A Description of the Seventeen Provinces Commonly Called the Low Countries, Province 5 – Province 7
The Province of Frise-land described.
The River Embs divides East-Friesland, which belongs to Upper Germany, from West-Friesland, which appertaineth to the Lower: And as it grows nearer to the Sea, so it enlargeth it self, that the Mouth thereof makes a Gulph. Here is the City of Embden seated, one of the most considerable Towns of all the Maritine Parts, by reason of the frequency of People, and opportunity of Commerce, which is much holpen by the Haven thereof, being held to be one of the most commodious in all the North.
The Flemish-Friesland maketh two Provinces. That which joyns upon Germany is called Groninghen, from the City of the same Name. A City very well Peopled, and suspiciously seated, being the chiefest Key of those Confines. It is seated very low, as is its sister Province, which retains the Name of Friesland. In Winter the Fields stand full of Water, and there is no coming to their Habitations but by their Banks. In Summer the Land lyes dry, and yeilds great store of Pasturage. You would say, that in those parts, the Sea is interchangably turned into the Land, and the Land into the Sea. By reason of the low Situation, and great humidity there are no Woods in the Country, nor almost any sort of Trees that may serve for firing: But where Nature is therein wanting, the Inhabitants make it good by their Industry. For they make use of Turfs cut out of the Earth and dryed in the Sun, instead of Wood: These are the Woods of Friesland, and the usual fire of the Inhabitants. In divers other parts of Flanders they suffer the same wants, and with the same industry provide against them.
Frise anciently was a Kingdome, and reached from the Mouth of the Rhine into Denmark: but that which we here describe is VVest-Friesland: The other towards the River Visurgis, is called East-Friese.
VVest-Friese hath North and West the Ocean Sea: South, Zuiderzee, and the Country of Overissel: East it hath East-Friseland. Under its Signiory are many Isles adjoyning unto it, the principal whereof are Schelnick, and Ameland, in which are divers Villages.
There are no Rivers in this Country save only Ems, and Lauwers, but Issel, and Vidre are neer to it: There are very many great Channels throughout the Country, made as well for transportation, as for draning of the waters, which otherwise would overflow all. For its a Marish Country, flat, and full of Waters: the River Ems severs it from VVestphalia. They have small store of Grain, but numbers of Cattel, and Turfe is their fewel: but the poorer People burn Cow-dung dried in the Sun. Many of their Kine bring two Calves a piece, and their Ewes two or three Lambs, yea, sometimes four at a fall. They have also store of good Horses.
This Country is divided into three principal Counties: The County of Ostergoe, the County of VVestergoe, and the County of the seven Forrests. All of them contain Walled Towns, and others enjoying the like priviledges, being Rampered with Trenches and Ditches, eleven namely, Leewarden, Doccum, Franiker, Bolswaerd, Sneck, Ilst, Slotem, Harlinghen with a Castle, VVorkum, Hindelopen, and Straveren. There are in it four hundred and ninety Villages.
Leewarden described.
Leewarden is seated two Leagues from Doccum: Its a good, and a great Town, having a strong Castle in it. Franiker is a good Town, and a University: Of the rest there is nothing remarkable.
The Isle of Schellinck described.
In this Island are some Villages abounding with excellent good Pastures, great plenty of Cattel, and very good Fish, especially Dog-fish, which are taken in this strange manner. The men disguise themselves like Beasts, and so go to the Sea-side, at such times as they know the Fishes use to come forth to refresh themselves with the air upon the shoar. Then these disguised men fall a dancing and leaping; with which sport, the Fishes are so greatly delighted, that thereby they are drawn far from the Sea, while, in the mean time Nets are pitched between the Sea and them, which being done, the Dancers throw off their disguised Apparel, and discover themselves, whereupon the Fishes retire towards the Sea, and are taken in the Nets.
The Province of Groeninghen described with the City.
Its a very great, rich, and wellbuilt City, under the Diocess of the Bishop of Munster. It hath a great and larg Jurisdiction; and through the City passe divers Rivers, in divers Channels, some made by Art, and some by Nature, which make the Town very strong.
Groninghen lyes upon the utmost bounds of that consine which joyns together the upper and the lower Germany. There is not in that part of the Low Countries a more Noble City than this, either for the number of Inhabitants, for the quallity of the Buildings, or for the frequency of Commerce. It forms the Body of a Province which lyes about this City, and which takes the Name, and almost the whole Government from thence. Its seated low, well provided of a Wall, and Ditch. It hath some works within the Circuit thereof of the Modern fashion; and the rest, for the most part, are of the ancient. It enjoyes very large Priviledges.
The Province of Holland described.
Holland is as much to say, a hollow Land, because the very foundation of it stands upon the Water; so that if you go, or ride, the ground will tremble under you. Its bounded North and West with the Sea: South with the Meuse, and Brabant: East with the Zuiderzee, and Guelderland. Through it run many armes of the Rhine, and Meuse, besides a number of Channels made by Art, almost between every Village of moment.
It hath in it a number of Islands made by the Sea, the Rhine, and the Meuse, of divers Names, yet all comprehended under the name of Holland. The ground is so low that they are fain to Fence it, with Dikes, and Rampers, as well against the Sea, as against almost all the Rivers and Channels into which the Sea Ebbs and Flows; so that in many places you shall see the Sea above the Land, yet kept back by these Banks.
This Country hath few Trees in it, because the ground is so spungy, that it is not able to bear the weight of a Tree; and yet lesse quantity of Fruit and Grain grows in it for the same reason. Yet have they such plenty of Grain from the Easterlings, and Denmark, as is not only sufficient for their own use, but liberally to impart to other Countries. And they have such plenty of Rhenish Wine from Germany that they spend more than in the Country where it grows. Flax they have none growing, and yet make more Linnen Cloth than any Country in the World. Wool also they have none of their own, and yet make an infinite number of Cloths. They have no Timber, and yet spend more in building of Ships, and Fencing their Dikes then any other Country doth.
Their principal home-commodities consists in breeding of Horses, the Kine in their fat Pastures, and Meddows, and Turfe, whereof they sell an infinite quantity to other Countries. The Butter and Cheese made in a year in Holland amounts to above a Million of Crowns. But their greatest commodity comes by Fishing, and Navigation.