_2nd._ The first _poste_ after leaving Courtrai was Vive St. Eloi, an assemblage of a few shabby houses, hardly worthy the name of a village; thence to Peteghen and to Ghent. The country is flat, and anything but picturesque, and almost every field has a windmill in it. We only stopped to dine at Ghent, and then immediately started for Antwerp, where we arrived at about seven in the evening, passing through Lakesen and St. Nicholas. We were ferried over the Scheldt, and afterwards transported to the inn in a very novel manner. On arriving at the ferry opposite the town, the post-horses were taken out of the carriage, which was pushed into the ferry-boat by four men, who with some difficulty dragged it out when on the other side of the river, and then drew it with us in it through the town to the inn, more than half a mile distant from the landing place. After tea I continued the "Bravo of Venice," and read Voltaire's "Bababec et les Faquirs" to Sir Humphry. _3rd._ We did not breakfast till late, and afterwards drove out to see the town in spite of hail and snow. Our first visit was to the cathedral, which much disappointed us both as to its internal and external appearance. It strongly reminded me of that of Strasbourg, which it resembles in its minuteness of architecture, and even in the circumstance of its having its left tower in an unfinished state. The right tower, which is complete, is neither so light, or airy, nor by any means so beautifully sculptured as that of Strasbourg; nor does the building, as a whole, bear any comparison with the latter in beauty and effect. The interior is beautiful from its simplicity; and its having been newly white-washed gave it a light and cheerful appearance. It contains some fine pictures; the chief of which are the "Crucifixion," and the "Descent from the Cross," by Reubens. The pulpit, the largest and most beautiful specimen of carved wood I ever saw, represents Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. We afterwards went into many of the various churches, some of which are adorned with very fine paintings. In that of St. Barbara are some very curious and beautifully carved wooden confessionals, in a style similar to that of the pulpit in the cathedral. Near this church is a celebrated Calvary,[A] which also includes a representation of Purgatory and of Heaven, being an assemblage of demons and saints in the most wretched taste. On one side, through a grating, the mortal remains of our Saviour in the tomb are presented to view; on the opposite side the Virgin Mary appears decked out with flowers and gold lace, surrounded by a choir of angels and saints; and on looking through a third grating one gets a peep at purgatory, where the wicked are seen swimming about among waves of flame in the strangest confusion imaginable. The whole of this representation appeared to us most ridiculous; yet not so to many good Catholics, whom we saw silently kneeling before the gratings, and