AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND, _Aug. 24, 1841_.
In my last from Cologne I promised to say something descriptive of its
attractions, and its being termed the Rome of the north. For its origin
and antiquity it is deserving of notice; besides, it is a commercial
city, and the largest on the Rhine. History says Cologne was founded
by the Romans, and that Agrippina, the mother of Nero, was born here.
The cathedral, which was commenced in the year 1248, by the Elector
and Archbishop of Cologne, has remained up to the present between a
fragment and a ruin. If it had been finished, it would have been one
of the prettiest Gothic edifices existing. The choir is the only part
completed. It is one hundred and eighty feet high, and internally, from
its height, size, and disposition of arches, chapels, and beautifully
colored windows, strikes one with awe and astonishment. The entire
length of the cathedral is four hundred feet, its breadth one hundred
and sixty. The towers, which were only partly finished, were to have
been five hundred feet high. In a small chapel is the celebrated shrine
of the three kings of Cologne, or the Magi, who came from the East with
rich gifts for the infant Jesus. The bones were obtained by the Emperor
Barbarossa and presented to the Bishop of Cologne. By a payment to
the sacristan we entered the inclosure, which is under double locks.
The case, or coffin, in which they are deposited, is of solid silver
gilt, about six feet long, three high, and three wide, and is curiously
wrought--surrounded by small arcades, supported by silver pillars, and
by figures of the apostles. The case is enriched with cameos, enamels,
antique gems, diamonds, rubies, and other precious stones in abundance.
The skulls of the three kings, inserted with their names, Gaspar,
Melchior, and Balthazar, written in rubies, are exhibited to view
through an opening in the shrine, crowned with diadems. The sacristan
says the treasures are worth six million francs. There are many other
relics of saints, church plate, &c., exhibited.
The church of St. Ursula and of the eleven thousand virgins is too
singular to be forgotten. As the legend goes, St. Ursula, with eleven
thousand virgins, set sail, in the second or third century, I think,
from Britain for Armenia, and was carried by tempest up the Rhine,
where the whole party were slaughtered by the barbarian Huns because
they refused to break their vows of chastity. In the church, which is
large and commodious, in cases beneath and around the altars, inclosed
and built in the walls, are these hideous bones. They are displayed
in gaunt array, in glass cases, about the choir and the altar. In the
golden chamber, encased in silver, a select few of the number are
deposited, while St. Ursula reposes in a coffin behind the altar.
The walls in this church are decorated with bones, fashioned in all
fantastic shapes. One of the stone vessels is here shown which Christ
used at the marriage supper, and in which he converted water into wine.
On leaving Cologne, by steamer, we descended to Nymwegen, the first
frontier fortress of Holland, which we entered without a very strict
examination of luggage. On sallying forth the morning following my
arrival, I was forcibly struck with the unusual cleanliness and
neatness of the Dutch, particularly as the day previous I had left
Cologne, which is not only celebrated for Eau de Cologne, but for
its filth. We left Nymwegen for Utrecht by diligence, and it being
Saturday, the general “schoonmaking,” or cleaning day, I had a fine
opportunity of witnessing what may be termed an excess of cleanliness,
in passing through several small villages before arriving at Utrecht.
Almost every house presented a scene of the utmost activity. The
brushing, scrubbing, and mopping are not confined to the inside of the
house, the steps, and door-ways, but the windows, walls, and sidewalks
must undergo a course of ablution. Scarcely a domestic is seen without
a water-pail and broom, or a small engine pump for throwing water to
wash the windows, and a traveller stands a small chance of avoiding
a shower bath, if he walks carelessly along the sidewalks. The
drawing-room is a sort of sanctum, and is said to be rarely entered
oftener than once a week, and then only by the housewife and her maid,
with list shoes, to avoid scratching the polished floors. After having
finished washing and dusting, the door is closed, and windows fastened
for another week. Sabots, or wooden shoes, are generally worn during
the purification, and after the work is finished they must undergo a
regular wash as well as the brooms and other articles used in cleaning.
One of the peculiarities of the Dutch towns is the little mirrors
projecting in front of the windows of almost all the houses. Ordinarily
they are two pieces of looking-glass framed at an angle of forty-five
degrees from each other, the one reflecting up the street and the other
down, whereby the Dutch ladies may sit ensconced behind the blinds or
curtains, and see all that is passing in the street, and not expose
themselves to the gaze of the public.
