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must not expect it at a cost less than from 6s. to 7s. Dinner at the table d'hotel be had for 1s. 9d. each. To have it in your own private room it will cost nearly 3s.; breakfast, tea or coffee, &c., in your room, less than 1s. A flask of beer, which is here much better than elsewhere in the Netherlands, may be procured at the hotel for about 6d. This flask is the same as that which in England contains Seltzer and other imported mineral waters. Antwerp lies 25 miles N. of Brussels, and 75 miles S. of Amsterdam, in Lat. 51° 16'. It was the birth-place of the celebrated painters Franz Floris, Matthieu Brill, Daniel Seghers, Franz Sneders the two Teniers, Antony Van-Dyke, and Lukas Van-Uden.-Malines or Mechlen, is a well built town, with 19,975 inhabitants. The spire of the cathedral is 348 feet in height. There is a high school and an academy of

painting here.

The lace made here is thought next to that of Brussels, and is known by the name of dentelles de Malines.-Turnhout is a town of 10,827 inhabitants, and possesses several manufactures, particularly of bed-tweeling. About 1000 persons in and about this town make lace.

CHAP. XVII.-THE PROVINCE OF EAST FLANDERS.

Physical Features and Productions.] This province is a plain interrupted by some small hills, declining towards the W. and N. The soil is very fertile and well cultivated; even the hills have a good soil and excellent pastures. The principal rivers are the Scheldt, the Lys, the Dender, the Durme. The principal canals run from Ghent to Bruges, from Ghent to Sas van Ghent, and from Ghent to Damme. The agriculture of the province is admirable, and the richest harvests in the kingdom are raised here; so that corn is exported. The cultivation of flax has also been carried to the highest perfection, and the cattle are excellent. The climate is damp but temperate, and not unhealthy. This province is one of the most industrious in the whole kingdom, and numerous manufactures of every description are conducted here. Spinning and weaving is the common occupation of all the countrypeople after the field-work is done. The inhabitants are Roman Catholics, and speak Flemish. French is generally spoken in the towns and also understood in a great part of the country.

Town of Ghent.] The chief town is Ghent or Gand, with 70,000 inhabitants. Ghent was formerly the capital of Flanders, and is still a considerable city, though fallen from its former splendour. It is situated at the confluence of four rivers, namely, the Scheldt, the Lys, the Lieve, and the More, which, with a great number of canals, intersect it in every direction, and divide the town into 26 small islands, which are united together by upwards of 300 bridges. It is 7 miles in compass within the walls, and contains 6 parish churches, 24 hospitals, and 10,000 houses. But it is by no means peopled in proportion to its extent, as there is a prodigious quantity of waste ground, and corn-fields, within the precincts of the city. It has been noted for the turbulent and warlike character of its inhabitants, which finally proved the ruin of the place. The emperor Charles V. was born here on the 24th February, 1500, in an old castle called the Prinzenhof. Ghent was the birth-place of the philosopher H. Gothals and the celebrated critic Heinsius. The famous duke of Lancaster, patron of the English reformer, Wickliff, was also born here, and on this account was denominated John of Ghent, duke of Lancaster. On the 8th of November, 1576, the famous pacification, consisting of 25

articles, was concluded in this place.

A treaty was made here, between Great Britain and the United States of America, on the 24th December, 1814. In 1817 a Royal College was erected here, with 9 professors. This city has been several times taken and retaken by the French and Allies. A severe contribution of 7,000,000 of florins, or upwards of £640,000 sterling, was imposed upon the inhabitants, by the French, in 1794. It enjoys a considerable trade in grain, linens, and silks, which is much assisted by the two navigable canals, to Sas van Ghent, and Bruges. The canal leading to the mouth of the Scheldt has been so much enlarged that East India vessels now sail up to the town itself. A number of steamengines have lately been erected in this city to work power-looms, and its trade is greatly increasing. It is 30 miles S.W. of Antwerp, and 35 miles N. of Lisle. Lat. 51° 4′ N.

Towns.] Oudenaarde, on the Scheldt, with 5,084 inhabitants, conducts an animated commerce in linen.-Dendermonde, on the confluence of the Dender with the Scheldt, in a very fertile country, is surrounded by fortifications, and contains 5,796 inhabitants, who conduct a commerce in corn, flax, hemp, and lace.-Alost, on the Dender, with 12,151 inhabitants, conducts a commerce in corn and hops; the latter are very famous, and are exported in great quantities to England. Lokeren, a borough on the Durme, with 12,864 inhabitants, has some important manufactures and commerce.-St Nicholas borough, with 11,510 inhabitants, has numerous manufactures, and an animated commerce. This town is one of the richest and most flourishing in the whole kingdom. The country around is cultivated like a garden.

CHAP. XVIII.-THE PROVINCE OF WEST FLANDERS.

