s the stranger. It is one of the most ancient cities of
Holland, and, in the middle ages, the most busy in its intercourse
with the outside world.

We left Dordrecht in the early morning, expecting to cover quickly
the twenty-seven kilometres to Rotterdam. Ever and ever the thin
wisps of black smoke streaked into the sky from the flat directly
ahead, but not until we had almost plumped down on the Boompjes
itself did things take material shapes and forms.

There are many things to do and see at Rotterdam, but the great,
ceaseless commerce of the great world-port is one of the marvels
which is often sniffed at and ignored; yet nowhere in any port in
Europe or America, unless it be at Antwerp, is there to be seen such
a ship-filled river as at Rotterdam on the Maas.

The Hotel Weimar on the Spanishkade, and the Maas Hotel on the
Boompjes, cater for the automobilist at rather high prices, but in an
intelligent fashion, except that they charge a franc for garaging
your machine overnight. We found the same thing at Dordrecht; and in
general this is the custom all over Holland.

We left the automobile to rest a day at Rotterdam while we took a
little trip by water, to Gouda, famed for its cheeses. It is an
unworldly sleepy place, though its commerce in cheeses is enormous.
Its population, when it does travel, goes mostly by boat on the Maas.
You pay an astonishingly small sum, and you ride nearly half a day,
from Rotterdam to Gouda, amid a mixed freight of lovable fat little
Dutch women with gold spiral trinkets in their ears, little calves
and cows, pigs, ducks, hens, and what not, and on the return trip
amid a boat-load of pungent cheeses.

We got back to Rotterdam for the night, having spent a tranquil,
enjoyable day on one of the chief waterways of Holland, a foretaste
of a projected tour yet to come, to be made by automobile boat when
the opportunity comes.

No one, not even the most naive unsophisticated and gushing of
travellers, has ever had the temerity to signalize Rotterdam as a
city of celebrated art. But it is a fondly interesting place
nevertheless, far more so indeed than many a less lively mart of
trade.

As we slowly drifted our way into the city at dusk of a long June
evening, on board that little slow-going canal and river-craft from
Gouda--known by so few casual travellers, but which are practically
water stage-coaches to the native--it was very beautiful.

The brilliant crimson sun-streaks latt