words of French, came to our relief, and, showing a handful of Dutch coin, we managed, through our interpreter, to get one of the hackmen to understand what he was to receive to carry us to the Zoological Gardens and thence to our hotel. He took us to the Gardens, where the gate-keeper, who speaks French as well as Dutch, instructed him, at our request, to be ready at a given hour to convey us the rest of the way. When that time arrived he was nowhere to be found, and a perfect bedlam was raised around our heads by a dozen other hackmen who wished to get a job. Finally, disgusted with all Dutch hackmen, we started on foot, and soon came to a street car which brought us to our hotel, where we expected our hackman would call for his money. Strange

to say, however, he did not make his appearance; but, as we were to leave that afternoon and desired to be on the safe side, we handed the stipulated sum to the cashier of the hotel, to be given to the hackman should he call; and this notwithstanding the latter fulfilled a part only of his contract. probability is that he knowingly left us in the lurch because he secured a more lucrative job, and that the hotel clerk appropriated our small change to his own use. Before visiting Deutschland again we intend to take a few lessons in Deutsch.

The

There are many elegant dwelling houses in these cities, and one peculiarity of nearly all of the dwellings is that small mirrors are hung extended outside of the windows, the one reflecting up and the other down the street, so that the inmates may see what passes outside without being themselves seen. All the women in the streets are very neat in appearance, and either wear funny looking caps pinned on by fantastic looking pins, or go with their heads

bare; and they wear, also, long aprons. Some of the laboring classes of both sexes wear pointed wooden shoes. Netherlands is an appropriate name for Holland, since its whole territory, we imagine, is flat, low land. As far as we have been able to see the face of the country, it is a web of dykes and canals, navigated by boats and canoes. Lots, not containing more than one acre of ground, on which stand the farm-house and other buildings, are entirely surrounded by water; and the country is everywhere dotted with windmills.

ANTWERP, JULY 20.-For compartment companions from Amsterdam last evening we had three young Scotch gentlemen on their way to Switzerland, and a part of the way two interesting young school girls, who, understanding only Dutch and Flemish, contributed much to our amusement, while they were equally amused by our strange language and efforts to make ourselves understood by them. In company with our new Scotch acquaintances we have had a very enjoyable day in Antwerp, which is a much more interesting city than we expected to see. Here are three or four of the most beautiful and richly adorned churches in Europe; and this is the native place of Antoine Van Dyck, whose paintings, with those of Rubens and others, contribute so much to their adornment. Here, in the principal Cathedral, is the great masterpiece of Rubens, "The Descent from the Cross," and what is regarded as his next best work, "The Elevation to the Cross;" also, his "Resurrection of the Saviour," and "Assumption of the Virgin." In the Church of St. James, too, there are many of his paintings, among them his "Holy Family;" and in the Church of St. Augustine his great picture of "The Marriage of St. Catherine."

In the latter church "The Ecstacy of St. Augustine," by Van Dyck, attracts marked attention. On the outside of St. Paul's Church there is what purports to be a representation of Calvary-statuary figures representing Christ on the Cross, Mary Magdalene, and others in attendance; beneath, Christ lying in the sepulchre, a sort of grotto; and at the side, Purgatory, behind an iron grating, exhibiting numerous unfortunate sinners, apparently suffering the "tortures of the damned." We ventured to suggest that they had suffered long enough, and that St. Paul's would be improved by the removal of the whole frightful picture. There is a very large collection of paintings in the Museum, including one of Van Dyck's greatest works, "The Crucifixion," Rubens' "Dead Christ," and his "Crucifixion of Christ between two Thieves;" "Boors Smoking," by Teniers, also a native of Antwerp, and other noted works by celebrated artists. Among the artists copying pictures here, we met one evidently very accomplished, a gentleman without arms, who held his brush by the toes of his right foot. His name, which he wrote with a pencil in our catalogue, is Charles Felu. He was engaged in and had nearly finished copying a portrait of "Our Saviour," regarded as a very superior work of art; and strange as it may seem, the copy appeared equal in every respect to the original. We here sat in a chair which Rubens kept as his favorite seat. We rode along Rubens street past the house, a handsome edifice, in which Rubens lived and died, and over the front of which there is a bust of the great painter. In the square, in front of the Cathedral, there is a fine bronze statue of him.

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CHAPTER XVI.

RANKFORT, JULY 26.—In one hour from Antwerp we reached Brussels on the evening of the 20th of July, and remained there about three days. Brussels is pleasantly situated on the river Senne, although some of the streets running back from the river are rather too steep. It stands mostly on the acclivity and top of a hill. It has a magnificent park, two grand boulevards, and many fine squares. On the 21st there was a royal parade, and religious services were held at the Cathedral of St. Gudule, it being the anniversary of the late King's death. There was a great crowd and considerable military display. With some difficulty we obtained admission to the church, where we hired chairs to stand upon, in order to see over the heads of the populace. There were present the King and Queen, judges of the court, officers of the army, all the foreign ministers, and other officials, all in their uniform or regalia, save the American consul, who represented the United States on that occasion, our minister, Mr. Jones, having recently resigned and left for home. The judges wore long robes. faced with scarlet silk. Most of the officials had taken their seats before the arrival of the King and Queen, on whose appearance they all rose, and the King and Queen bowed pleasantly right and left to them as they passed to their seats at the right of the altar. We had a good view of all these dignitaries. The King is a tall, fine looking man, between forty and fifty, we should judge, and the Queen, a very pretty lady, is somewhat younger. At the close of the ceremonies they passed out first,

life.

bowing as when they came in. There was a grand flourish of trumpets both inside of the church and in the streets. We have a photograph of the pulpit of this church, and, like the one in St. James' at Antwerp, of which also we obtained a good photograph, it is remarkable for the beautiful carving, which must have cost no small sum. "The pulpit of St. Gudule is formed of wonderfully carved groups of figures, representing the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. The figures are the size of Above the pulpit, which is supported by the tree of knowledge, stands the Virgin, holding the infant Jesus in her arms, who is endeavoring to thrust the cross into the serpent's head." In fact, the churches, some of them, in both these cities. abound in wonderful carvings, mostly of wood, but some in ivory—all remarkably perfect. In the old square in the lower part of the city, where the Hôtel de Ville is situated, the architecture of four several centuries is represented. Brussels is regarded as perhaps the best place for laces; therefore we made it an object to visit several lace stores and manufactories of lace in different parts of the city. All the people here whom we met spoke French, thus enabling us to transact business with them much easier than we could do in Holland, where Hollandaise and Flemish are the languages generally spoken among the common people. Besides several of the churches, all interesting as containing magnificent altars and many fine paintings, we visited the National Gallery of Fine Arts, and a gallery of very beautiful modern paintings and statuary near the King's Palace. The former is divided into three departments; "the first contains the paintings of the great Flemish masters, from Van Eyck to Ru