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sdo:abstract
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"Pietro Contarini is in Amsterdam; his travel description is written by Orazio Busino. They are visiting the Oostindisch huis; Busino comments on the goods here. The author describes the VOC, its government and function. He notes many ships in the port and the building of the 'new city' next to the old. He concludes that Amsterdam wins from Venice, in size, situation, and number of merchants and population. The author notes the beautiful and large towers, with their clocks sounding every 15 minutes and every hour with music, and describes the civic guardtroops who operate at night against fires. The next day at 12u, they leave for Haarlem by boat, where they arrive at 16u. They have a meal with a gentleman in an inn "as proper as gold". They leave at 20u by coach and reach The Hague four hours later. They stay at an inn called 'Hof van de Keizerin'."
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