2 L 2H HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



fresh state ; and as late as May or June of the following* 

 year, it sometimes appears in the dessert. 



Having determined to leave Amsterdam next morning, 

 we devoted the rest of this day to a general survey of this 

 singular capital, — built in a salt-marsh, and, as is well known, 

 founded on millions of logs and piles. To save time, we 

 availed ourselves of the aid of a commissioner or valet-de- 

 place. Descriptions of the public buildings and curiosities, 

 much more complete and satisfactory than we could pre- 

 tend to give, are to be found in different books of travels ; 



and therefore a few desultory notes only, are here to be ex- 

 pected. 



Every one has heard the praises of the Stadt-House of 

 Amsterdam; and we venture to say, that no visitant will 

 ever find his expectations balked, or complain of exagge- 

 rated descriptions of this noble building. The difficulty of 

 forming a sufficiently sure foundation for so massive a struc- 

 ture, must have been inconceivably great ; and the distance 

 from which all the materials had to be brought, must have 

 vastly swelled the expence. This grand building was well 

 calculated to convey to the mind of a stranger an exalted 

 idea of the wealth and public spirit of the merchants of 

 Amsterdam. But the glory has departed : this splendid 

 edifice is no longer the Stadt-House of the Batavian Re- 

 public, but a palace of the King of the Netherlands. It 

 was usurped by King Louis ; and possession is retained 

 by the present Royal Family. At the restoration in 

 1814, it was, in due form, offered back to the city; but 

 little faith, we are given to understand, was placed in the 

 sincerity of the tender; and the burghers and merchants 

 of this emporium of commerce, after rearing a public edi- 

 fice which has been classed among the wonders of the 



