ROTTERDAM. 9

best pastüre land had been compelled to part with their dairies, from not’ having food wherewith to support the cattle even in the summer.

From Delft the road to Rotterdam is on the right side of the canal, on the top of the dyke, and is bounded by very good country houses, apparently belonging to the wealthy in- habitants of the city, or by gardens where the most luxuriant vegetables were growing in profusion. These gardens and houses were reached by small bridges over the canals; for in some parts canals were on both sides the road. The idea of comfort was naturally suggested, by the neatness and scrupulous cleanliness of the outside of every house, and those few I entered did not destroy that idea on a closer in- spection. Though the land is rich, the vegetation flourishing, the houses well built; and the gardens and orchards abound- ing in every valuable fruit, yet there is a tiresome sameness of aspect, produced by the extent of levels, bounded by no hills, and by the absence of all trees of the umbrageous class. There are no oaks, few elms, none of a tolerable size, and neither ash nor beech; willows are, however most abundant, both growing and piled in stacks for repairing the dykes; these, with a few black, and some Lombardy poplars, were the only trees that broke the dull continuity of the line of vision. The quantity of potatoes growing in the adjacent fields was very considerable; but as the labourers were digging them, previous to sowing the fields with wheat, I was much struck with the general smallness of their size, which I learnt arose from a prejudice, I believe, pretty general on the continent, against large potatoes, one which prevailed equally in Ireland and England on their first introduction.