The voyage between Haerlem and this place is less pleasant, with
respect to the country, than many of the other trips, but more
gratifying to curiosity. For great part of the way, the canal passes
between the lake, called _Haerlemer Maer_, and a large branch of the
_Zuyder Zee_, called the River Y. In one place, the neck of land,
which separates these two waters, is so thin, that a canal cannot be
drawn through it; and, near this, there is a village, where passengers
leave their first boat, another waiting for them at the renewal of
the canal, within a quarter of a mile. Here, as upon other occasions
of the same sort, nearly as much is paid for the carriage of two or
three trunks between the boats, as for the whole voyage; and there
is an _Ordonnatie_ to authorize the price; for the Magistrates have
considered, that those, who have much baggage, are probably foreigners,
and may be thus made to support many of the natives. The Dutch
themselves put their linen into a velvet bag, called a _Rysack_, and
for this accordingly no charge is made.
The _Half Wegen Sluice_ is the name of this separation between two vast
waters, both of which have gained considerably upon their shores, and,
if united, would be irresistible. At the narrowest part, it consists
pile-work and masonry, to the thickness of probably forty feet. On this
spot the spectator has, on his left hand, the Y, which, though called a
river, is an immense inundation of the Zuyder Zee, and would probably
carry a small vessel, without interruption, into the German ocean. On
the other hand, is the Haerlem lake, about twelve miles long and nine
broad, on which, during the siege of Haerlem, the Dutch and Spaniards
maintained fleets, and fought battles. Extending as far as Leyden,
there is a passage upon it from that city to Amsterdam, much shorter
than by the canal, but held to be dangerous. Before the year 1657,
there was, however, no other way, and it was probably the loss of the
Prince of Bohemia and the danger of his dethroned father upon the lake,
that instigated the making of the canal.
This sluice is one of several valuable posts, by which Amsterdam may be
defended against a powerful army, and was an important station, during
the approach of the Duke of BRUNSWICK in 1787, when this city was the
last, which surrendered. All the roads being formed upon dikes, or
embankments, may be defended by batteries, which can be attacked only
by narrow columns and in front. The Half Wegen Sluice was, however,
easily taken by the Duke of BRUNSWICK, his opponents having neglected
to place gun-boats on the Haerlem lake, over which he carried eight
hundred men in thirty boats, and surprised the Dutch before day-break,
on the morning of the first of October. This was one of his real
assaults, but there were all together eleven made on that day, and, on
the next, the city proposed to surrender.
Beyond the sluice, the canal passes several breaches, made by
inundations of the Y, and not capable of being drained, or repaired.
In these places the canal is separated from the inundations either by
piles, or floating planks. None of the breaches were made within the
memory of the present generation, yet the boatmen have learned to speak
of them with horror.
There is nothing magnificent, or grand, in the approach to Amsterdam,
or the prospect of the city. The sails of above an hundred windmills,
moving on all sides, seem more conspicuous than the public buildings of
this celebrated capital.
The trechtschuyt having stopped on the outside of the gate, we waited
for one of the public coaches, which are always to be had by sending
to a livery stable, but do not stand in the street for fares. It
cost half-a-crown for a drive of about two miles into the city; the
regulated price is a guilder, or twenty-pence. Our direction was to the
_Doolen_; but the driver chose to take us to another inn, in the same
street, which we did not discover to be otherwise called, till we had
become satisfied with it.
Nearly all the chief thorough-fares of Amsterdam are narrow, but the
carriages are neither so numerous as in other places of the same size,
nor suffered to be driven with the same speed; so that, though there is
no raised pavement, foot passengers are as safe as elsewhere. There
are broad terraces to the streets over the two chief canals, but these
are sometimes encumbered by workshops, placed immediately over the
water, between which and the houses the owners maintain an intercourse
of packages and planks, with very little care about the freedom of the
passage. This, indeed, may be constantly observed of the Dutch: they
will never, either in their societies, or their business, employ their
time, for a moment, in gratifying the little malice, or shewing the
little envy, or assuming the little triumphs, which fill so much of
life with unnecessary miseries; but they will seldom step one inch out
of their way, or surrender one moment of their time, to save those,
whom they do not know, from any inconvenience. A Dutchman, throwing
cheeses into his warehouse, or drawing iron along the path-way,
will not stop, while a lady, or an infirm person passes, unless he
perceives somebody inclined to protect them; a warehouseman trundling
a cask, or a woman in the favourite occupation of throwing water upon
her windows, will leave it entirely to the passengers to take care of
their limbs, or their clothes.
