grass, his master pushing it behind. They look happy in their harness, but must, I think, be glad to get it off. Antwerp. The ride from Brussels to Antwerp occupies about an hour. The country is flat, it is well farmed, and there is a good deal of timber. Antwerp is a very fine old town, with a population of upwards of 100,000 persons. It is thoroughly fortified, and contains a large number of magnificent churches. The streets wind and turn, and present unending variety. The costume of the market and peasant women is peculiar and picturesque. I was surprised at the profuse supply of vegetables-cart loads of broccoli were thrown down in the Place de Meer. Other vegetables were also abundant, and there was a good supply of fruit. I have visited every province in Belgium except Luxemburg, which lies to the south and contains large forests, and may now sum up my observations by a general review of the condition of the country. Belgium, which was separated from France in consequence of the victory of Waterloo, contains an area of 2,942,574 hectares, about seven and a-half millions of acres-that is, about one-third of the extent of Ireland or Scotland. Belgium and Holland, which were united under one king in 1815, were separated in 1830, the King of the Netherlands retaining Holland, while Leopold became King of the Belgians. This was a great mistake in a political sense. The Hollanders are principally Calvinists, while the Belgians are mainly Roman Catholics; these discordant elements did not work well in the SUBDIVISION OF LAND IN BELGIUM. 169 same state. The population of Belgium has been gra The proportion employed in manufactures is not large. The population is thus divided as to em ployment: Agriculture The class 'Industry' comprises 137,961 engaged about mines and minerals; 281,076 in manufactures ; 45,146 in preparation of food; 252,147 in that of clothing; 108,418 in building. The rural population is 75 per cent., and the civic 25 per cent. The land is thus classified :— The land is divided among 863,007 proprietors, giving three and a-half hectares, about eight acres, to each on an average. It descends according to the 'Code Napoleon.' If there is one child, the parent can dispose, by will, of one-half the estate, but the child must get the remainder; if two children, the power of the parent is lessened to one-third, and if three or more, to one-fourth; every child is entitled to a share of the land. The quantity of live stock was as follows: The average yield for the arable land is equal to 300 francs, or twelve pounds sterling per hectare,* but great as is this produce, it has not kept pace with the wants of the community, and considerable quantities of grain have been imported to meet the demands of those engaged in the mines and manufactures. The import and export of cereals was as follows: * The value of the .agricultural produce was thus estimated by M. Block:- Cereals. Divers products Grass and pasturage Wood, &c. Animal produce Total. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS-LIVE STOCK-BUTTER, ETC. 171 The harvest of 1862 was unfavourable, and hence the larger imports of that year and the smaller exports. The value of the cereal imports of 1863 was 66,312,150f., and of the exports 3,413,945f. Belgium had, therefore, to pay 62,898,205f., or 2,500,000l. for corn in 1863. The value of the imports of live stock* in 1863 was 18,872,000f., and of the exports 17,734,000f., the deficiency being 1,138,000f., or about 40,000l. In 1859 the exportation of butter exceeded the import by 2,405,872 kils.; in 1863 it had increased nearly 50 per cent., being 3,486,570 kils. Cheese was largely imported, the imports of which exceeded the exports in 1859 to the extent of 63,045,057 kils., had increased in 1865 to 140,907,490 kils. It is therefore very evident that we need not look to Belgium for a supply either of grain or meat. She has so many persons employed in the mines and manufactures who do not produce food, that she has been importing grain, &c. for their sustenance. Though the Belgians complain that the Swiss are in some countries beating them out of the field, yet they can show a great increase in their commerce *The imports and exports of cattle, &c. were as follows: : and manufactures. Excluding from consideration commodities imported which are re-exported, the statistics of Belgium afford the following information: ing; the imports and exports of 1860 are considerably more than double the average of those of the ten years from 1841 to 1850. M. Glerfeyt, attaché to the Ministry of the Interior, whose valuable report on the commercial tariff of Belgium is an important addition to the commercial literature of this country, has with the greatest politeness had a special table with reference to the textile manufactures of Belgium prepared for me. It will be found in its entirety, pp. 180, 181; the totals are worthy of the consideration of our commercial men and statesmen. They are as follows: Imports and exports of raw fibre and manufactured goods: (The crop of flax of 1854 was so large that Belgium exported of this fibre to the value of 43,500,300f.) |