CHAPTER XIV.
Alkmaar and Hoorn, The Helder and Enkhuisen To Alkmaar by canal--The Cheese Market--The Weigh House clock--Buyers and sellers--The siege of Alkmaar--To Hoorn by sea--A Peaceful harbour--Hoorn's explorer sons--John Haring's bravery--The defeat of De Bossu--Negro heroes--Hoorn's streets--and museum--Market day--and Kermis--Nieuwediep--The Helder--The Lighthouse--Hotel characters--The praise of the porter--Texel--Medemblik--King Radbod's hesitancy--Enkhuisen--Paul Potter--Sir William Temple and the old philosopher--The Dromedary.
If the weather is fine one should certainly go to Alkmaar by canal.

The journey by water, on a steamer, is always interesting and intensely invigorating.

It is only one remove from the open sea, so flat is the country, so free the air.
Alkmaar's magnet is its cheese market, which draws little companies of travellers thither every Friday in the season.

To see it rightly one must reach Alkmaar on the preceding afternoon, to watch the arrival of the boats from the neighbouring farms, and see them unload their yellow freight on the market quay.

The men who catch the cheeses are exceedingly adroit--it is the nearest thing to an English game that is played in Holland.