78 THE LAND OF PLUCK

wonderful in their blooming ; and, over all, the bells — the
faithful carillons that for ages have sent down messages,
more or less musical, upon the people.

Dvrcu pluck has accomplished, and will yet accomplish,
wonders. Even now, while the waves of the great Zuyder
Zee are beating against its dikes, Holland is deciding
whether a vast portion of this sea shall be changed back
to what it was in the thirteenth century

 

dry land!
A tremendous piece of work, indeed ; but it will be done if
the Dutchmen say so. Here is the small bit of very big
news as it came to the “London Times” from the capital
of Holland, in this year of grace, 1894:

“The Hague, May 5—The Royal Commission, presided
over by M. Lely, Minister of the Waterstaat, which has
long been studying the scheme for the draining and reclaim-
ing of the Zuyder Zee, has concluded its labors. Twenty-
one members out of the twenty-six composing the Com-
mission recommend that the projected work be carried out
by the State. ;

“Tt is proposed to reclaim from the sea about 450,000
acres, the value of which is estimated at 326,000,000 guil-
ders1 The cost of this important work is computed at
189,000,000 euilders, or with the accumulated expenditure,
including measures of defense and the payment of com-
pensation to the fishermen of the Zee, at 315,000,000 euil-
ders. The draining is to be carried out by means of a sea
dike from northern Holland into Friesland.”

; 1 $130, 400,000, as the guilder —like the silver florin — is equal to
forty cents of United States money.