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5)
Rotterdam
[Before Strachan went to England there were not above one
or two Ships in hand now there are 5 or 6 of the
line building or repairing.]
We then took a walk to Delfthaven a village
about 2 miles from Rotterdam where their India
company have a Dock yard entirely on their own account.
There was no admittance there neither; but there was
a Ship repairing which could be came at with out going
into the yard. and which we went aboard of it and
as we found the director of the work a very intelligent
and communicative man, I was well paid for my
walk. They build their Indiamen in such a manner
as to be capable of being turned into men of war
when wanted as such. This would make a 64
Gun ship. She had already made 5 voyages
to the East Indias and it was intended she should
make 3 more. She had however some repair at each
voyage.
We called upon Mr Enslie at our return and he
gave me a letter to his Brother at Amsterdam.
and then went to the french coffee house for about ½ an
hour. I looked over the English newspapers, but saw
nothing interesting in them. We understand here that
Sr Cha's Hardy is at Portsmouth.
Tuesday Septr 7th. at 6 o clock in the morning I left
my lodgings and took my baggage to the place where
the Delf Trekschuits go from Mr Strachan insisted
upon going with me ½ way to Delft although his
business would not permit him to go any further.
The 6 o Clock boat was gone, therefore as we were
obliged to wait for that of 7 o Clock we got some
breakfast. It was not my fault that we were late.
The roof was hired therefore we as well as some ladies
and genteel looking people were obliged mixed with
the common herd. The boat was as full as it could
hold as there were so many people returning from
the Kermes. I was almost smoak dried.
Strachan and I took leave of each other with mutual
promises of correspondence about 3 miles from Rotterdam
and from whence he had to walk back.
There was a gentleman with us who spoke french and
so obliging as not only to manage the carrying
the my baggage to an Inn at Delft whe to stay there
while I went to see what was to be seen
in the town; but he came to the inn again when
he had done his business at the time I was to set
out and saw me settled in the Hague Trekschuit.
I went to see the famous Tomb Monument of the Prince of
Orange in the great Church there. To oblige
you and to shew my own great taste and
6)
in the polite arts, I must tell you that the
brazen attitude in which Justice is made to stand
with her arm akimbo did not please me at all.
This is a fine remark of mine take care it is not lost.
In the old church I was shewn the monument of
Van Tromp. Of each side the organ in this church
there is a kind of Skreen on which musical
instruments are painted just about as roll as
you see them for signs to musical instrument making
shops. I got to the Hague about ½ past 12.
so I went to the Parlement d'Angleterre: and my
first object was to pay my visit and deliver my
letter to Sr Josh Yorke: but by the time I was
dressed and got to his house it was near 2
o'Clock. They told me he was not at home,
but as he told me afterwards himself he was
too busy to see anybody, it being post day.
The servants told me he would be at home at
7 o Clock perhaps but that I should be
sure of seeing him between 10 & eleven the next
morning. I accordingly marched back again.
I dined at the ordinary at the inn, consisted
The company consisted of a french Officer who
had been a Volunteer in the American service,
one of the an Officer of the Swiss guard in the
Dutch service and myself. 3 o'Clock was
the dinner time in the English fashion; but the
dinner itself was dutch, and the price tollerable.
After dinner this french Officer must needs
give us a dish of coffee a piece at the french
coffee house, though I have since heard the
poor devil could but ill afford it. I was going
before dinner to call on Echardt but heard he
was not at home. I went now and found him.
He has an exceding good house and the 2 or
3 rooms which I saw were full of models
and Mechanical Nick Nacks. He shewed me an
improvement he has made in his capstern and
gave me a printed paper about it. He is
still sanguine in his expectations from it.
He has heard it has been made use of in Russia.
He has invented a Graphometer an improvement on
Ste's delineator. He was near taking me in
for a subscription to a book on the use of it,
but the subject happened to be dropt. He lamented
my short stay, and his own engagements; but did not seem to
wish much to see me again. I went to the Comedie francaise
the Princess of Orange was there. They acted & sang well & good music.
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Identifier: | JB/538/373/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 538.
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1779-09-09 |
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538 |
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373 |
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001 |
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Correspondence |
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Samuel Bentham |
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