I. INTRODUCTORY 1 II. THE ISLAND OF WALCHEREN 14 III. FROM MIDDELBURG TO DORTRECHT 29 IV. ROTTERDAM 45 V. DELFT AND HER TRAGEDY 59 VI. THE HAGUE AND SCHEVENINGEN 75 VII. LEYDEN AND HAARLEM 91 VIII. THE CITY OF NINETY ISLANDS 108 IX. EXCURSIONS ABOUT AMSTERDAM 123 X. ALKMAAR AND THE HELDER 137 XI. FROM HOORN TO STAVOREN 150 XII. FRIESLAND AND ITS CAPITAL 165 XIII. THE HINTERLAND OF HOLLAND 176 XIV. GELDERLAND 189 XV. UTRECHT AND ’S HERTOGENBOSCH 202 INDEX 215 THE ILLUSTRATIONS VETERANS OF THE FISHING FLEET OF VOLENDAM _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE WOODEN SHOES OF HOLLAND 1 THE DUTCH BUILD GOOD ROADS 12 LOOKING DOWN OVER THE ROOFS OF MIDDELBURG 20 THE OLD CHURCH TOWER AND LIGHTHOUSE OF WESTKAPELLE 24 BEHIND THE DIKE AT GOES 30 A PICTURESQUE CORNER OF DORTRECHT 40 THE ROMANCE OF ROTTERDAM SHIPPING 44 A CANAL STREET IN ROTTERDAM 50 THE EAST GATE OF DELFT 60 THE PRINSENHOF IN DELFT 68 DUTCH MAIDS AND WASHERWOMEN 76 THE KURHAUS AT SCHEVENINGEN 88 A STEAM TRAM ENGINE 92 INSIDE THE GROOTE KERK IN HAARLEM 104 THE ROYAL PALACE, AMSTERDAM 112 DIAMOND WORKERS IN AMSTERDAM 116 A WATERFRONT STREET IN VOLENDAM 124 A CANAL BACKYARD 132 CHEESE DAY IN ALKMAAR 140 THE DIKE AT THE HELDER 144 AN OLD STREET IN HOORN 152 HOORN’S RACETRACK ON THE MAIN STREET 156 THE METAL SKULL CAP OF FRISIAN WOMEN 164 LEEUWARDEN’S LEANING TOWER 168 THE TOWN HALL AND MARKET SQUARE IN GRONINGEN 180 THE BEST OF KAMPEN’S GATEWAYS 184 QUEEN WILHELMINA’S SUMMER PALACE AT HET LOO 188 THE MARKET AT ARNHEM 196 THE EUSIBIUSBINNENSINGEL OF ARNHEM 200 UTRECHT’S CATHEDRAL 204 THE OUDE GRACHT IN UTRECHT 210 [Illustration: Probably the majority of travelers go to Holland, not for art, nor for scenery, nor for history, but for windmills and wooden shoes--to epitomize the characteristics of the country and its peoples] _Windmills and Wooden Shoes_ INTRODUCTORY