: I 



FLANDERS. 



FLANDEHS. 





a parallel in the north of Europe. The country became the centre of 

 the grratMt commercial and manufacturing operations in Kurope ; 

 UM Plemuh towns were an to the 16th century more populous, as they 

 continue to this day to be better built, than those of any neighbouring 

 country. 



After several wars and revolutions, which rendered it independent 

 or subject to the crown of Prance, Flanders was united to the duchy 

 of Bourgogne, as the result of the marriage of Marguerite, only child 

 of Count Louis II., to Philippe le Hardi, duke of Burgundy. By the 

 marriage of Mary of Burgundy Flanders passed to the house of 

 Austria. 



About the beginning of the ISth century it was divided into three 

 parts : French Flanders, which now forms the department of Nord 

 in France, and is described in the article NORD ; Austrian or Imperial 

 Flanders, which under the French empire formed the department of 

 Lys, snd is now distinguished by the name of West Flanders ; and 

 Dutch Flanders, now East Flanders, which during the French empire 

 formed the department of Escaut. East and West Flanders, at the 

 peace of 1814, were included in the kingdom of the Netherlands. 

 Since the revolution of 1830 they form part of the kingdom of 

 Belgium, with the exception of a narrow strip to the north of East 

 Flanders, along the south shore of the icatuary of the Schelde, which 

 is still retained by the Dutch, and forms part of the province of 

 Zeeland. In the remainder of this article the Belgian provinces alone 

 are described. 



Kail Plandm, a province of the kingdom of Belgium, is bounded 

 N. by the Dutch province of Zeeland, E. by South Brabant and 

 Antwerp, S. bv Hainault, and W. by West Flanders. It extends from 

 60* 42' to 51"22' N. lat, 3 25' to 4" 26' E. long. The area is 1232 

 square miles. The population in 1849 was 781,143. 



The principal rivers that traverse this province are the Schelde, 

 the Lys, and the Donder. It is further watered by several smaller 

 streams and brooks, all of which are tributaries to the Schelde ; and 

 the trade of the province is facilitated by numerous canals. The 

 Stktlde enters the province on the south-west, and flows north-north- 

 east past Oudenarde to Ghent, where it receives the Lys. Thence it 

 runs eastward to Termonde, where it receives the Dender on its right 

 bank, and soon after takes a north-eastern course down to Antwerp. 

 DE.| The Lyt rises in the French department of Pas-de Calais, 

 and flows first north and then cast, past Therouenne and Aire, and 

 entering the department of Nord passes the towns of Estaire and 

 Armenticrrs. Hence running north-east along the Belgian boundary, 

 pant Menin, it eutrrs Flanders and joins the Schelde on the left bank 

 at Ghent. The Dender rises in Hainault, to the north of Mons, and 

 flows north-west to Ath, and thence north-north-east, past Grammont 

 and Alost, in this province, to Termonde, where it falls into the 

 Schelde on the right bank. All these rivers are navigable. 



East Flanders is low and level. In many parts of the province 

 there are beds of peat. The chief productions of the earth are 

 wheat, rye, barley, oil-seeds, oats, potatoes, flax, hemp, hops, madder, 

 and tobacco. There is but little wood of large growth iu the province, 

 Coal, turf, and potters' -clay are found. The chief manufactures are 

 lace, damasks, fine linen and woollen cloths, bobbin-net, silk, cordage, 

 bricks, haU, and soap ; and there are also cotton-factories, potteries, 

 siiftar-refincrics, distilleries, and breweries. 



The trade of Flanders is greatly facilitated by means of good 

 common roads, numerous canals, and railroads. There are railways 

 from Ghent to Antwerp, Malincs, Ostend, and Courtrai. From 

 Courtriti a line runs westward to Ypres ; and another curves north 

 and east through Thomout to Bruges. A branch from the Ghent- 

 Malim H line stretches to Alost ; and another branch from the Ghent- 

 Lille line, which it leaves at Deynze, is in course of construction to 

 Fumes. 



The draught horses bred in the neighbourhood of Ghent and Alost 

 are large, well-formed, and powerful animals. Mnny of them are 

 sent to London, where they are used for drawing the brewers' drays. 

 Oxen are seldom used in Flanders for purposes of labour. 



The capital of the province is Ghent, which is described in a 

 separate article. [GHENT.] Alost and Dendermonde are noticed 

 under their proper heads. [ALOST ; DENDERMONDK.] Of the other 

 towns of the province we give the following : Bauerddr, a market- 

 town, with about 3800 inhabitants, including the whole commune, is 

 situated about 10 miles N. from Ghent Deynzt, 11 miles by railway 

 8.W. from Ghent, is a very ancient town, and is celebrated for the 

 fine quality of the gin dixtilled there : the ]K>]>ulation is about 

 8000. Sccloo is situated on the high road between Ghent and Bruges. 

 It has manufactures of woollens and cottons, soap, tobacco, chocolate, 

 and haU ; and there are distilleries, tanneries, salt-refineries, and oil- 

 mills. It has a large weekly market for grain : population, 9200. 

 (Jrammont is situated on both sides of the river Dender, 18 miles 

 S.3.E. from Ghent It contains two churches, four chapels, a town- 

 hull, a college, and an hospital. I 'otton-opinuing, dyeing, bleaching, 

 tinning, soap-boiling, distilling, brewing, and oil-crushing are the 

 chief branches of industry ; lace, fine linen and damafk, and woollen 

 studs also are manufactured : population about 7500. Lotertu, 

 11 miles by railway N.E. from Ghent, stands on the Dunne, a feeder 

 of the Schelde. It has several well-built street*, a large market-place, 

 a town-ball, parish church, three chapels, an hospital, and a prison. 



