HOTTERDAM. 133 



tion of those appearances, we were informed, that the whole 

 family often migrates with the vessel, dwelling on board for 

 many months at a time. 



Large Trees. 



We have not yet mentioned the trees of Rotterdam ; but 

 they must not pass without notice. In the Austrian Ne- 

 therlands, we had scarcely seen a forest-tree more than 

 thirty or forty years old. On entering the territory of the 

 United Provinces, large trees, chiefly elms, alders, and wil- 

 lows, began to appear, marking the lines of the principal 

 dikes ; and at Rotterdam the quays are adorned with elms 

 and limes of more than a century's standing. The finest 

 quay in the place, which stretches three quarters of a mile 

 along the bank of the Maesc, is named, from the trees 

 which fringe it, The Boomptie. From the diminutive ter- 

 mination being added to the word Boom (tree), it seems 

 reasonable to conclude, that this quay had been the first 

 planted, and the name bestowed while the trees were small 

 and young*. At this day they are generally about fifty 

 feet high, with boles extending nearly to the half of that 

 height ; and most of them are evidently a great deal more 

 than a hundred years old. With the exception of Yar- 

 mouth, scarcely any of our British ports possess trees on 

 their quays ; and whoever has seen the trees on the 

 quay at Yarmouth, will admit that they are highly orna- 

 mental, if not useful. We had witnessed the care and ex- 

 pence bestowed at Antwerp in planting and protecting 

 young trees ; and after seeing the charming effect of full 

 grown elms at Rotterdam, we were no longer surprised at 



* I observe that some tourists consider the name as signifying The Quay 

 of Trees ; but in this case, it would have been written Boumkaai. 



