We breakfasted in the _Hoff van Holland_ inn, the windows of which look
out upon the ocean. In addition to the usual repast of coffee and rolls,
a countryman of our own, whom we chanced here to meet, had shrimps
served to breakfast, which had been shown to him all alive a few minutes
before: by our desire, we had _tong-vischen_, or soles, fresh from the
sea. While at breakfast, we observed, that more than two dozen of small
sloops, which we easily recognised to be fishing-busses, were making
directly for the low sandy beach, although it was at present a
lee-shore, with a considerable surf. The sails were of various hues;
Isabella yellow, chocolate brown, and milk white; and this intermixture
of colours, set off by the brilliancy of a clear morning sun, increased
the picturesque effect. Not a little to our surprise, the crews did not
shorten sail, till their barks were just involved among the waves and
breakers; and in this odd situation, generally after taking the ground,
we saw them deliberately cast anchor. The propriety of the shape given
to the hulls of these busses, was now manifest to us; a small
British-built sloop would have been in danger of breaking up, while they
shoved along among the breakers in perfect security. Indeed, that Dutch
vessels in general should, of design, be built strong or clumsy, and
have their hulks well rounded below, can only appear surprising to those
who have not witnessed the nature of the seas which they have to
navigate at home, where they must often take the ground, and where they
not unfrequently sail right against the shore. As soon as the anchors
were cast, the boatmen, wading up to the middle in the waves, brought
out the fish on their shoulders; the sands were covered with persons of
both sexes and of all ages, who began to carry off the cargoes, in broad
baskets, on their heads. The principal kinds of fish were plaice,
turbot, sole, skate, and thornback; a very few cod and smelts made up
the list. The Dutch gave the name _schol_ to our plaice: and our sole
they call _tong_. Their name for the smelt is _spiering_; which nearly
approaches that by which this little fish is distinguished in the
Edinburgh market, viz. _spirling_.