It is necessary to leave Groningen very early in the morning, and take a good carriage, in order, by passing rapidly through Friesland, to arrive at a certain hour before evening in Lemmer, a small lively town, where the packet boat leaves for Amsterdam. This time too the Sunday had animated the roads, the villages, and the pleasing little towns, like Nordyk, where we took our dinner. Sun-set imparted a magnificence to the evening upon the Sudersee beyond all description. We soon came in sight of the Islands of Lydan and Monnekendyk; but the wind was not favourable, and the rocking of the vessel had a disagreeable effect upon many of the passengers, and gave all of us an idea of what we had to expect in the open sea. Before noon we were in sight of Amsterdam, which was continually rising more visibly from behind a wood of masts. At getting out, one boat followed us upon another, contending which should conduct us through the canals of the city to our quarters. We arrived about dinner time. The journey through Holland was indeed only a passage, but nevertheless, I did not feel disposed to lose the few days in which we made it. I had remained longer in this country, so highly interesting in many respects, in the year 1806.

With regard to literary institutions, much more appears to have been done for the lower than the higher schools. The French preacher, Monsieur Teissedre L'Ange, to whom my maxims of education are indebted for a Dutch translation made with great judgment and knowledge of the language, was just now as actively employed for the good of the poor schools in Amsterdam, as he had been formerly in Haerlem. In the latter city I missed the superintendant of the united Belgian national and citizen schools, but I overtook him in his journey at Rotterdam. He was going to Brussels and the other French provinces of the Netherlands, in order, if possible, to spread the same good spirit which had gained him such high merit in the Dutch; for few laboured as he had done, in the spirit and to the purposes of the highly respectable Nieuwen Heysen, founder of Maatshappytot nut van't Algemeen. There were very few points upon which we did not agree in our conversation, in a long walk we took in the delightful environs of Rotterdam. As historical information it deserves to be remarked, that even at the period when Holland had Buonaparte for a king, the course of education was not at all impeded, and the French commissaries, whom Napoleon sent into the Netherlands and the Hanse Towns, in order to give an account of the condition in which school education was found, could hardly say enough in praise of the high perfection which the national school (Lager Schooler) had attained in Holland.

In Leyden, a new picture was offered me of the dreadful power of two destructive elements. On the 12th January, 1807, a large ship, laden with 40,000 pounds of powder, in seventy barrels, which was destined for Delft, and lay in the middle of the canal, blew up, (no one has ever discovered by what accident) with a dreadful explosion. The effects of the shock were felt at a still further distance, at the Hague, at Amsterdam, at Utrecht, and at Zwolt. In the town itself it appeared as if the earth had opened, the heavens were on flames, and the end of the world arrived. Almost all the houses situated in the Rappenburg, the most beautiful part of Leyden, fell down at one instant; a still greater number, upwards of 800, were considerably damaged; even in distant parts of the town no tiles were to be found upon many of the roofs, no window remained uninjured, and no door upon its hinges. In many families they had just sat down to dinner. At the next moment, every thing in the palaces of the rich, and in the habitations of the poor, lay in ruins. Of two large boarding establishment, and a poor school, very few persons could be saved. Whoever was struck in the street by the blow, was carried into the air, either fell wounded if not dead, to the ground, or if he remained alive, on seeking his home he no longer found any shelter. For two or three days nothing was heard but lamentation out of the holes under ground, which were shut up from the efforts of the workmen by huge masses of stone. There was scarce any considerable house which had not to lament the loss of a friend or relation. Still the number of the dead was less than at first believed. Many had been preserved almost by a miracle. Of many, however, not the smallest remains were any longer to be found. Lacerated and disfigured bodies were continually brought to the Town-house, that their relatives might discover who they were. Many a family was wholly extirpated with all its branches.

Thus I found whole streets and quarters, in which at my first visit, in the year 1806, I had wandered amongst sumptuous buildings, at present converted into empty squares, covered with grass and planted with young trees; and had it not been for the celebrated Doctor of Law, Professor Tydeman, who honoured me with being my guide, I should hardly have found my way in this new Leyden. A secret shudder overcame me, when I placed myself as a stranger in Leyden during these dreadful days. If they had happened four months earlier, 1 might have met with the fate which befel many a stranger, whose business had carried him thither, and of whom no one could tell on what spot he had found his grave.

Still, as time heals all wounds, these scenes of horror were forgotten. Less was said about them, than I expected. People too were already accustomed to the deserted quarters, and had partly given them a very pleasing appearance.

Rotterdam, 11th June.

The only day which remained for me to view this extensive and interesting town, as celebrated for its considerable trade as for its delightful situation on the banks of the Maese, was passed too quickly in conversation with M. Van dem Ende, and in the benevolent hospitality of an old friend, Mr. Goede, one of the most diligent translators and preservers of translations of German writings,

It was vacation at the flourishing institution of education of Mr. de Raadt, and the master of the house was absent. Willingly would I in person have imparted to him the hopes which his worthy son, who during two years was my intimate companion, and one of the most zealous in the study of the theory and history of instruction, had excited in us, and who, as might be expected, transplanted much of what he saw here, and every where upon his travels, successfully upon the soil of his native country. Certainly it will have become very clear to him, how high the well-organised schools in Germany stand above the best private institutions, where the superintendant feels himself always tied by a certain dependence upon under teachers, whom he cannot do well without.

