476 



THE NETHEELANDS. 



Flanders, Its inhabitants engage largely in oyster-fishing. Biervliet (2,094 

 inhabitants), the birthplace of Beukelszoon, who first taught the Dutch to pickle 

 herrings, is a decayed town, whilst Ruht (2,334 inhabitants), formerly a busy 

 commercial city, has dwindled into insignificance since the silting up of its canal. 

 Goes (6,063 inhabitants), the capital of Beveland, occupies the centre of one of 



Fig. 266. — Bergen-op-Zoom. 



Scale 1 : 150,000. 



''WESTSCHELOE/;.,,,^, 



4°iO£ofCr 



. 2 Miles. 



the most remarkable agricultural districts of Europe, and nowhere else can the 

 peculiar features of polders be studied with equal advantage. 



Middelhurg (15,954 inhabitants), the capital of Walcheren, is one of the few 

 Dutch towns able to boast the possession of a fine town-hall. Both the microscope 

 and the telescope were invented here. The docks, though connected with the 

 Schelde by canals, are no longer frequented by large vessels, since VUssingen 

 {Flushing, 10,004 inhabitants) provides them with superior accommodation. That 



