STATISTICS OF THE NETHERLANDS. 



491 



that time Holland was mainly dependent upon its fisheries and commerce. Later 

 on, differential dues closed foreign ports against Dutch vessels, and during the 

 French occupation they rotted in the docks of Amsterdam. The decadence of the 

 Dutch maritime power is not, however, solely due to foreign rivalry. It was 

 brought about, in a large measure, by the maintenance of obsolete monopolies, 

 now fortunately abolished. The herring fishery, a " mine of gold " in former 

 times, and still of considerable importance, though encouraged by bounties, has 

 not been able to maintain its old markets in the face of the unfettered competition 

 of the Scotch. 



The decrease in Dutch commerce is, however, only relative, and since the 



Fig. 279. — The Groins near PettjiN. 



Scale 1 : 48,000. 



1 Mile. 



removal of obsolete restrictions has once more steadily increased. Much of it is 

 transit trade between England and more distant countries and Germany, and 

 English vessels are more largely engaged in it than Dutch ones.* 



In the Netherlands transport by water is carried to an extent altogether 

 beyond the experience of other countries. The principal canals have a length of 

 1,507 miles, besides which there are 1,151 miles of river highway. Several of 

 the canals are works of which the Dutch may be justly proud. The ship canal, 



* Imports (merchandise) :— 1870, £38,624,064; 1876, £.57,993,333. Exports :— 1870, £30,164,700; 

 1876, £43,499,166. This is exclusive of transit. Of 2,689,617 tons entered in 1876 from abroad, 

 663,610 tons were Dutch. The marine consisted, in 1878, of 1,835 sea-going vessels of 410,727 tons. 

 Railways, 1,120 miles; telegraphs, 2,150 miles. 



