The

BEING desirous of seeing the country by
Bergen-op-Zoom, and along that coast,
we took three places in the Diligence which
goes by that route. The expence for each
was 22 francs, or about 18s. 9d.
hour of departure was four in the morning.
Of the other three passengers, for there
were none outside, one was an English-
man going on commercial business into
Holland, another was a Swiss officer who
had made the campaign in Russia under
Napoleon, and was returning from Antwerp
to join his regiment at Bergen-op-Zoom,
the third was a native of Rotterdam, who
spoke both French and English so as to be
understood, but neither with ease. The
carillons of the cathedral announced the
quarter, and then the half-quarter. The
horses were put to, and just as the carillons
again announced the hour of four in the

122

ROAD TO BERGEN-OP-ZOOM.

morning, the coach set forward. Having passed through the gates, and over the drawbridge, we looked with admiration on the tremendous foss and walls. The road for the first stage was paved. The country was flat on each side, but well cultivated, and we passed some country seats and grounds beautifully adorned. At the end of an hour and a half we were stopped to allow time to feed the horses, for we could get no others till we arrived at Bergen-opZoom. We took this opportunity to breakfast. It is a route no gentleman should attempt in his own carriage, as post horses can scarcely be had. If he must come this way, he had better send on his coach by the route of Breda, and himself take the public conveyance:

After the first stage the roads were very bad. The wheels sunk four or six inches in the mud. The rains had fallen heavily, and many fields were overflown, and about some heaps of hay the water stood half a foot deep. Streams of water ran across the road. In some places the little covered channel, which was to carry it under the road, was broken open, and we had to wait

ROAD TO BERGEN-OP-ZOOM.

123

while it was repaired. Conducteur and postilion were very active, and we got on better than could have been expected. As we proceeded, the road did not improve, and the horses were often half up the leg in water. We at last got to the frontier of Holland. A guard-house was by the road, and the soldiers demanded to see our passports. We entered Dutch Brabant, and with the recollection of past history, rather than a consideration of present circumstances in our minds, we felt as if we had passed from a land of slaves to that of free- ́ dom, like our own dear native land, the praises of which were then upon our lips.

We had not gone far before we came to a wide extensive moor, the view of which presented sterility and desolation to the eye. We were obliged to turn aside from the high road, and proceed by bye roads, usually employed for bringing home the turf, which is pared off for firing. A few sheep here find a miserable existence.

After some miles we at last came to Bergen-op-Zoom. This fortress, so renowned for strength, makes no appearance to the eye at a distance. We passed the

outworks, crossed the drawbridge over the vast outer ditch, and through the gate of the outer wall; the ditch was dry, but water could easily be let in. We crossed by a drawbridge the vast inner ditch, and entered the gate into the city. A strong guard was posted there, but no passports were demanded. We were now in Holland, and except at Amsterdam, such things are not in use. We had barely time to view the place where our brave countrymen entered. We admired the valour that could have overcome such obstacles, and we felt as Britons ought to feel, when we recollected their subsequent disasters, and had to lament that such valour was unfortunately thrown away. Bergen-op-Zoom is, in the collection of the revenue for patents or licences, reckoned a town of the sixth rank. It is said not to contain above five or six thousand people. The streets are narrow, and the houses mean and closely built. The Dutch gentleman told us, it was nine hours or twenty-seven miles distant from Antwerp. It cannot be quite so much. We arrived about nine in the morning.

On leaving the town, we found a wellcultivated country, though it was not very fertile. We soon got to the little town of Steenbergen, which is fortified by two ditches and two walls, like Bergen-op-Zoom. It was useful in former times to preserve the possession of the neighbouring country. It had a small garrison in it. On leaving Steenbergen we approached to a small river, and had an opportunity of observing the manner in which it was embanked. There was a strong dyke of turf, but all covered with long grass and grown together, at some distance from the river. There was another dyke close to it. If the water should rise so as to burst or run over the first dyke, the second dyke kept it from overspreading the whole country, and the space between the dykes afforded the water abundance of room to run along. The bridge was a large barge with a platform at each end, to enable carriages to drive on and off, without inconvenience. We did not get out of the coach. The boatmen pulled us across, and we drove on to another river a little farther I was told it was larger than the first,

on.