LETTER NO. XVIII.

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND, Sept. 9, 1859.

EDITORS ADVOCATE :

I have just finished, after a hard day's labor, the examination of the locks at the mouth of the Rhine, and the huge pumps or water-works at Haarlem Lake. They are both immense works, and to a Louisianian full of interest. The locks

were finished under the reign of Louis Bonaparte; since the restoration, however, the very name of Bonaparte has been erased, and the chief engineer's placed in its stead. For many centuries the Rhine, in emptying its waters into the North Sea, had overflowed an immense country at its mouth; just as the Mississippi does at present. The Dutch came to the conclusion that it was best to tap the Rhine near its mouth, and thus let off its surplus waters, and at the same time carry off the rainwater which was doing them great damage. For this purpose they have dug a huge canal, and constructed three locks across it, which opens to the

Rhine and shuts against the sea.

When the tide

is high the gates are shut, when it is low they are open. This canal is 300 feet wide, and 20 feet deep, and 25 miles long!

But the great work of Holland is the reclaiming of Haarlem Lake. This was a lake of water 20 miles long, and containing an area of 45,000 acres. They went to work and built a levee around this lake 15 feet high, and then started three huge draining machines, each machine working eleven monster pumps, six feet in diameter! They kept all these pumps going for four years, when the very bottom of the lake became dry land. The land was sold at a very high price, and the draining machines are still kept up at an annual tax of about 50 cents per acre. It is now a rich and flourishing country, with handsome dwellings and splendid farms, where the salt sea once remained supreme. From the tower or observatory of the huge draining machine, you can see almost to Amsterdam, a distance of 30 miles. Land that was once covered with water, is now worth 500 guilders per acre, while smiling plenty is seen on every hand. The soil reclaimed is peculiarly rich, and commands a much higher price than other lands.

cences.

Last night I spent in the Hague. It is the capital of Holland, and full of interesting reminisThe streets are narrow but clean, and the houses generally built of brick, covered with the Dutch tile. The churches of Holland have all been stripped of their paintings and statuary.

They present cold, damp walls, and remind one of the days of William of Orange.

I stopped to-day at Leyden, and spent the day. In the town-hall are many fine paintings, one particularly that is known to history. It is "The Last Judgment," by Lucas of Leyden, over four hundred years old, and still the coloring is good, and the painting considered one of the very best of the old masters. In this great painting, hell is represented on the left, and a legion of devils are engaged in pulling and driving the wicked into eternal torment, while a huge devil is pushing a beautiful woman into the mouth of the fiery dragon, with a pitchfork. The burgomaster of the town was very polite, and opened the doors of the galleries without pay or reward. This is the first collection of paintings that I have seen in Europe without paying for it.

The Dutch are a very persevering, industrious people. The ride from the Hague to Leyden is a delightful one. You pass through an immense forest, all planted by the present generation, and since the land has been reclaimed from the sea. There are also many very elegant private residences, surrounded with flowers and fountains, and all that art could suggest or wealth buy.

Amsterdam is a large city; it has over 200,000 inhabitants. Here are all nations of the world assembled. It is the northern Venice of Europe. Hundreds of families live in boats and die in boats. The streets are like Rotterdam, that is, a canal for

every street. The Jews are very numerous, and have great influence as bankers and jewellers. This is the only city that manufactures the smalt used so extensively in painting on porcelain; also borax is very extensively made here. Here also are the lapidaries, who grind the precious stones and cut the diamonds. In the museum are many fine paintings; among them is one by Vander Helst, called "The Miracle of Holland." It is a very large painting, containing twenty-five portraits, all true to life, and most admirably done. These are considered by artists to be the best portraits in the world. The palace is an immense building, and is the spring residence of the king. It is finished in the most gorgeous and elaborate style with marble carvings. The ball-room is 180 feet long and 90 feet wide, and 100 feet to the ceiling. The entire room, sides, roof, floor, and all, is composed of pure Carrara marble. Well may the Dutch be proud of this, their greatest work of art, for there is nothing superior to it in all Europe.

The cholera has been very fatal of late in Belgium and Holland, and has carried off hundreds and thousands of all classes.

To a Louisianian, Holland is an exceedingly interesting country. Here you find a people, who for centuries have been fighting great battles against their greatest enemy, the sea. They have often suffered very much, occasionally whole villages being swept away. Still they have not been

discouraged, but have rallied under the severest misfortunes-built their levees higher, and given them more base, and now rest secure from the waves of the "stormy sea." Year after year they taxed themselves, and built levee after levee, until at last they have triumphed. The levees are under the entire control of the General Government. A corps of engineers are kept always engaged in watching and repairing them. By this means Holland is to-day one of the most prosperous and happy countries in Europe.

We have only the Mississippi to levee. This can be done effectually. In Holland they have fought and conquered the Rhine and the Ocean. We should then take courage in Louisiana-change our entire levee system-place it under the control of the State, and make it the duty of the Commissioner of Public Works to take charge of all levees, from the Balize to the Arkansas line. Give them full power to construct, rebuild, and repair all levees at the expense of the general levee fund, and then we will have no more overflows.

Good-bye. I leave to-day for Berlin.

Yours, very truly,

H. W. A.