This most interesting city is situated where the River Amstel enters the
Zuyder Zee (zy´-der zee; Danish, zoi´-der zay). Just where the city lies
there is an arm of the sea which goes by the odd name of Y or Ij
(pronounced _eye_). Amsterdam is the chief commercial city of Holland;
though in some branches of business Rotterdam disputes its supremacy.
The city is of odd, semicircular shape, and is intersected by canals,
which run in curves like the rows of seats in an amphitheater. Each of
these semicircular canals marks the line of the city walls and moat at
different times. Other canals cross these in such a manner as to cut the
city up into a number of islands. The old part of the city lies in the
very center, inclosed by the inner semicircular canal. At one end of
this canal is the “Weepers’ Tower,” which takes its name from the fact
that it stands at the head of what was the old harbor, and was the
scene, therefore, in ancient times, of many sad leavetakings. There
wives and sweethearts said goodby to the men who went “down to the sea
in ships.”
[Illustration: THE GATE OF THE STADTHOLDER, THE HAGUE]
[Illustration: THE NEW THEATER, AMSTERDAM]
Amsterdam is supposed to have originated about 1204, when Gysbrecht II,
Lord of Amstel, built a castle there. It came to be really important
about the end of the sixteenth century, when the wars with Spain had
ruined Antwerp, and many merchants, manufacturers, and artists left
there and settled in Amsterdam. The population of the city today is
close to 600,000, and it is one of the busiest markets in Europe, doing
a large business in imports, especially in the products of the Dutch
colonies.
[Illustration: Copyright, American Press Association