My stay at Rotterdam was too brief to enable me to say much about the city. It is a place of considerable commercial importance, and, in some respects, has advantages over Amsterdam; as the merchant vessels have only to come fifteen miles up a fine river, and are able to discharge their cargoes at the very doors of the warehouses. I was informed, that it enjoys a more extended trade than either Amsterdam or Antwerp. It is also considered the handsomest city in Holland, and obtains no little renown from having been the birth-place of the celebrated Erasmus, whose statue in bronze, ornaments the city. On Wednesday, the 22nd of August, I left Rotterdam for Antwerp, at five in the morning. We were conveyed, in a temporary carriage, to the banks of a river, which we crossed to the island of Ysselmond, where the regular diligence was awaiting our arrival. After traversing this island, we embarked on a flying bridge, and were transported across the Maese to the island of Voorn; from the opposite side of which we crossed an arm of the sea, named Holland’s Diep, to Williamstadt, a strong fortified town, built by the unfortunate William before mentioned, as having been assassinated at Delft. This place held out successfully against the French in 1793. After leaving Williamstadt, we crossed a fourth, and then a fifth river, when we arrived at Steenbergen; a small, but strongly fortified town, surrounded by double walls and ditches, and distant seven miles from Bergen-op-Zoom. We reached the latter place at two o’clock for dinner. This town is only noted for its strong fortifications, being defended by double walls, with immense ditches, and confirmed by extensive outworks. I could not avoid a melancholy retrospection of the unfortunate attack made upon this place, by my brave countrymen in the late war. We recommenced our journey at three o’clock, and soon afterwards entered the Netherlands, when the road became so sandy and heavy, that we could not proceed at a greater rate than a foot’s pace; when, however, we arrived within three miles of Antwerp, it changed into a _pavê_, which continued until we reached that town at half after eight in the evening; when I accompanied an English gentleman, Mr. S⸺, who had travelled with us all day, to the Hotel d’Angleterre. As I only rested thirty-six hours in this fine and extensive city, it would be presumptuous to attempt a description of it. The beauty of the town, cathedral, and various churches, and the richness of its cabinets of paintings, and the fine arts, are well known. An academy of painting has lately been formed, or rather re-established here, under the title of Rueben’s school.