Physical Features and Productions.] The surface of this province is level; but some rising downs occur along the coast. In the interior of the province the soil is heavy and very fertile; in other places it is sandy, and exhibits several heaths and marshes which have been made fit for cultivation however by the aid of canals. The principal rivers are the Scheldt, the Lys, and the Yser. The principal canals are those from Ghent to Bruges, from Bruges to Ostend, and from Ostend to Nieuport. The climate is changeable, and occasions, particularly in the N. and W. parts, frequent agues. The country is like a garden, and the great variety of the productions of the soil breaks that uniformity which extensive cornfields generally exhibit. The linen produced in the environs of Courtray is known over all Europe. Table-linen, lace, cotton, and woollencloth are also made to a great extent; and the commerce is very animated.

Population.] The inhabitants are zealous Roman Catholics; but an honest, frank, and industrious race. They have a turn for painting and music. French is almost generally spoken.

Principal Towns.] The chief town is Bruges, which is situated in a fertile plain. It is tolerably well-built, and intersected by canals, over which are 54 bridges. The population is about 35,000. The church of Notre Dame in this city is a very fine piece of architecture. Here is a college, an academy for painting, sculpture and architecture, several literary societies, a public library of 6,000 volumes, and a botanical garden. The industry is very animated; the fabrication of lace alone employs about 6000 people, and there are 200 schools in which children are taught

to make lace. There are many other manufactures. The commerce, though not what it was in the 13th and 14th centuries, is still very important, and is favoured by the numerous canals, and the harbour established at the end of the canal of Ostend, which can contain more than 100 vessels. The people of the surrounding country bring their linen here for sale. Bruges is the birth-place of the painter John van Eyk. Ostend is a strongly fortified town on the German ocean, with 10,554 inhabitants. It is renowned in history for its memorable siege of three years and a half, which cost the lives of 80,000 Spaniards, and 50,000 Dutch. It surrendered to Spinola in 1604. The chief strength of the place lies in its situation; the sluices can lay the adjacent country under water for the space of two leagues; but it made no figure as a place of strength during the late revolutionary war. In 1796, about 1600 British, who were landed here to destroy the forts and shipping, were all captured by the French, the wind having shifted before they could re-embark. It is 10 miles W. of Bruges, and 22 miles NE. of Dunkirk.-Nieuport is a fortified town, which can also be laid under water. The Spaniards were defeated here by the Dutch in 1600.-Ypres, a strong fortress in a fertile plain, with 15,291 inhabitants.-Courtray on the Lys, with 13,982 inhabitants, is a place of animated industry and trade. The linen which takes its name from this town, is celebrated for its fineness, and is fabricated in the surrounding country, whence about 30,000 pieces are annually brought to the markets here. It is the birth-place of the celebrated landscape painter Roland Savoy. Rousselaer, a borough with 8,485 inhabitants, has a considerable commerce. Menin is a strongly fortified town on the Lys, which here forms the boundary betwixt the Netherlands and France.

CHAP. XIX.-THE PROVINCE OF HAINAULT.

Physical Features and Productions.] The surface of this province is in the N. and W. parts very flat; but in the S. and E. is considerably elevated and covered with wood. In the level part the soil is extremely fertile; in the elevated it is stony, but has nevertheless been put into good cultivation. The southern districts are mostly covered with wood. Among the numerous rivers, the Scheldt and Sambre are navigable. The others are the Haine, the Trouille, the Dender and the Senne. The climate is clear and healthy. Besides the productions common to the other provinces, Hainault produces wood, stone, lead, copper, iron, coal, marble, slate, mill-stones, and clay for earthen-ware. Three-tenths of the corn raised in this province is exported; the flax is excellent. The forests, which cover almost the 5th part of the surface, are a great source of wealth in this province. The coal-pits produce 44,000,000 cwts of coals per annum. Population.] The inhabitants are of the Roman Catholic religion. They are Walloons, and speak Flemish, but the French language is also understood almost everywhere.

Chief Towns.] The chief town of the province is Mons, a strongly fortified town on the Trouille, with 19,830 inhabitants.-Jemappes, a village on the Haine, with 2,838 inhabitants, is celebrated by the victory which the French here obtained over the Austrians on the 6th of Nov. 1792. Tournay or Doornick, on the Scheldt, with 23,256 inhabitants, is a well built town, with numerous churches, and a very animated trade and industry. There is here an extensive manufacture of carpets, which occupies

4,900 persons, and produces carpets from the finest quality to the most common. The exportation of these carpets is very considerable. There are also about 150 manufactures of linen, cotton and woollen hosiery, and also of linen and cotton cloth. Charleroi on the Sambre, with 4,020 inhabitants, has manufactures of nails and other iron-ware. Those huge blocks of hewn stone, of a beautiful gray colour, and close grain, which were employed by Buonaparte in facing the large and deep basins which he constructed at Antwerp, and which generally weighed from 2 to 4 tons each, were all brought by water from the quarries of Charleroi, a distance of 60 British miles from Antwerp. Coal also abounds in this neighbourhood.-Fleurus, a village with 2,158 inhabitants, is celebrated as having been the scene of battles in 1622, 1690, and 1794.

CHAP. XX.-THE PROVINCE OF NAMUR.

