J4^ HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



and characteristic only of a Scots pilot or a Dutch skipper. 

 The margins of the canal in several places abounded with 

 the water-soldier (Stratiotes aloides), and narrow-leaved 

 reed-mace (Typha angustifolia). The poisonous water- 

 hemlock (Cicuta virosa) was very common. The delete- 

 rious effects of this plant on cows which browse it, have 

 sometimes been experienced at Lochend, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Edinburgh, where it is not nearly so abundant 

 as here. It seems surprising that it is not carefully extir- 

 pated by the Dutch ; for, in general, they pay the greatest 

 attention to the welfare of their cows. 



At a neat little fort called Nieuwer Sluis, we left the 

 Amstel and proceeded on the river Vechtr A single lock 

 occurs here, raising the level three or four feet. Some ex- 

 tensive and elegant villas now presented themselves, and 

 we thought we could discern attempts to approach the 

 English style. A large paddock supplies the place of the 

 park ; and groves of lofty trees, contrasted with thickets of 

 shrubs, make up for the want of variety of surface. Some 

 sweeping bends of the Vecht are highly favourable for 

 promoting picturesque effect. The white willow forms a 

 very general and appropriate ornament on the banks^ and 

 its light foliage is well relieved by dense belt-rows of Dutch 

 elm. We afterwards came to Maarsem, a considerable vil- 

 lage, inhabited, we understood, almost exclusively by fami- 

 lies of Portuguese Jews. 



As we approached Utrecht, the banks of the canal be- 

 gan to acquire elevation, and the gardens to appear above, 

 instead of below the level of the water. A green line of 

 conferva informed us, that, even at this distance from the 

 teSL the water of this canal rises and falls with the tide. 



