BREDA TO ANTWERP. 269 



high, and which had been trained in the nurseries to that 

 form. Many hundreds of these had fairly died ; indeed, 

 not more than one in a dozen presented a terminating tuft 

 of green leaves, just sufficient to intimate that life was not 

 extinct. Yet no little pains had been taken in planting 

 these tall spiry trees : the soil was generally heaped imme- 

 diately around the base of the stem, in order to preserve 

 some degree of moisture about it, and at the same time 

 a hollow or small pit was formed on the outside of the 

 heap, with the view of detaining rain-water, and making it 

 sink down to the roots. Such trees are not likely either to 

 afford shade from the sun or shelter from the storm, nor to 

 prove anywise ornamental ; but they may probably be very 

 useful during winter, in serving as direction-posts to point 

 out the track of the road, when the cultivated fields and 

 dangerous quagmires are equally buried in snow, or cover- 

 ed with water. 



As we approached Antwerp, the country improved, be- 

 coming clothed with large trees, and with oak coppices. It 

 was between seven and eight at night before we arrived at 

 the town, our journey having occupied almost nine hours. 

 Instead of ordering our postilion to drive to the Hotel St 

 Antoine, where we were known, and where we had, on our 

 former visit to this city, been comfortably lodged, we al- 

 lowed him to take us to the inn to which he himself gave 

 the preference ; but we suffered for our thoughtlessness, 

 the accommodations proving very inferior. 



From Antwerp to Brussels. 



Sept 7. — Finding ourselves very uncomfortable in our 



lodgings, we determined to proceed as fast as possible to 



Brussels, about seven-and-twenty miles distant. By six in 



the morning we had finished breakfast, having by expe- 