At Utrecht, a city with a population of forty-four thousand, we found
sufficient to entertain us for a day. On ascending the steeple of the
cathedral, three hundred and eighty-eight feet high, we obtained a
view of the surrounding country, which is a perfect flat, watered by
canals in different directions, and avenues of trees, all planted by
the rule, with an occasional windmill and steeple in the distance, to
break the monotony of a Dutch landscape. Half way up to the top we were
introduced into a room where refreshments are furnished, and found the
family of the sexton, who had lived there thirty years and reared a
family. While resting we enjoyed the merry chime of thirty or forty
bells in the steeple, which is repeated every hour.
On leaving Utrecht we took the national conveyance, the treckschuite,
or canal boat, which does not differ very materially in size from our
Erie canal boats, with the exception of having separate apartments for
the accommodation of different classes of passengers. The towing horse
is ridden by a lad, who is very dexterous, in passing bridges and other
vessels, in disengaging the tow rope without impeding the progress
of the boat. The canals in Holland run in all directions through the
country and through the towns and cities, and are the great high-road
for the transportation of goods and passengers. The consequence is,
that in the vicinity of large towns and cities, on the principal
canals, which are about sixty feet wide and six feet deep, are located
many beautiful villas, country seats, and pleasure gardens.
On the entire route to this city, since I have entered Holland, either
along the highway or along the canal, especially in the vicinity of
populous cities, I have discovered the abodes of those who seemed to
study cleanliness and comfort. In the suburbs of the cities you will
find those country-seats where great wealth is expended. At the end
of the gardens overlooking the canal, or main road, is always placed
a small temple, pagoda, or snug, comfortable building, where you
will see the men smoking their pipes and sipping their beer, or the
ladies their tea and coffee, engaged in knitting, or criticising the
passers-by. Perhaps there is no country in the world where flowers
grow to such perfection as in Holland, and nowhere have I seen such an
array of plants and flowers as these gardens contain. The roads for
wagons and diligences run along the line of the canal, or upon the
dykes which are thrown up to protect the influx of the sea. The soil is
of such a nature that roads are constructed with difficulty, and at an
expense of seven thousand dollars per mile, all of hard burned brick
placed edgeways. In traversing the canals in many instances, you look
down upon the “polders” (so called) on both sides, with the cattle
grazing far below the surface of the water you are navigating. Those
polders are frequently liable to inundation during the winter season.
You observe hundreds of windmills employed in sawing timber, grinding
wheat, and other occupations, and among the number, in passing along,
you discover many pumping the water from low grounds, or polders, that
lie below you, and throwing it into the canal. It may well be said that
the Hollander has made the wind his slave, for not a puff of air is
suffered to escape without turning a windmill.
Amsterdam is a large commercial city, with a population of over two
hundred thousand, and is one of the most remarkable cities in Europe
for its peculiar location, being intersected by various small canals,
which divide it into ninety-five islands with two hundred and ninety
bridges. Had I not seen Venice, which is still more remarkable, I
should have considered it very extraordinary. The entire city, quays
and sluices, are all founded on piles, which are driven through the
upper stratum of mud and loose sand until they reach the firm sand
below. The palace of the king is a large and imposing building of
stone, standing upon thirteen thousand six hundred and ninety-five
piles. The second day after my arrival a grand fête took place, and
towards evening I strolled up the main street, crossing many bridges,
to the suburbs of the city, passing through an immense crowd of
persons, and among the number I should think there were all of ten
thousand females, most of them without bonnets. I seldom attempt a
description of costume, but I must here observe that the females in
Holland are particularly distinguished for neatness and gracefulness
of costume, as well as clearness of complexion. To see such an immense
group, very many of whom were domestics, all in tastefully arranged
caps and head-dresses, was a novel sight. Numbers have the back of the
head encircled by a broad fillet of gold, shaped like the letter U,
which confines the hair and terminates on each side of the temple with
two long rosettes, also of gold. Over this is worn a cap, or veil,
of finest lace, hanging down the neck, with a pair of enormous gold
ear-rings. Among the group I discovered many orphan children, who have
their particular dresses to distinguish them.
The people of Amsterdam are celebrated for their charitable
institutions. One particular costume, for male and female, I observed,
was red and black cloth, extending from the shoulders to the feet,
which reminded me of the dress of a clown, red one side and black the
other; and I could not but pity the wearers, especially young females,
who were thus made so conspicuous in the eyes of strangers.