The following morning we hastened to the vessel which always goes away on the days when the packet-boat in Helvoetsluys weighs anchor for England. In Nieuwesluis we alighted, and found a carriage in readiness to conduct persons and baggage to Helvoetsluys. We reached there at noon. As we arrived, the captain of the Packet in rotation to sail, received us in uniform. As the packet generally, unless there is a total want of wind, goes out in the afternoon, no time is to be lost in getting passports reviewed at the neighbouring office, and settling for the passage, which amounted to about 15 or 16 dollars of our money.

On Saturday forenoon at four o'clock, we received an invitatiou to come on board. At five o'clock all was in order. The wind was throughout contrary; but tacking and cruizing soon removed us from the sight of the Dutch coast. The continent gradually disappeared as we sailed over the wide expanse of sea, whilst we took an anxious survey of our native shore.

Our voyage lasted from the 12th to 15th of June, when we landed at Harwich. The joy at landing, the comfortable prospect before me of clean inns, and convenient stage coaches,

the latter so great a novelty to all strangers unacquainted with the mechanical elegance and even refinement to which they have arrived in England, perfectly enraptured me, and I could not avoid giving vent to the grateful feelings excited, by praises as flattering as they were just. How grateful was the impression produced by contemplating this rich country teeming with the highest cultivation, and now in all the pride of magnificent bloom! Every where traces of agricultural industry meet the eye. I imagined I was arriving in beautiful and wealthy cities, while I was only in a village. I thought I was beholding the most magnificent country seats, and still they were only the habitations of the farmers or merchants. The houses in the cities or market towns are indeed usually small and narrowbut how friendly an appearance do they not afford by their windows as bright as looking glass, by the pretty hedges, and the small flower gardens through which a clean path conducts you to the house door. And how the mercantile life begins even in the country! I drove by from one shop to another. Behind the high windows of beautiful crown glass, which form the lower story, all kinds of wares are artfully laid out to view. And what cleanliness and neatness in the dress of most people we met with, who, full of curiosity, advanced to the door or window, when the coach passed by, expecting friends or relations, and helping them down from the roof of the carriage. As if borne by the almost indescribable crowd of passengers in carriages and on horseback, which begins particularly after Rumford, two German miles distant from London, where the road is already lined on both sides with dwellings, I arrived, as all travellers have denominated it, in the town (die Stadt); so London is plainly called, as formerly Rome in Italy --but without knowing rightly where it begins, as there is not the least appearance of gates. It was already dark, but the illumination, which begins very early, displayed every object to my view. The impression which the grandeur and extent of the town cannot fail to make upon every beholder is truly astonishing. The sumptuous buildings, the constantly moving scene, are striking peculiarities and features which far surpass those of Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Vienna, and Venice, and impress every person who for the first time steps into this little world, at present inhabited by at least 1,200,000 souls. It is indeed a mixture of astonishment and anxiety.

Residence in England.

I will now candidly and honestly impart, as it appeared to me, whatever I have seen, observed, and experienced in the very limited time to which I was confined. Others have seen many

things quite otherwise, and judged of them accordingly. My own opinion, which had been previously formed from the earliest works upon England, has often become quite changed by ocular inspection. I have generally found that writers have been too hasty to see well; too prejudiced in order to judge impartially; too inclined to believe every thing in order to examine with care; and frequently sacrifice the rigid truth to a witty conceit or striking representation.

Amongst the older works Alberti is become tolerably out of use. Volkman remains still a good guide, and has at least registered all that is to be seen with diligence, although he is frequently most laconic where details might have been expected. Others, such as Faugas, S. Fond, Nemnich, Young, Gilpin, had rather the economical, the picturesque, a natural history in view, which lay out of my plan. Moritz, without satisfying is interesting from the truth of narration, during the short stay he made. Archenholz indeed, on the contrary, furnishes far more, although much that he says can be considered only as a sketch. I have found the well-informed Kuttner, Wendeborn, and Goede, by far the most serviceable writers. Madame Schopenhaver, in her English journey, possesses the talent of making fine observation, which, however, deviates here and there into an unreasonable severity, arising from what she personally experienced; whilst she, however, retains a lively representation of all that she saw. In the Gallo American, Mr. Simond, it is impossible not to perceive the liveliness which distinguishes the French character, although he lived more than twenty years in America. It is tempered, however, by that earnest and love of truth which mark the half nationalized Englishman. Professor Spieker's, by far the best topographical description, has appeared only lately.

I have formed to myself no particular plans and purposes in making this visit, and still less have I been entrusted, as it has been here and there hinted, with particular commissions. The end of my endeavours was to get acquainted with this remarkable country, in all its various points of view, as far as it was possible in the short two months I resided in it, and with uninterrupted enjoyment of good health and careful employment of every hour, I have succeeded far beyond my own expec.tations, both in seeing much and in gaining a variety of useful intelligence. I was naturally attracted towards every thing that concerned the spiritual and religious education of the nation. I think I am enabled, therefore, to give a more exact description of every thing of this kind than other travellers, who either hasten over it too quickly, or do not touch upon it at all.