The canals themselves, which are the ornaments of other Dutch cities,
are, for the most part, the nuisances of Amsterdam. Many of them are
entirely stagnant, and, though deep, are so laden with filth, that,
on a hot day, the feculence seems pestilential. Our windows opened
upon two, but the scent very soon made us willing to relinquish the
prospect. The bottoms are so muddy, that a boat-hook, drawn up,
perhaps, through twelve feet of water, leaves a circle of slime at
the top, which is not lost for many minutes. It is not unusual to see
boats, laden with this mud, passing during mid-day, under the windows
of the most opulent traders; and the fetid cargoes never disturb the
intense studies of the counting-houses within.
After this distaste of the streets and canals of Amsterdam, it was a
sort of duty to see, what is the glory of the city, the interior of the
Stadthouse; but we lost this spectacle, by a negligence of that severe
punctuality, in which the Dutch might be usefully imitated throughout
the world. Our friends had obtained for us a ticket of admission at
ten; we called upon them about half an hour afterwards; but, as the
ride from their house would have required ten minutes more, the time
of this ticket was thought to be elapsed. We would not accept one,
which was offered to be obtained for another day, being unwilling to
render it possible, that those, who were loading us with the sincerest
civilities, should witness another apparent instance of inattention.
The Stadthouse, as to its exterior, is a plain stone building,
attracting attention chiefly from its length, solidity and height.
The front is an hundred and eight paces long. It has no large gate, but
several small ones, and few statues, that would be observed, except
one of Atlas on the top. The tales, as to the expence of the building,
are inexhaustible. The foundation alone, which is entirely of piles,
is said to have cost a million of guilders, or nearly ninety thousand
pounds, and the whole edifice treble that sum. Its contents, the stock
of the celebrated Bank, are estimated at various amounts, of which we
will not repeat the lowest.
The Exchange is an humble building, and not convenient of access.
The Post Office is well situated, upon a broad terrace, near the
Stadthouse, and seems to be properly laid out for its use.
None of the churches are conspicuous for their structure; but the
regulation, with respect to their ministers, should be more known.
Two are assigned to each, and all throughout the city have equal and
respectable salaries.
At a distance from the Exchange are some magnificent streets, raised
on the banks of canals, nearly equalling those of the Hague for the
grandeur of houses, and much exceeding in length the best of Leyden and
Haerlem. These are the streets, which must give a stranger an opinion
of the wealth of the city, while the Port, and that alone, can display
the extensiveness of its commerce. The shops and the preparations for
traffic in the interior have a mean appearance to those, who try them
by the standard of London conveniences and elegance.
The best method of seeing the Port is to pass down it in a boat to some
of the many towns, that skirt the Zuyder Zee. One convenience, easy
to be had every where, is immediately visible from the quays. Small
platforms of planks supported by piles project from the shore between
the vessels, which are disposed with their heads towards the sides of
these little bridges; the furthest has thus a communication with the
quay, and, if the cargo is not of very heavy articles, may be unladen
at the same time with the others. The port is so wide, that, though
both sides are thronged with shipping, the channel in the middle is, at
least, as broad as the Thames at London Bridge; but the harbour does
not extend to more than half the length of the _Pool_ at London, and
seems to contain about half the number of vessels. The form of the port
is, however, much more advantageous for a display of shipping, which
may be here seen nearly at one glance in a fine bay of the _Zuyder_.
After a sail of about an hour, we landed at Saardam, a village
celebrated for the Dockyards, which supply Amsterdam with nearly all
its fleets. A short channel carries vessels of the greatest burthen
from Saardam to the Zuyder Zee, which the founders of the place took
care not to approach too nearly; and the terrace at the end of this
channel is prepared for the reception of cannon, that must easily
defend it from any attack by sea. Though the neighbourhood of a
dockyard might be supposed a sufficient antidote to cleanliness, the
neatness of this little town renders it a spectacle even to the Dutch
themselves. The streets are so carefully swept, that a piece of orange
peel would be noticed upon the pavement, and the houses are washed
and painted to the highest polish of nicety. Those, who are here in a
morning, or at night, may probably see how many dirty operations are
endured for the sake of this excessive cleanliness.
