422 



BELGIUM. 



This town of brick-kilns was the birthplace of Gerhard Kremer, the famous geo- 

 grapher, better known as Mercator. 



Antwerp, in Y\&mh\L Anticerpen, in Yvench Anrers (150,650 inhabitants), is the 

 second town of Belgium in population, the first for its maritime commerce, and the 

 only large fortress. It has existed now for at least twelve centuries, but its com- 

 mercial advantages were not originally what they now are ; for it was only in 

 the fifteenth century that the Hont, or Eastern Schelde, became changed into a 

 navigable highway, thus converting an inland village into a maritime city. For 

 a long time afterwards, however, Antwerp remained a place of little note, for the 



Vvi. 235. — AxTWEKP. 

 Scale 1 : 150,000. 



V" 25 



2 Miles. 



Zwyn, which led up to Bruges into the most industrial part of Flanders, presented 

 greater facilities for commerce than the upper estuary of the Schelde. In 1444 

 oidy four merchants resided at Antwerp, and six small vessels sufficed for its 

 modest commerce. But in proportion as the Zwyn became silted up, so did 

 Antwerp increase in importance. In 1503 the Portuguese, who shortly before 

 had opened an ocean highway to India, establislied one of their factories at Ant- 

 werp, and other nations followed suit. About the middle of the sixteenth century 

 Antwerp had attained the height of its prosperity, and occasionally as many as a 

 hundred vessels availed themselves of a single tide to reach its port. " Excepting 



