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Northern Docks. ANTWERP. 13. Route. 203
On the Quai Ortelius, to the right, lies the Custom Housz
(Douane or Tolkantoor; Pl. B, 3), a handsome stone building in the
Flemish Renaissance tyle, by Jos. Schadde (1896). The group of
the Scheldt and Meuse, on the gable, is by Pr. Deckers.
At the N. end of the Quai Van Meteren (tramway No. 7, p. 167),
near pee first sluice of the docks, is the Pmor Orricz (Pilotage or
Gothic brick building, erected by Kennis
vecommodating also the Ecole de Navi-
tion Office, and a Harbour Office.
the E. of the yan M are two other old
uis the 3 aterhuis or Maison
eurs 24 (Pl. B, 2), conta le
van Schoonbeke (p. 204) in 4
town with water. It also possesses a well-
. 50 c.). Farther to the E., in the Plaine de
Hessian House (now a wa e), built in
who in those days conveyed goods between
Antwe rp a
The Northern Docks (PI. B, C, 1, 2) lie at the N. end of the town
and cover an area of ue ards of £280 acres. They are connected with
each other as well as with the smaller docks for river-craft at the
South Harbour (Pl. 3. 5, 6) and with the railway-stations by an
extensive net- work of railways, by which about 1500 trucks leave
ntwerp harbour daily from these docks.
We begin our ins spec tion (which must take place.at least one
hour before flood-tide, when the sluice-gates are thrown open)
with the Bassin Bonaparte and the Bassin Guillaume (Pl. B, C, 2),
also known as the Petit Bas and Grand Bassin. These were con-
structed by Napoleon (1804-13) at a cost of 13 million francs as a
war-harbour, but were ceded after 1814 by the Dutch government to
the town of Antwerp as a commercial harbour. The small dock is
capable of containing 100, and the large one 250 vessels of moderate
tonnage. Between these docks, on a canal which could contain an-
other 100 ships, once stood the ‘Oostersch Huis’, or ‘house of the
Kasterlings’, of the German Hanseatic period. This was surrendered
by the Hanse towns, Bremen, Hamburg, and Liibeck, to the Belgian
government in commutation of payment towards the abolition of the
sehelee navigation dues. It was burned down in 1893. — At the
E. end of the Bassin Guillaume is the Entrepét Royal or Koninklyk
mee huis (PI. ©, 2), built in 1829-32.
To the N. of the Grand Bassin, and connected with it by the
Bassin de Jonction, or Verbindingsdok, is the Bassin pu KarrenpyxK
(P1. B, 1), the largest of all, 1050 yds. long and 153 yds. wide, with
an area of 230 acres, constructed aM the town in 1853-60. It is con-
nected with the river by the N. sluice. On the E. side stands the
Groote Bik or Grande Bigue, the tern iydraulic crane in Antwerp,
with a ‘lift’ of 120 tons. — The transatlantic steamers oftne Red Star
Line (p. 1) lie at the Quai du Rhin (Rynkaai; Pl. B, 1, 2); tickets
(50 c.) admitting visitors to ins spect these vessels are ee on the
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