AMSTERDAM. 225 



being ripe. The " Somer wyn-appel" only may here be 

 noticed. It probably receives its name from its vinous fla- 

 vour : it is a large pale-coloured fruit, altogether different 

 from the red wine-apple mentioned as occurring at Delft, 

 (p. 142.) Some gleanings of the large Dutch white cur- 

 rant still remained. There were grapes, but they were 

 not ripe, with the exception perhaps of a few berries on 

 each bunch ; and it is a fact, that we have not yet seen 

 a bunch of properly ripened grapes on the Continent, at 

 least in a fruit-shop, or for sale. Near the Exchange, we 

 cheapened some blue Frankendales, which were charged 

 at the rate of about 12s. English a pound ! and this, we 

 learned, was the usual price at this season of the year, espe- 

 cially when grapes are scarce, as they now are, and enhan- 

 ced perhaps by the demand occasioned by the kermis. 

 Messina oranges were sold at several of the shops : they 

 were of a large size, but neither juicy nor well-flavoured ; 

 and yet, like the grapes, they were extravagantly dear. 

 Gurkens, or small cucumbers for pickling, were common on 

 the fruit-stalls, but not very good. All kinds of fruit are 

 in general sold by weight by the retail dealers, — a practice 

 which has of late years become common at Edinburgh. 



Supply of Winter-Fruit. 

 The slight notices which we could pick up regarding 

 this subject, need not be omitted. The consumption of 

 winter-fruit in Amsterdam is, we believe, great. Besides 

 what is furnished by the orchards of Guelderland, a good 

 deal is brought down the Rhine from Germany, particu- 

 larly apples. Among these, the Gravenstein and Borsdor- 

 fer are held in high estimation, and deserve more particu- 

 lar notice, 



v 



