Page:Three Years in Europe.djvu/315

Rh it was merely a fishing village, but Napoleon Bonaparte saw the strategical importance of the place and in 1811 caused fortifications to be made here, which have since been completed by the Dutch. Helder is now a large town with a population of 20,000, and is also the naval arsenal of Holland. The capacious wharves and magazines of the Dutch navy and the naval Cadet school are here, and a part of the Dutch navy is always stationed here. The great Helder Dyke is worth a visit. It is 5 miles in length and 12 feet in width and descends into the sea to a distance of 200 ft. at an angle of 40. Fort Kykduin is at the highest point of this Dyke, and a lofty light house, not far off, is seen from miles out in the sea. The sea in its highest tides never reaches the summit of this wonderful dyke constructed of Norwegian granite and the people have some reason for boasting "God made the sea, we made the shore."

This spot, Helder, witnessed one of the noblest triumphs of the Dutch navy. It was here that Dr. Ruyter and Van Tromp signally defeated the combined fleet of the English and the French on the 21st August 1673. The English sustained yet another reverse close to this place. In 1799, 10,000 English and 13,000 Russians landed here to induce the Dutch to revolt against Napoleon's regime. The Russians were signally defeated at Bergen and the English were defeated at Castricum.

The North Sea Canal as I have stated before is a direct and short cut from the Y near Amsterdam to the German Ocean