GHENT. OJ 



stitute for a rack and pinion. This is evidently a very 

 clumsy and rude implement of husbandry ; not well suited, 

 we should think, for the expedition and activity, which we 

 have already noticed as characterising the Flemish farmers, 

 in preparing for their second crop. 



Having reached the little village, we took shelter in the 

 cabaret, where the clean, though homely, accommodations 

 and refreshments pleased us much. Massive silver-forks 

 and snow-white table-napkins indeed graced our board ; but 

 these formed a striking contrast with the awkward knives 

 (not better than thretty-penny joctileg's), — with the simple 

 fare presented, which required not the use of forks, — and 

 with the coarse and clumsy articles of household furniture 

 around. The thunder cloud soon passed over, and we 

 returned homeward, again admiring, as we passed, the fine 

 meadows and lofty trees of Oyedonck. Distant lightning 

 continued, and became more and more vivid as the evening 

 advanced. 



Aug. 17. — To-day we attended a Protestant Church, 

 which has been established here since the accession of the 

 present Royal Family, chiefly for the accommodation of the 

 troops from Holland. For this purpose the King has grant- 

 ed the Chapel of the Capuchins, which belonged to a monas- 

 tery suppressed during the reign of Buonaparte. The ser- 

 vice was in Dutch. The congregation was very far from 

 being numerous ; consisting, indeed, only of thirty persons, 

 besides the clergyman. The military had attended at an ear- 

 lier hour. All the pews are constructed of oak : the princi- 

 pal ones are marked with inscriptions, denoting that they 

 are appropriated to the different classes of military officers. 

 They are furnished with large quarto Bibles, bearing on 

 the cover that they had been " presented by King William 

 to the Protestant Church at Ghent." Sentinels were sta- 



