CHAPTER VII.
THE LECTURE ON BELGIUM.
"All hands, attend lecture on board ship, ahoy!" shouted the boatswain of the Josephine, as the signal to this effect appeared on the Young America.
Ordinarily this call was not an agreeable one; for the students had voted that it was "dull music" to listen to a stupid lecture on geography and history; but in the present instance it was not so. The information communicated in regard to England and Scotland was so familiar to them that it was robbed of its interest; but the school-books contained only very meagre allusions to Holland and Belgium. Many of them had read Mr. Motley's eloquent descriptions of the bravery and devotion to principle of the Dutch people in their civil wars and in their terrible conflict with the Spaniards, and they were desirous of knowing more about the country and its inhabitants.
Holland is in itself an exceedingly interesting country. The students had seen something of its dikes and ditches, and were anxious to see more. The region seemed to be very much like a ship; for it was necessary to keep the water out as much as possible, and to pump out that which leaked in or rained in. The boys were to go on shore, and they desired to understand something of the history of the country, in order to appreciate the various objects which commemorated mighty events in the past. The citadel of Antwerp was in sight at a bend up the river, and they were curious to know its antecedents.
On both vessels the libraries had been ransacked for information by the more enthusiastic of the pupils, and many interesting facts had been gleaned from the volumes; but those who knew the most about the country were the most anxious to know more. With only a few exceptions, therefore, the "call to lecture," on the present occasion, was a welcome one. The boats were lowered, and all hands in the Josephine, including the professors, went on board of the ship, leaving the vessel in charge of the adult forward officers.
Mr. Mapps had already made his preparations in the steerage, and on the foremast hung a large Dutch map of the Netherlands. The students filed in and took their seats. The professor looked unusually pleasant and enthusiastic, probably because he felt that his wares were in demand.
"Young gentlemen, before you is the map of the Netherlands," he began. "For our present purpose, the term must include both Holland and Belgium; for until 1830 the two were one country, the latter having had, for no long period, a separate political existence till that time.
"The Dutch name of the country is Nederlanden; the French name, Pays-Bas; both of which have the same meaning—'low countries.' By this time you have realized the literal significance of the term; for nearly all the region consists of an immense low plain, intersected by rivers or arms of the sea. A reference to the physical geography of Europe shows you that the great northern plain, containing nine times the area of France, or about one half the area of Europe, extends from the Ural Mountains to the German Ocean.