a city of Holland, in size and commercial importance the second in the kingdom, capital of the province of South Holland, on the right bank of the Meuse, where it receives the Rotte, about 20 miles above its mouth, and 36 S.W. of Amsterdam. In form it is triangular, one side being formed by the river, which is lined for the distance of a mile and a quarter by the fine quay called the Boompjes ("little trees"), shaded with a row of fine elms, planted in 1615, and now no longer "little." Along this quay stands a range of some of the best houses in the town, four or five storeys high, and built of dark brick. The High Street (Hoogstraat) of Rotterdam extends along the great dyke or dam erected for the protection of the adjacent country against the overflowing of the Meuse. The ground between this dam and the Boompjes has been gained from the river since the building of the dam, and is now occupied by the most modern part of the town. Except the High Street, all the other thoroughfares of the place are traversed by canals in the centre, which intersect one another, and communicate with the river and with the moat that surrounds the city. These canals are crossed by Rotterdam numerous draw-bridges, and at the wider parts by ferry-boats. The ebb and flow of the tide, which rises 10 or 12 feet, keeps the water in the canals always fresh, and prevents it from stagnating. To a stranger the appearance of Rotterdam is very quaint and striking; presenting, as it does, a confused mixture of lofty gables, trees, and masts of the shipping in the middle of the city. The houses, which have in general their gables turned towards the street, and project in the upper storeys some distance beyond their base, are in many cases large, lofty, and handsome. Those which belong to merchants generally comprise in one building both the place of business and the private residence of the owner; the former surrounding an inner court on the ground floor, and the latter approached in many of the houses by a marble staircase. The principal market-place of Rotterdam consists of a broad bridge across one of the canals, and contains a bronze statue of Erasmus, the most illustrious native of the town. The house where he was born, now a gin-shop, is pointed out, in the vicinity of the Great Church. This church, dedicated to St Lawrence, and completed in 1472, is built of brick, and though much defaced, is yet very beautiful in its architectural ornaments. Its tower commands an extensive view over the flat country, intersected with canals and avenues of trees, and dotted with farms, spires, and windmills. In the church are monuments to Admirals de Witt and Corneaeer, and Vice-Admiral van Brakel. The organ of this church is said by some to be superior even to the famous one at Haarlem; it is 90 feet high, has 90 stops, and 6500 pipes, the largest of which is 36 feet long, and 17 inches in diameter. The numerous other churches in the town are not very remarkable. The exchange is a very fine building, with a library and collection of philosophical instruments. The town-hall, however, is not nearly so fine as that of Amsterdam; and the dockyard, too, is inferior to that in the capital. In the vicinity is a botanic garden and several places of public resort and entertainment. The manufactures of Rotterdam are extensive and of much importance. Ship-building is one of the chief branches of industry; the total number of vessels built in 1856 being 227, tonnage 58,768. There are also sugar-houses, salt refineries, and manufactories of needles, pins, tobacco, and chemical substances. The trade of the port is very great. The following table exhibits the number and tonnage of the vessels that entered and cleared with cargoes for six years:

| Year | Entered | Cleared | |------|---------|---------| | | No. | Tonage | No. | Tonage | | 1850 | 1818 | 379,543 | 1818 | 366,640 | | 1851 | 1981 | 420,835 | 1655 | 369,602 | | 1852 | 2039 | 476,485 | 1759 | 406,283 | | 1853 | 1751 | 408,609 | 1087 | 367,231 | | 1854 | 1962 | 454,187 | 1714 | 399,167 | | 1855 | 2112 | 488,912 | 1602 | 382,133 |

The number of merchant ships and steamers belonging to the port in 1856 was 2372, tonnage 588,620. The commerce of Rotterdam is carried on by three channels: by sea, by land, and by the Rhine. The first of these is the most important; and indeed the prosperity of Rotterdam is owing in a great measure to its foreign trade. Antwerp formerly rivalled it in this respect; but since the separation of Holland and Belgium in 1830, the Dutch city has completely outstripped its competitor. Goods are imported from the Dutch possessions in the East and West Indies, from America, and from various countries in the north of Europe. The Netherlands Trading Company carries on an extensive commerce, especially with India, and until the end of 1859 enjoys many privileges. Roubaix value of their importations for 1855 and 1856 was as follows:

| Articles | 1855 | 1856 | |----------------|---------------|---------------| | Coffee | £3,661,675 | £3,539,000 | | Sugar | 1,348,810 | 2,171,500 | | Spices | 900 | 83,675 | | Pepper | 11,740 | | | Indigo | 252,590 | 18,750 | | Coal | 18,330 | 30,230 | | Ratains | 635,625 | 624,900 | | Cinnamon | 8,450 | 4,889 | | Tea | 77,560 | 105,740 | | Hides | | 10,520 | | Total | £5,927,200 | £6,798,699 |

Wheat, rye, wines, pottery, &c., are imported by the Rhine from Germany, and grain and timber from the Baltic. Rotterdam is connected by railway with Amsterdam and the other chief cities of Holland. Steamers ply from this port to London, Hull, Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leith, Glasgow, Hamburg, Dunkirk, Havre, Bordeaux, Marseilles, Leghorn, Cronstadt, and Stettin. Pop. (1855) 96,000.