We were shewn nearly round the place, and, of course, to the cottage,
in which the indefatigable Peter the First of Russia resided, when he
was a workman in the dockyard. It is a tenement of two rooms, standing
in a part of the village, so very mean, that the alleys near it are
not cleaner, than those of other places. An old woman lives in the
cottage, and subsists chiefly by shewing it to visitors, amongst whom
have been the present Grand Duke and Duchess of Russia; for the Court
of Petersburgh acknowledge it to have been the residence of Peter,
and have struck a medal in commemoration of so truly honourable a
palace. The old woman has received one of these medals from the present
Empress, together with a grant of a small annuity to encourage her care
of the cottage.
We passed an agreeable afternoon, at an inn on the terrace, from whence
pleasure vessels and passage boats were continually departing for
Amsterdam, and had a smart sail, on our return, during a cloudy and
somewhat a stormy sunset. The approach to Amsterdam, on this side, is
as grand as that from Haerlem is mean, half the circuit of the city,
and all its spires, being visible at once over the crowded harbour.
The great church of Haerlem is also seen at a small distance, on the
right. The Amstel, a wide river, which flows through the city into
the harbour, fills nearly all the canals, and is itself capable of
receiving ships of considerable burthen: one of the bridges over it,
and a terrace beyond, are among the few pleasant walks enjoyed by the
inhabitants. The Admiralty, an immense building, in the interior of
which is the dockyard, stands on this terrace, or quay; and the East
India Company have their magazine here, instead of the interior of the
city, where it would be benevolence to let its perfume counteract the
noxiousness of the canals.
The government of Amsterdam is said to collect by taxes, rents and dues
of various sorts, more than an English million and a half annually;
and, though a great part of this sum is afterwards paid to the use of
the whole Republic, the power of collecting and distributing it must
give considerable consequence to the magistrates. The Senate, which
has this power, consists of thirty-six members, who retain their seats
during life, and were formerly chosen by the whole body of burghers;
but, about two centuries ago, this privilege was surrendered to the
Senate itself, who have ever since filled up the vacancies in their
number by a majority of their own voices. The _Echevins_, who form
the court of justice, are here chosen by the burghers out of a double
number, nominated by the Senate: in the other cities, the Stadtholder,
and not the burghers, makes this choice.
It is obvious, that when the City Senates, which return the Provincial
States, and, through them, the States General, were themselves
elected by the burghers, the legislature of the United Provinces had
a character entirely representative; and, at present, a respect for
public opinion is said to have considerable influence in directing the
choice of the Senates.
The province of Holland, of which this city is the most important part,
is supposed to contain 800,000 persons, who pay taxes to the amount of
twenty-four millions of guilders, or two millions sterling, forming
an average of two pounds ten shillings per person. In estimating the
real taxation of a people, it is, however, necessary to consider the
proportion of their consumption to their imports; for the duties,
advanced upon imported articles, are not ultimately and finally
paid till these are consumed. The frugal habits of the Dutch permit
them to retain but a small part of the expensive commodities, which
they collect; and the foreigners, to whom they are resold, pay,
therefore, a large share of the taxation, which would be so enormous,
if it was confined to the inhabitants. Among the taxes, really paid by
themselves, are the following;--a land-tax of about four shillings and
nine pence per acre; a sale-tax of eight per cent. upon horses, one and
a quarter per cent. upon other moveables, and two and an half per cent.
upon land and buildings; a tax upon inheritances out of the direct
line, varying from two and an half to eleven per cent.; two per cent.
upon every man's income; an excise of three pounds per hogshead upon
wine, and a charge of two per cent. upon all public offices. The latter
tax is not quite so popular here as in other countries, because many
of these offices are actually purchased, the holders being compelled
to buy stock to a certain amount, and to destroy the obligations. The
excise upon coffee, tea and salt is paid annually by each family,
according to the number of their servants.
The inhabitants of Amsterdam, and some other cities, pay also a tax,
in proportion to their property, for the maintenance of companies of
city-guards, which are under the orders of their own magistrates. In
Amsterdam, indeed, taxation is somewhat higher than in other places.
Sir William Temple was assured, that no less than thirty duties might
be reckoned to have been paid there, before a certain dish could be
placed upon a table at a tavern.
The exact sums, paid by the several provinces towards every hundred
thousand guilders, raised for the general use, have been often printed.
