2 24 T^a^ National Geographic Magazine 



the Beemster 49 mills were constructed, 

 disposed as follows : 1 1 series of 4 mills 

 each, I series of 3 mills, and i series of 

 2 mills. The work was commenced in 

 1608, when the dike was constructed, 

 and the draining begun in 161 2. The 

 cost of this work amounted to $760,000, 

 the total surface thus reclaimed being 

 17,720 acres. 



THE DRAINING OF HAARLEM I.AKE 



Since the invention of the steam- 

 engine works of a greater magnitude 

 were entered upon. Prominent among 

 the latter is the draining of the Haarlem 

 I,ake. Originally there existed in this 

 locality four small lakes, as the old maps 

 of 1 531 show us. In consequence of 

 successive storms, which caused the de- 

 struction of the adjacent peat lands, the 

 four lakes merged into one, and the new 

 lake thus formed became a source of 

 much anxiety. With the increased sur- 

 face exposed to the action of the winds, 

 the waves on the lake became more 

 powerful, and large sections of peat land 

 were bodily swept away. The four lakes 

 in 1 531 covered an area of 22 square 

 miles, but their surface nearly doubled 

 in 1 59 1, when they merged together. 

 In 1647 they covered 56 square miles ; 

 in 1687, 60 square miles, and in 1848, 

 65 square -miles, or three times their 

 original area. When during a storm in 

 the fall of 1836 the city of L,eiden was 

 flooded by the waters of the lake, the 

 situation became untenable and the gov- 

 ernment decided to drain the lake. 



Between the years 1840 and 1846 the 

 lake was inclosed by a dike 37 miles in 

 length. Three powerful engines were 

 built of from 380 to 400 horse power 

 each, the largest one of which operated 

 eleven pumps each 63 inches in diameter 

 and with a lift exceeding 1 5 feet. With 

 the aid of these engines the lake, which 

 averaged 14 feet in depth, was pumped 

 dry during the years 1847 to 1852, ex- 

 posing 42,000 acres of excellent arable 



land, for with the removal of the peat 

 by the storms the rich alluvial clay un- 

 derlying the latter had been laid bare. 

 The government has felt itself amply re- 

 paid for the enormous sum of $5,568,000 

 which was expended on this work. The 

 sale of land yielded a revenue of $3,142- 

 800, and indirectly a great many incal- 

 culable advantages have been derived 

 from it. (See map on preceding page.) 

 The last of the great works of this 

 class that have been accomplished is the 

 reclamation of the Ij , at one time an inlet 

 of the Zuider Zee, and the construction 

 of the large canal connecting Amsterdam 

 with the North Sea. This work was 

 completed in 1876 and the canal opened 

 to navigation on November i of that 

 year. Twenty-two square miles of ex- 

 cellent land were thus added to the 

 kingdom. Space does not permit here 

 of a description of the technical difficul- 

 ties that were overcome in the construc- 

 tion of this magnificent canal, through 

 which the largest sea-going vessels now 

 pass daily on their way to and from 

 Amsterdam. 



LAND RECLAIMED FROM THE SEA 



Next to their use in reclaiming land 

 covered by fresh water, the dikes have 

 been of great importance in reclaiming 

 land from the sea. The province of 

 Zeeland, which occupies the southwest- 

 ern corner of the Netherlands, is com- 

 posed of a number of islands, conspic-' 

 uous for their fine agricultural lands 

 and for the thrifty populations which 

 they support. The larger part of this 

 province has been formed by the hand 

 of man out of the numerous shoals, clay- 

 banks, and sandbanks that existed here 

 centuries ago. The archipelago of Zee- 

 land, as well as some of the islands sit- 

 uated to the north of it, lie scattered in 

 the broad estuaries of the principal 

 rivers, and are consequently entirely 

 alluvial formations. The fine silt car- 

 ried in suspension by the rivers was de- 