The parinh church is surmounted by a lofty tower, and is famous for 

 iu magnificently-carved pulpit, which represents Our Saviour at 

 the Doctors. Among the fabrics produced are cotton, linr: . 

 woollen cloths, hosiery, lace, hats, and sail-cloth ; and there are 

 extensive bleaching-giounds, breweries, dye houses, tobacco fa. 

 and tanneries : population, 16,500. Si. A'iehotat, 20 miles by railway 

 N.K. from Ghent, is said to have one of the largest markets for flax 

 in the world. It is the seat of a tribunal of commerce, and has a 

 town-ball, a college, prison, and a large square surrounded by hand- 

 some houses. Its industrial products comprise cotton and woollen 

 stuffs, tobacco, soap, and hats ; and there are tanneries, dye-houses, 

 breweries, salt-refineries, and potteries : population, 20,500. .Vinore, 

 20 miles S.E. from Ghent, is situated on the north-west bank of the 

 Dender. It is a well-built town, and has two churches, a fine abbey, 

 a town-hall, and an hospital. Among its industrial establishments are 

 several flax-mills, some potteries, tobacco manufactories, and oil-mills : 

 population about 5COO. Oudenarde (Oudenaarden, called by the 

 French Audenarde), 15 miles 8. by W. from Ghent, is situated on the 

 right bank of the Schelde. It is a place of great trade, being the 

 centre of a district in which the linen manufacture is carried on, anil 

 is the market in which its products are sold. The town-hall of 

 Oudenarde, built in 1525 in the florid gothic style, is small, but one 

 of the handsomest structures of the kind in Belgium. Among the 

 other public buildings may be named the elegant gothic churches of 

 St-Walburga and Notre-Dame (the latter dates from 1239), an old 

 tower called Hct-Sacksen, and the bridge of the Porte d'Eyne. 

 Margaret, duchess of Parma, natural daughter of Charles V., who 

 governed the Low Countries under Philip II., was a native of Oude- 

 narde. The town has given name to the victory gained by Prince 

 Eugene and the English over the French, July 11, 1708. The town 

 is well built, and has large breweries and tanneries ; there are also 

 salt-refineries, cotton-mills and oil-mills, an hospital, and two orphan- 

 houses : population, 5670. llenaij is 20 miles S. by W. from Ghent 

 It is a flourishing place, and has extensive manufactures of fine linen 

 and damask, woollen stuffs and hats, tobacco, chicory, beer, &c. Th 

 town has three churches, an hospital and an old castle : population, 

 13,000. 



The civil government of the province is administered by a governor, 

 who resides at Ghent. Courts of assize ore held at Ghent, Oudenarde, 

 and Termonde. A court of appeal, which has jurisdiction likewise 

 over the adjoining province of West Flanders, is established at Ghent. 

 That city is also the seat of a bishop. It has also a Normal school 

 supported by the government. Education is very generally diffused 

 by parish schools and by the religious houses, most of which take 

 boarders or keep schools for the poor. 



Wat t'landeri, a province of Belgium, is bounded N.W. by the 

 North Sea, N.E. by the Dutch province of Zeeland, E. by East Flan- 

 ders, S.E. by Hainault, and S.S.W. and W. by France. The :u 

 1512 square miles. It lies between 50' 41' and 51 23' N. lat, and 

 between 2 33' and 3 30' E. long. The population in 1849 was 

 626,847. 



The principal rivers of the province arc the Lys, which is noticed 

 above, the Schelde, which forms part of the south-eastern boundary 

 towards Hainault, the Ysor, and the Yperlee. The Yter rises in the 

 department of Nord, in France, and entering West Flanders near 

 Kousbrugge, it flows north-east to its junction with the YperUe, winch 

 flows northward from Ypres. The united stream then runs under 

 the name of the Yperlee to Dixmude, whence its course is north-west 

 to Nieuport, where it falls into the North Sea. There ore * 

 other inconsiderable streams iu the province, and the comniunii-at loin 

 between diflV-rrnt places are facilitated by means of navigable canals : 

 the most important of these are the canals between Ghent and Bruges, 

 Bruges and Oatend, Dunkirk, Furues, and Nieuport 



The surface is flat, with the exception of a few low hilla in the 

 south-west and south-east of the province, and the Kami-hills wlu ii 

 line the coast The soil is for the most part sandy. The sand is 

 in some parts covered with a stratum of vegetable mould, but in 

 most other parts the soil is very light and poor. In some places the 

 surface is marshy. Wheat, oats, flax, rape, trefoil, turnips, carrots, 

 potatoes, and tobacco are all cultivated. The quality of the tobacco 

 MI the neighbourhood of Werwick is much esteemed. Brick and 

 pipe clays and peat arc dug. 



There are considerable woods in the arrondissemen ts of Bruges, Y 

 and Courtrai, the greatest part of which belong to the state. The 

 priiicip.il trees are the birch, oak, ash, hornbeam, elm, beech, poplar, 

 pine, plane, lime, larch, chestnut, and elder. Willows are frequently 

 seen, but always as pollards. 



The horses of the province ore large and heavy, fit only for draught 

 Horned cattle ore numerous, and of good breed. Many oxen are fat- 

 tened and sold, and a considerable quantity of butter is made for 

 exportation. There are also many sheep. 



A great proportion of the inhabitants of the province are employed 

 in spinning flax and weaving and bleaching linen. The manufacture 

 in chiefly a domestic one, and is carried on in the farm-houses during 

 winter, and at other times when the operations of the field are neces- 

 sarily interrupted. Damask and table-linen are made in the towns of 

 Courtrai and Bruges. Much Iscn is made at Bruges, Ypres, Courtrai, 

 and Menin, the thread for which is spun at Courtrai. There are iu 