The share of Holland is 58,309 guilders and a fraction; that of
Overyssel, which is the smallest, 3571 guilders and a fraction.
Of five colleges of Admiralty, established within the United
Provinces, three are in Holland, and contribute of course to point out
the pre-eminence of that province. It is remarkable, that neither of
these supply their ships with provisions: They allow the captains to
deduct about four-pence halfpenny per day from the pay of each sailor
for that purpose; a regulation, which is never made injurious to the
seamen by any improper parsimony, and is sometimes useful to the
public, in a country where pressing is not permitted. A captain, who
has acquired a character for generosity amongst the sailors, can muster
crew in a few days, which, without such a temptation, could not be
raised in as many weeks.
We cannot speak with exactness of the prices of provisions in this
province, but they are generally said to be as high as in England. The
charges at inns are the same as on the roads within an hundred miles of
London, or, perhaps, something more. Port wine is not so common as a
wine which they call Claret, but which is compounded of a strong red
wine from Valencia, mixed with some from Bourdeaux. The general price
for this is twenty pence English a bottle; three and four pence is the
price for a much better sort. About half-a-crown per day is charged for
each apartment; and _logement_ is always the first article in a bill.
Private families buy good claret at the rate of about eighteen pence
per bottle, and chocolate for two shillings per pound. Beef is sold
for much less than in England, but is so poor that the Dutch use it
chiefly for soup, and salt even that which they roast. Good white
sugar is eighteen pence per pound. Bread is dearer than in England;
and there is a sort, called milk bread, of uncommon whiteness, which
costs nearly twice as much as our ordinary loaves. Herbs and fruits are
much lower priced, and worse in flavour; but their colour and size
are not inferior. Fish is cheaper than in our maritime counties, those
excepted which are at a great distance from the metropolis. Coffee is
very cheap, and is more used than tea. No kind of meat is so good as
in England; but veal is not much inferior, and is often dressed as
plainly and as well as with us. The innkeepers have a notion of mutton
and lamb chops; but then it is _à la Maintenon_; and the rank oil of
the paper is not a very delightful sauce. Butter is usually brought to
table _clarified_, that is, purposely melted into an _oil_; and it is
difficult to make them understand that it may be otherwise.
The Dutch have much more respect for English than for other travellers;
but there is a jealousy, with respect to our commerce, which is
avowed by those, who have been tutored to calm discussion, and may be
perceived in the conversation of others, whenever the state of the
two countries is noticed. This jealousy is greater in the maritime than
in the other provinces, and in Amsterdam than in some of the other
cities. Rotterdam has so much direct intercourse with England, as to
feel, in some degree, a share in its interests.
Some of our excursions round Amsterdam were made in a curious vehicle;
the body of a coach placed upon a sledge, and drawn by one horse. The
driver walks by the side, with the reins in one hand, and in the other
a wetted rope, which he sometimes throws under the sledge to prevent it
from taking fire, and to fill up the little gaps in the pavement. The
appearance of these things was so whimsical, that curiosity tempted us
to embark in one; and, finding them laughed at by none but ourselves,
the convenience of being upon a level with the shops, and with the
faces that seemed to contain the history of the shops, induced us to
use them again. There are great numbers of them, being encouraged by
the magistrates, in preference to wheel carriages, and, as is said,
in tenderness to the piled foundations of the city, the only one in
Holland in which they are used. The price is eight pence for any
distance within the city, and eight pence an hour for attendance.
Near Amsterdam is the small village of Ouderkirk, a place of some
importance in the short campaign of 1787, being accessible by four
roads, all of which were then fortified. It consists chiefly of the
country houses of Amsterdam merchants, at one of which we passed a
pleasant day. Having been but slightly defended, after the loss of the
posts of _Half Wegen_ and _Amstelveen_, it was not much injured by the
Prussians; but there are many traces of balls thrown into it. The ride
to it from Amsterdam is upon the chearful banks of the Amstel, which
is bordered, for more than five miles, with gardens of better verdure
and richer groves than had hitherto appeared. The village was spread
with booths for a fair, though it was Sunday; and we were somewhat
surprised to observe, that a people in general so gravely decorous
as the Dutch, should not pay a stricter deference to the Sabbath. We
here took leave of some friends, whose frank manners and obliging
dispositions are remembered with much more delight than any other
circumstances, relative to Amsterdam.