The navigations of Holland are intimately connected with drainage, and could only be so multiplied in a coun try, which, being nearly flat, made it necessary to gain elevation over the usual level of the waters, by sacrific ing a portion of the surface ; but as the nation became commercial, the convenience of water carriage caused an amazing increase in the number of canals. 'lite older parts of the cities in Holland were usually constructed with the streets along the dykes. The newer parts have a canal in the middle of every street, with a spacious quay on each side, shaded with trees. There is scarce ly a town of any note but what is provided with one or more canals. This has been chiefly effected by con necting and embanking the ancient brooks and rivers, and retaining the water at a sufficient height by sluices 'and clatns. The artificial canals are therefore not so numerous as might be imagined. The construction of a dant necessarily implies the formation of a pont, at which the sea, or tidal navigation, rnight be exchanged for that on still water. Hence the frequent occurrence this.word as the termination of the ports of Holland. It was not, however, until the navigation of Holland had attained a considerable perfection, that the invention of the lock permitted the transfer of the sea vessel into the interior.
,Yerth Holland.
The river Saarn appears the parent of the interior navigation of North Holland. It formed the outlet for the Nvaters of the lakes Becmster, Schermecr, Scc. now drained and cultivated. It gave a navigation to Alk maar; and as this city may be considered the central point of North Holland, we shall begin our description of the canals from thence.
1. Canal to Zaand.—lts course is towards the north for 71- miles, to the ancient sta dyke of West Friesland, where a lock lowers it into the cultivated marsh of Zype; and from this point a branch 21 miles passes to Potten on the North Sea. On looking down into the Zype, the canal proceeds nine miles along the main drain of that district, to the dyke separating it from the Wieringer NVaard embanked marsh; and a cross drain of three miles completes the navigation to Zaand, at the northern extremity of the Zype.
2. Canal of Egmont.—Five miles to the west of Alk maar lies the coast town of Egmont-op-Zee, and a clus ter of villages line the inner side of the downs. The intermediate space between them and Alkmaar, former ly a lake, now drained, and intersected by canals, viz. one towards Bergen on the north side, and which, surround ing the Berger Mere, (the first lake drained in North Holland.) unites with it ; 2d, A canal to Schuglenburg, with two branches; 3d, A canal of five miles to Egmont op-de-Hoog, with two branches uniting at Egmont Abdy.
The total extent of these canals is about 20 miles, inter secting a country of about five miles by three. They are in fact ringslooten, or surrounding drains, and their banks divide the general lake into three large and se veral smaller compartments, or polders, from which the water is raised by mills to the general level of the canals.
3. Canals to Colhorn, Medenblick,E.7c.—On the east ern side of Alkmaar, and at a mile distant, is the drained lake Schermeer. On the north of this is the drainage called the Huygen Waard. The ringsloot sut rounding it for 21 miles, is navigable, and has many branches, making, in all about 19 miles, pervading a country about 6 miles by 31 miles. They connect with the sea at Colhorn by a tide lock.
4. The Canal to Hoorn was made in the beginning of the 17th century. It passes by the lingsloot, between the Huygen Waard and Schernicer to UrSC111, and from thence by a canal of nine miles to Hoorn, on the Zuy der-Zee.
5. Canal to Parmeronde and Edam. The Schermeer Lake has a navigable ringsloot oi 21 miles, of which four miles of the north are common to it and the Huy gen Waard. This also connects with the ringsloot of Schermeer seven miles, and that with the ringslout of Beernster 24 miles in circumference, thereby complet ing the communication with Alkmaar, Hoorn. Ste. &cc.
6. _From Cnollendam, at the south extremity of Scher meer, the river &Jan is navigable for large barks to the sea sluice at Saardam.
7. Canal of rThartwarna opens another communication from Cnollendam to the Ye. Its length is seven miles ; and a stone sluice at Naauwarna joins it to the Ye. This is the direct line of communication from Haarlem, Ste. into North Holland.
8. Parmeronde also communicates by the side of Beemster with Alkmaar and Hoorn, likewise towards the south-west, with the river Saan at Calf; and it has, besides, a communication towards An;sterdam by a ca nal of eight miles.
9. T h e canal to Mannikendanz, in its passage, commu nicates with various lakes and drains in the eastern part of Waterland, affording every where a ready means of conveyance to Amsterdam.
Besides these leading routcs, there are many others of smaller dimensions, by which inland navigation is extended not only to towns, but even villages, and the interior of farms. Where locks are not constructed, the connection between the higher and lower levels is by means of inclined planes, and rollers worked by capstans.
With the exception of drainage, all the canals are upon one level, which is a little above the ordinary low water of the Ye, or Zuyder-Zee ; therefore locks are only required to pass into or from the sea at high water, or into one of the main drains of the Polders.