dog teams had incautiously been conducted too
near another team, reposing, after the labors of the day, on the verge
of the canal. Some canine demonstration on the part of the idle dogs,
doubtless, excited the ire of the travelling team, and, without asking
the woman's permission, the latter deserted the ranks, so far as their
harness would permit, and "pitched into" the others, which sprang to
their feet, and met the assailants half way. All the dogs howled,
growled, and barked vehemently, and in a moment the two teams were
rolling upon the ground, entangled in their rigging, snapping, biting,
and kicking, in mad fury.

The woman seized a stick, and belabored the belligerents with great
vigor; but the fight continued, in spite of her, until several women
interfered, and dragged the cart of the idlers, clogs and all, out of
the reach of the others. The driver, after severely whipping her charge,
unsnarled their rigging, and went on her way. Paul had to stop and laugh
frequently at these dog teams, the animals presented so many different
phases of character. Some of them howled or barked as they trudged
along; and many manifested a desire to make the acquaintance of other
teams on their way, much to the annoyance of the driver, who would storm
at them in Dutch, kick and whip them.

Many of the men, women, and children wore sabots, or wooden shoes, which
Paul compared to canal boats, and went clumping and clattering along the
streets like champion clog-dancers. The Flemish cap, worn by some of the
peasant women, also amused Paul very much. From each side of the
wearer's head, near the eye, projected a brass ornament, in the shape of
a spiral spring, but each circle diminishing in size till the wire ended
in a point, like a gimlet.

In the older parts of the city the tourists found brick buildings whose
walls slant outwards, so that the eaves would project eighteen inches
over the base, as farmers in New England sometimes build their
corn-barns.

Rotterdam contains about as many canals as streets, which are frequently
crossed by draw-bridges. Some of these are handsome iron structures,
revolving on a balance, so as to make a passage on each side when open.
Others were raised by heavy framework overhead; and in some of the
bridges there was only an opening one or two feet wide, to permit the
passing of the vessel's masts.

After examining the canals and bridges in this part of the city, Paul
and the doctor walked to