ST. MICHAEL’S, GHENT.

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GHENT, or Gent-Brugge, is situated at the confluence ofthe rivers Schelde and Leye, which, together with numerouscanals, portion out the city into twenty-six islands, connectedwith each other by no less than three hundred bridges. Thenumerous canals which intersect the cities of Belgium andthe general use of water communication has given occasionto an old author in his “ True and exact character of the Low-“ Countryes,” to observe that, “ Their ordinary pack-horses“ are fram’d of wood, carrying their bridles in their tailes,“ and their burdens in their bellies, and a strong winde and“ stifle gale are the spurs that make them speedy.” Ghentis the capital of the old county of Flanders, and containsabout 57,000 inhabitants. Besides the cathedral, there areseven parish churches. That of St. Michael, as one of themost picturesque, has been selected for the annexed plate.

Ghent was the birth-place of the Emperor Charles V.