DUCKS & GEESE AT AMSTERDAM 205 



North ' as quickly as we could. The poultry had 

 been started, via Harwich, a few days in advance. 

 We found, on our arrival, that they had been delivered 

 the day before, and were in excellent condition. 

 We stayed at an admirable hotel, the ' Old Doelen,' 

 which had been rebuilt since I had visited Amsterdam 

 some years previously. I found that the city of 

 Rembrandt was no longer entitled to be called the 

 'Venice of the North,' with her streets of water, as 

 many of the old canals had been filled up, after 

 large drains had been laid, causing a vast improve- 

 ment in the sanitary state of the city, and no longer 

 rivalling in its odours the stenches of Cologne, which 

 Coleridge counted. The Dutch Government had 

 been for some years building a receptacle for their 

 art treasures, and as it was now complete, it was 

 decided to open the edifice with a great exhibition 

 for Agriculture, Science, and the Fine Arts. My son, 

 I may observe, was extremely successful, carrying 

 off many prizes, with the special Gold medal for the 

 best collection of poultry, and the same for the 

 highest classes of water-fowl. Such specimens, 

 indeed, had never been before seen in Holland. The 

 Aylesbury ducks, with the Rouens, Pekins, and 

 Cayugas, were matchless, a pair of the Aylesburys 

 weighing 2 1 lb. The geese were enormous, a 

 Toulouse gander scaling 37 lb., and a goose 32 lb., 

 together weighing 69 lb. ! I was naturally proud of 

 the achievements of my farm. 



The arrangements of the show were admirable 

 in every department, and therefore in marked con- 



