rce of the Netherlands, including Holland, though far inferior in
extent and importance to what it formerly was, is still not inconsiderable.
Indeed, the situation of Holland, nearly all the towns and villages of
which have a communication with the sea, either by rivers or canals, and
through some part of the territory of which the great rivers Rhine, Meuse,
and Scheld empty themselves into the sea, must always render it commercial.
The principal ports of the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and
Antwerp. The exports of the Netherlands consist either of its own produce
and manufactures, or of those which are brought to it from the interior of
Germany: of the former, butter, cheese, madder, clover-seed, toys, &c.
constitute the most important; from Germany, by means of the Rhine, vast
floats of timber are brought. The principal imports of the Netherlands,
both for her own use and for the supply of Germany, consist of Baltic
produce, English goods, colonial produce, wines, fruits, oil, &c.

There is perhaps no country in Europe which possesses greater advantages
for commerce than France: a large extent of sea coast, both on the Atlantic
and the Mediterranean; excellent harbours; a rich soil and genial climate,
adapted to a great variety of valuable productions; and some manufactures
very superior in their workmanship,--all these present advantages seldom
found united. Add to these her colonial possessions, and we shall certainly
be surprized that her commerce should ever have been second, to that of any
other country in Europe. Prior to the revolution it was certainly great;
but during and since that period it was and is vastly inferior to the
commerce of Great Britain, and even to that of the United States.

The extent of sea coast on the Atlantic is 283 leagues, and on the
Mediterranean eighty leagues: the rivers are numerous, but none of the
first class. The canal of Languedoc, though from its connecting the
Atlantic and the Mediterranean it would naturally be supposed highly
advantageous to commerce, is not so; or rather, it is not turned to the
advantage to which it might be applied. In England such a canal would be
constantly filled with vessels transporting the produce of one part to
another. It is not, however, so; and this points to a feature in the French
character which, in all probability, will always render them indisposed, as
well as unable, to rival Britain, either in manufactures or commerce.
Besides th