PREFACE.

THE Hand-Books hitherto published for the use of travellers on the Continent have been the subject of so much complaint and objection, both in reference to their bulk and voluminous character, that the Publishers of the present volume determined to meet the requirements and oft-expressed wishes of the public, by undertaking the task of supplying to them Continental Hand-Books, small and convenient in size, yet replete with all the descriptive, historical, and other useful information so ably and faithfully given in the large volumes published by their contemporaries. And they trust that this effort of theirs will not be looked upon as an unwarrantable intrusion upon ground already occupied, nor yet as an unworthy rival to books of a larger and more elaborate description.

The present revised Hand-Book furnishes the traveller with a valuable companion in his Tour through Belgium and on the Rhine. And with a view to his convenience and information, we have given him a book small and compact, capable of being consigned to the pocket, or borne in the hand without trouble or annoyance; whilst it furnishes him with matter-of-fact descriptions of what ought to be seen on his journey and in his visits, carefully selecting all the historical details and anecdotes, and such other matters as we believe calculated to interest, whilst they instruct the English traveller, at the same time that we have excluded all that was dry or useless. In our descriptions of buildings and institutions, though we have not burdened our readers with the genealogical histories of their founders, proprietors, and architects, yet we have not confined ourselves to giving a mere catalogue of them, but we have furnished all that was valuable in connection with their histories, paintings, and architecture, at the same time that we have illustrated them by a series of engravings.

In all our arrangements we have observed, so far as possible, a simple and condensed style; and wherever practicable have availed ourselves of good and correct information gathered from other sources. The nature or character of this volume tolerates little novelty, and admits of no deviation from the principle on which such a work must be essentially based. Books in foreign languages must be the chief sources of our information, modified by personal observation and experience.

We meet the traveller in England, impart to him the information necessary for the purpose of preparation, directing him in reference to the management of his passport and luggage at home and on the Continent; we lead him by the most approved routes through his tour, and place before him every item of instruction useful to him in his journey. We do not, however, say that our work is faultless. Were it so, we should have achieved an impossibility, for we believe that Hand-Books are "like watches, the worst are better than none-the best cannot be expected to go quite true." We know the severe ordeal a Hand-Book for travellers abroad has to pass through; we can thoroughly appreciate the merciless criticism which will test its truth when weighing its accuracy on the very spot described, but, however, we fearlessly and confidingly launch it forth, trustful in the forbearance of all, whilst hopeful that those who make use of it will kindly favour us by forwarding to us corrections of any errors or inaccuracies they may discover in it.

In conclusion, we can only remark that in the editing of the present volume we have aimed at the medium between an useless repetition of detail, and the annoyance of a tasteless brevity of description; and trust the traveller may find it not less useful than interesting.

INTRODUCTION.

PASSPORTS-MONEY-POSTING-DILIGENCES, HIRED CARRIAGES, BARRIERS, ROADS -VIGILANTES-BELGIAN HOTELS-PRICES OF REFRESHMENT AT THE BELGIAN RAILWAY STATIONS-GENERAL VIEW OF BELGIUM-RAILWAYS IN BELGIUM.

*** See Bradshaw's Continental Guide, published monthly, for the latest particulars respecting Hotels, Chaplains, Medical Men, Bankers, Population, Railways, Steamers, and other matters which are liable to change at different places.

PASSPORTS.-CUSTOM HOUSE.-MONEY.-POSTING.

PASSPORTS are not absolutely required by British subjects either for Belgium or Holland, and only partially so for Germany, but whether required or not, it is always useful for the traveller to have one to shew when called upon. The police take lists of persons staying at the Hotels and Cafés. A Passport may be obtained through our Agents, W. J. Adams and Sons, 59, Fleet Street. Belgian Consulate, 118, Bishopsgate Street Within; Embassy, 36, Grosvenor Gardens. Dutch Consulate, Finsbury Circus; Embassy, 40, Grosvenor Gardens. German Consulate, 5, Bloomfield Street, E.C.; Embassy, 9, Carlton House Terrace.

ROUTES.-London to Brussels, Cologne, and the Rhine, via the South Eastern or the London, Chatham, and Dover Railways; see Routes 1, 2 and 18. London to Rotterdam or Antwerp, via the Great Eastern Railway to Harwich. To Holland and the Rhine, via London, Chatham, and Dover Railway to Queenborough, and steamer to Flushing. London to Ostend or Antwerp by steamer direct. From the North of England, viâ Grimsby or Hull to Antwerp, Holland, &c.'; and from Newcastle or Leith to Rotterdam. See Bradshaw's Continental Guide for further information, according to circumstances.

CUSTOM HOUSE.-Travellers proceeding through Belgium to the Rhine should have their luggage registered for Cologne, where it is examined.

MONEY.-Circular notes are given by most of the principal London Bankers, and form a very safe and convenient kind of Letters of credit. The arrangements for cashing them in the various countries through which the traveller may have to pass are very simple and efficient, precluding almost the possibility of fraud. As a letter of indication is given with them, we would caution tourists to keep the one in their pocket-book and the other in their baggage. French, Italian, and even Swiss money was formerly current, as well as Belgian, but owing to the collapse of the arrangement between the Latin nations, it is better not to accept any currency in A 1-(Belgium.)