91 
.CATTLE, IIOLSTEINS. 
which they first protected against inundations by raising hills, breakers 
and dikes, of which the traces arc everywhere discernible along the coast 
throughout West Friesland and Groningen. Something is even known 
regarding the color of their cattle, namely, that they held those of a white 
color in religious veneration. It is a very plausible theory that the I< rics- 
ians, who, at as early a date as three hundred years before Christ, peopled 
the north of the present Netherlands, and wrought those alluvial plains of 
Scandinavian clay into soil tit for the requirement of their cattle, did, in 
after- centuries, spread themselves in more northerly and easterly directions 
as far as the Elbe — as we already know they did, in the fifth century, 
unite with the Jutes and Anglo-Saxons in emigrating to England ; in addi- 
tion to which, wc must observe that these were probably East Friesians 
and not West Friesians. 
The Friesians, from Oldenburg and the country near the mouth of the 
Elbe, both south and north of that river, were compelled, through tho 
inclemency of those regions — then in their original condition of low allu- 
vial swamps, inundated at every tide — to desert them. It was owing to 
these local circumstances that the Romans were prevented from endeavoring 
to land their army. 
It can be shown that the inhabitants of this territory were unable to 
make sure provision for their own wants because of tho robberies and pi- 
racies committed by the Normans, dwellers on the west coast of Denmark, 
people from Holstein and Sehleswyek, Jutes and Angles. These were by 
no means peaceful breeders of cattle, as were tho Friesians and Batavians, 
whose lands they constantly plundered and laid waste, burning and ravag- 
ing their possessions, massacring the inhabitants, making them pay tribute, 
penetrating far inland to the mouths of the Rhine and Yssel, and every- 
where giving unbridled vent to their ferocity and love of plunder. This 
was between the eighth and eleventh centuries. Giving due weight to 
these statements, which, from tho naturo of tho case must be necessarily 
brief, it cannot be doubted that the cultivation of cattle in the Netherlands 
existed a long time before such a thing could be thought of in Holstein. 
It is also quite as certain that the colonics from Friesland, Holland and 
Westphalia, carried with them their cattle into Holstein. Their wealth 
largely consisted in their herds. 
Hence we see that, first, the Dutch race of cattle date from an older 
descent than those of Holstein ; while, probably, second, the Holstein cattle 
originated from the Friesian breed and from that of the Dutch and Westpha- 
lian emigrants. 
After this colonization, we have our attention directed to another 
remarkable particular in the rapidly advancing history of t.ie Dutch cattle 
cultivation. 
