The dikes and the windmills are the two great factors of physical and
commercial life in Holland. The dike safeguards the land; the windmill
fans the currents of trade. Whether corn is to be ground, timber sawed,
tobacco cut, paper manufactured, or water pumped, the long arms of the
mill perform a willing and efficient service while the wind blows. The
importance of the dike is reflected in the names of many Dutch towns.
The word _dam_ or _dike_ is to be found almost everywhere. Amsterdam is
the “dike” of the River Amstel (ahm´-stel); Rotterdam, the “dike” of the
River Rotte; Zaandam (zahn-dahm´), the “dike” of the River Zaan--and so
on. The thought of the protecting dike was generally in mind when a town
was founded. The windmill is not only an untiring servant of industry,
but is a sign of Dutch prosperity as well. You may hear it said of a
Hollander, “He is worth ten millions.” You are quite as likely to hear
it said, “He is worth ten windmills.”
[Illustration: THE ROYAL PALACE, AMSTERDAM
The palace, formerly the town hall, was begun in 1648, finished in 1655,
and cost 8,000,000 florins. It rests on a foundation of 13,659 piles,
and its tower is 167 feet high. The weather vane on the tower represents
a merchant vessel, formerly the crest of the city]
It required dogged determination and persevering energy to make the
history of Holland. The Dutch people successfully resisted Spanish
domination at a time when Spain was a supreme world power, and then they
built up a government of their own in a country where they had to fight
for the very existence of the land. In government administration, in
thrift and commercial enterprise, in exploration and colonization, in
literature, and in arts, Holland has proved herself to be a wonderful
little country. She has had much to say in the Congress of Nations. One
of her chief cities, The Hague, is identified in everyone’s mind with
one of the most important world movements of modern times,--the
International Peace Conference.
The population of Holland does not exceed 6,000,000, and there are only
four towns having a population exceeding 100,000,--Amsterdam, The
Hague, Rotterdam (rot´-er-dam; Dutch, rot-ter-dahm´), and Utrecht
(u´-trekt; Dutch, oo´-trekt).