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270
THREE YEARS IN EUROPE.

antiquities. The Egyptian Courts are specially rich, there being a large collection of stones and statues with hieroglyphics—a vast number of ancient papirii, Museum.dating from thousands of years before Christ, and also a large collection of sarcophagri and of mummies,—not only of human bodies but also of sacred birds, sacred crocodiles, sacred dogs, cats, monkeys, &c. Some of the dead bodies are exposed and one human figure still in good preservation and with features which are quite recognizable, date from 1400 B. C. i. e. over 3000 years! The Roman and Greek Courts are poor, but there is a curious collection of statues of Hindu gods and sacred bulls,—all obtained, from the Dutch possession of Java. Brahma with his four faces, Siva with his garland of skulls, Vishnu sitting in meditation, numerous statues of Ganesa with his elephant head, a large and well executed figure of the sacred bull of Siva, a spirited statue of Durga and many other statues of Hindu gods are preserved here. That all these should have been found in the shrines and temples of Java shews what an intimate connection must have subsisted between Java and India in ancient days when Hindus had not yet contracted the senseless prejudice against crossing the seas.

Haarlem is on the way from Leyden to Amsterdam. In ancient times this place was the residence of the Counts of Holland, Haarlem.and the present stadhuis or Town Hall marks the site of the ancient palace. In front of the stadhuis stands the imposing and lofty church of Haarlem erect-