ges," said Nettie again, pointing to the drawbridges
of white painted wood which they saw at every little distance; they were
made of large, heavy beams overhead, and lifted by chains for the vessels
to pass through.

Under the trees, beside the canals, were yellow brick "sidewalks," as
Nettie called them; but they were really quays, for the landing of goods.

Between the trees and the houses, on a coarse, rough pavement, among
carts, drays, and carriages, walked the foot passengers quite frequently.
For though there were sidewalks close to the houses, little outbuildings
and flights of steps to doorways were continually in the way, and it was
"impossible for one to walk straight along, or at all fast, on any of
them," as the children said.

"Mamma," said Nettie, "I should think they would break their necks every
minute. Just look at those canals, right in the street, and nothing to
keep people from falling into them. What do they do in dark nights?"

"How do they light the streets, papa?" asked Eric.

"By oil lamps, hung on ropes from the houses to the trees," said Mr. Hyde.
"They have gas on the High Street."

Allan's attention had been attracted by some curious little structures
outside the lower windows of several of the houses.

"What are they?" he asked.

"Looking-glasses," said Mr. Hyde.

"Looking-glasses, papa! _Outside_ their windows?" exclaimed Nettie.

"Yes, dear; they are hung so as to reflect the passing objects to the
people inside."

"Then they can see whatever is going on in the streets below, without
coming to the windows," said Eric.

"What a funny custom!" exclaimed Nettie, again.

The only building they visited was the Church of St. Lawrence, where they
saw the famous great organ, a splendid structure, larger than the great
organs of Haarlem and Boston. It is one hundred and fifty feet high,
mounted upon a colonnade fifty feet high, and has five thousand five
hundred pipes.

In the market-place they saw a statue of the great scholar Erasmus, and
"the house where he was born," which is now, alas! a gin-shop. From the
_Boomptjes_, a fine quay, planted with rows of beautiful trees, and
surrounded by elegant, dark brick mansions, our party chartered a little
sail boat, and went out upon the Maas.

The beautiful, quiet Maas, with Rotterdam's green, woody banks in view;
the blue, blue sky, seen clearly in the limpid waters; the steamers coming
and going, and birds flying around, adding th