The climate of Holland is humid, cold, and generally unwholesome ; the winters arc sharp and very long. the rivers being generally rendered unnavigable by the ice for a considerable length of time. In the spring, which is very short, and by no means agreeable, the sharp cold winds frequently blast the blossoms of the fruit trees. The sum mers are not unfrequently very hot. The climate is also disagreeable and unwholesome, from sudden and extreme changes of temperature. The cast wind generally blows nearly the whole of the winter, and is extremely fierce; but it serves to drive away the fogs, with which this country is dreadfully plagued. The moisture of the air is such, es pecially about Leyden, that all metals are apt to rust, and even the wood to mould. The climate abouLWilliamstadt is particularly unwholesome, from the extreme flatness and marshiness of the ground ; whereas, about Naerden, where the country is high and sandy, the air is by no means bad. The soil of Holland is in general uncommonly rich, being in fact alluvial, and consisting of deep fat loam ; in some parts, however, it consists of a barren sand. The soil of North Holland, especially in the drained land called the Bemster, is particularly rich. The country near the vil lage of Schagen is reckoned to possess the richest soil in Europe. Land is sold here at double the rate of any other in Holland, there having been trees upon it, one of which, upwards of a century ago, yielded the owner as much fruit in one year as brought him 101. sterling ; and a sheep, bred here, was sold, about the same time, for the same sum.
The progressive geography of Holland is so interesting and important, that we have no doubt our readers will par don us for dwelling on it pretty fully and minutely. It na turally divides itself into what respects the formation or extension of the Zuyder Zee, the alteration in the course, and the diminution of the size of the Rhine, so far as it is connected with Holland, and the changes which the break ing in, or draining off, of the sea has produced in different parts of this province.
From the name of 'West Friesland, which is given to North Holland, it is highly probable that part, at least of this division of the province of Holland, was formerly unit ed to East Friesland. How much of it belonged to the Frisia Occidentalis of the ancients is not accurately known: some geographers are of opinion, that only that part to the north-east, in which Hoorn, Enchuyzen, and Medenblic are situated, was the ancient Frisia Occidentalis. From the description of Tacitus, it is evident that, in his time, no other distinction was known but that of greater or lesser Frisons ; and that distinction arose entirely from the num ber of the forces which each could respectively bring into the field. He informs us, that among the Frisons were great lakes, evidently implying that they were of fresh water ; and this is made yet plainer by the expression ambiuntque immensos lacus, which proves that these lakes were inhabited round by these nations. Hence it is pro
bable that the more inland part of what is now the Zuyder Zee, was one of the lakes mentioned by Tacitus, between which and the Texel and Vlie islands, there lay anciently a large tract of land. This opinion is strengthened by se veral circumstances. These islands lie still in a contiguous line, and like the broken remains of a continued coast. The sea here, too, is remarkably shallow, and the sands through the whole extent very flat. From the inspection of the accurate maps of the ancient and middle geography of Gaul, by D'Anville, it will be seen that part of the pre sent site of the Zuyder Zee was occupied by a considera ble inland lake called Flevo. This lay towards the southern pal t of the present Zuyder Zee. The question then is, By what means, and at what period, were theinorthern part of the Zuyder Zee formed, and the communication between this Sea and the ocean opened, or at least rendered so wide as it is at present? From the lake of Flew ran a river of the same name into the ocean. Formerly the Rhine divided itself into two grand branches at Burginasium, the present Schenck, about five miles north-west of the Colonia Tra jana, now an inconsiderable hamlet, called Coln, near Cleves. The southern branch joined the Meuse at the town of Meusa, while the northern passed by Leyden into the ocean. From this branch Drusus formed a canal, bear. ing his name, which originally joined the Rhine to the Yssel, a river which flowed into the lake Flevo. This canal being neglected, the Rhine joined the Yssel with such force, that their waters increased the lake of Flevo to a great extent, by which means it was carried forward to the ocean by a wide gulf, instead of having a communication with it only by means of the river Flevo. It is probable, also, that the entrance of this river into the ocean was much widened by the force of the waves; for, at present, the vio lent rage of the waves breaking in towards the mouth of the Zuyder Zee, threatens the parts of North Holland about Medenblick and Enchuysen, braving it over the highest and strongest dykes of the province upon every high tide and storm at north-west. The exact period when the lake Flevo was extended into the Zuyder Zee is not positively known ; indeed it is probable that the increase took place at different periods. 'We are inform ed by an old Dutch chronicle, published by Vossius, that the increase on the south side, by the breaking in of the inlet to the Texel, took place about the year 1170 ; others say it was so late as the year 1400. The increase of the lake on its northern side was probably at an earlier period, and also gradual. It certainly was about the year 1400 that the river Y became navigable to Am sterdam by large vessels.