f the institution is rich in portraits of the
great and good. The Museum of Natural History is very large, and is
quite curious in Oriental and Egyptian relics. In Japanese curiosities,
the Dutch museums are far more affluent than any others of Europe, as
they maintain almost exclusive traffic with Japan.

The history of Leyden is very interesting. In 1573-4, this town suffered
an awful siege from the Spaniards for four months, and lost more than
five thousand inhabitants by war and famine. At last the elements
conspired in their favor, and an incursion of the sea destroyed the
Spaniards and brought succor to the Dutch. Rembrandt the painter was
born at Leyden, in a wind mill. By the way, there are literally
thousands of wind mills in this country, and some of them are very
pretty objects. The sails of these mills are immensely large, and I
think I saw some that were quite one hundred feet long. Many of the best
men of England have studied at Leyden; and if you read the lives of
Evelyn and Goldsmith, you will find they were much attached to this
place. Boerhaave, the great physician, was a professor here, and go were
Arminius and his rival Gomarus. Gerard Dow or Douw, Jan Steen, and
Vandervelde, the artists, were born here. Near Leyden the Rhine enters
the sea, by the aid of a canal and sluice gates; and here are great salt
works, carried on by evaporation. From Leyden we took the rail to
Harlem, eighteen miles; and we found the road very good, and the
first-class cars perfectly luxurious. We noticed on our right hand the
Warmond Catholic Seminary for Popish priests, and saw the young men in
large numbers, walking about. The road runs through a sandy tract of
country, and much of it is made land. Approaching Harlem, we found the
cottages and country-houses very numerous and exceedingly pretty; and we
were pointed to the castle of the unfortunate Jacqueline, whose history,
you know, has been so charmingly written by our friend Mr. T.C. Grattan.
We made our home at the Golden Lion, and found the place comfortable and
very thoroughly Dutch. The landlady is a brisk, bustling body, and
speaks English tolerably well. Harlem has about twenty-fire thousand
inhabitants. On Sunday morning we went to the Church of St. Bavon. We
found a large congregation, and they sung most heartily. The dominie had
a cocked hat hanging up behind him in the pulpit; and he was, beyond
doubt, a very eloquent man. The great organ, built in 1738, was l