Physical Features and Productions.] The surface of this province is mountainous and intersected by many valleys. There are few plains; but a number of the hills do not rise above 308 feet. The forest of the Ardennes covers the south part of the province. In the north the soil is tolerably fertile; in the south it is sterile and rocky. The principal rivers are the Sambre and Meuse. The air is pure and healthy; but rain is frequent. Agriculture is carried on carefully, the productions being nearly the same as those of Hainault, but spelt is the corn mostly produced. Cattle are chiefly reared in the district of Namur. Fruit succeeds very well here, and formerly there were even a few vineyards in this province, but there áre very few vines now. The forests are considerable.

Population.] The inhabitants of this province are chiefly Roman Catholics; they are Walloons by descent, and speak the Walloon language, and in some districts French, which is in general understood.

Towns.] Namur on the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre is a well-built town: the stones used are of a blue colour with red and black veins. The principal public edifice is the cathedral. It is defended by a strong citadel erected on the summit of a precipitous rock, and carries on an animated trade in hardware articles, ropes, leather, tobacco and firearms. It had formerly a population of 30,000, which is now diminished to 16,000. Gembloux, with 1660 inhabitants, was formerly a celebrated Abbey of Benedictine monks. There is a considerable manufacture of cutlery here. Don John of Austria obtained a victory here over the Dutch in 1578.-Ligny village, on the little brook of the same name, was rendered famous by the battle betwixt the French and Prussians on the 15th of June, 1815.—Dinant, on the Meuse, with 3,631 inhabitants, has a considerable trade in copper and iron-ware.-Philippeville is a strong fortress in the Ardennes, with 1,115 inhabitants.

CHAP. XXL-THE PROVINCE OF LIEGE.

Physical Features and Productions.] The surface of this province is undulated in the northern part, and mountainous in the south, where the Ardennes cover a considerable district. The soil is fertile in part; but on the east side of the Maese, towards Luxemburg, it is rocky, consisting partly of slate. The principal river is the Maese; but the Ourthe is

navigable here. There are also the Ayvaille, the Homme, and the Lesse. The climate is not unhealthy. Agriculture is well-conducted in the northern districts, and more corn than is required for home-consumption is here produced. Towards the south, the sterility of the soil is such that on the whole importation of corn is required.

Chief Towns.] The chief town is Liege, with 49,000 inhabitants. The rivers Lesse, Ourthe, and Amblere, empty themselves into the Maese, as it enters this city, which formerly belonged to the circle of Westphalia; Liege is divided into three parts: viz. the City, the Island, and the Outer Maese. It has 10 great suburbs and 2 smaller; 14 gates; 17 bridges, 154 streets; 2 very fine quays, planted with rows of trees; 7 collegiate, and 30 parish churches, besides 46 religious houses. The bishop was formerly one of the most considerable ecclesiastical princes in Germany, having a revenue of 300,000 ducats, or nearly £150,000 sterling annually; and was able to maintain an army of 8,000 men, without oppressing his subjects. The Maese has here a fine stone-bridge of 6 large arches, and vessels easily pass under them. Liege has been several times taken and re-taken, particularly in 1792-3-4. There are extensive manufactures for cannon, small arms, and cutlery in this city, which also conducts an animated commerce. university was founded here in 1817.-Verviers has 9,962 inhabitants, who are almost entirely supported by the extensive cloth manufactures which are carried on here.-Spaa, well-known for its mineral springs, is situated in a deep valley surrounded by steep woody mountains, with wild romantic scenery. There are some manufactures of wooden ware, such as work-boxes, dressing-boxes, snuff-boxes, and trays, in this small town. St Hubert, a village in a woody part of the Ardennes, with 1,369 inhabitants, was formerly a monastery of Benedictines, to which numerous pilgrimages were performed.

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CHAP. XXII.-THE PROVINCE OF LIMBURG.

Physical Features and Productions.] The surface of this province is level, intersected in the S. E. part by hills and eminences. The Maese is the only navigable river. The soil is very fertile in the valley of the Maese, and in the whole of the S. E. part of the province; but the other districts are heathy, and in some parts exhibit only a desert morass. There are several small collections of water, but no navigable canals. The climate is tolerably healthy; it is temperate and particularly mild along the Maese. Agriculture and the rearing of cattle are the principal branches of industry. Population.] The majority of the population are Catholics. Walloon, Flemish, Dutch, and German are spoken.

Chief Towns.] Maestricht is the chief town. It is situated upon the Maese, and has very strong and extensive fortifications. A citadel lying on the Petersberg, towards the south quarter of the town, adds also to the defence. The Petersberg or Peter's hill is very remarkable on account of the vaults and labyrinthic passages which have been discovered in it while hewing stones out of the quarries. Here and there are small openings for the light and air, also reservoirs for water. In time of war these subterranean passages have often yielded shelter and security to the inhabitants of this district. Tongern, with 3,895 inhabitants, was in ancient times a considerable town, where the bishopric of Liege was first founded. In the neighbourhood is a mineral spring.-Roërmonde, on the confluence of the

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