp line. Population, 27,725.

Hotels: Belle Vue; Wolk's; Des Armes D'Amerique; Des Armes d'Hollande; Café at the Station.

Dort, once a Roman Trajectum or ferry, is situated on the expanse of the Maas; presenting a semicircular front to the water, with a quay and esplanade all round. It is the seat of a considerable timber trade; with hundreds of saw mills, barges, and schuyts (skooits.) It was here, in 1572, the first assembly of the States-General met, after Holland had revolted from the Spanish yoke.

The famous assembly of Protestant divines, known as the "Synod of Dort," was held here in 1618-19, in the house now called Kloveniers

Doelen. The room in which this celebrated synod was held is still preserved unaltered, though often used as a ball-room. Its sittings lasted six months, and numbered 152; the upshot of them was to confirm as the established faith, the Calvinistic doctrine of Predestination and Grace, and condemn Arminius and his followers. The president, in closing the sittings, declared "its miraculous labours had made hell tremble."

Museum of Pictures, chiefly modern and local. A considerable number by Ary Scheffer, mostly copies.

The Gothic Church has a tall square tower, and is remarkable for its carved white marble pulpit, its carved choir stalls in the Renaissance style, various monuments, and massive gold church plate. The Mint is a building of the fifteenth century.

Dort is the chief station for the rafts (see Route 21). The largest East Indiamen can sail up to the quays. The surrounding country is very

low, and every depression is so full of water that

fears are entertained lest the whole should be swallowed by the waters, were the Rhine to rise even a few inches. Sailing through very intricate sandbanks, we arrive at

Gorcum, alias Gorinchum, an antiquated town to the left, situated at the junction of the Maas and Linge, and connected with Vianen on the Leck, by the canal of Frederick. Population, 9,700. This was one of the first places taken from the Spaniards by the Water Gueusen, in 1572, who, under their chief officer Lumey, murdered nineteen Roman Catholic priests, for which savage act he was degraded by the States-General. Opposite Gorcum, on the left, is Worcum, and we see also to the left

The Castle of Loevenstein, famous as the prison of Grotius, 1609. It stands on a point of the island of Bommel. Grotius being allowed books, was concealed by his wife in the box which brought them and so conveyed out of prison by his servant maid, who had it taken to Gorcum, to the house of an Arminian friend named Jacob Daatzelaar, where he was relieved from his narrow cell and escaped to Brabant. Madame de Groot was not long detained in prison, and soon after rejoined her husband in Paris.

Bommel, to the left, once a fortified place, destroyed in 1629. Bridge, 762 yards long.