Belgium 10/21/1934
in one or another “Schleuse” (Lock) don’t even know the name of it –
Thank you so much for the letter and story about Knud, Kirsten, and Paula. Poor Knud, he has enough to do with the two but after what we have learned of their opinion about him from different people in the country towns it probably wouldn’t last long before he will put ashore one place or another. He doesn’t have very much sympathy and that we hope to get once we really start. We are now quickly on our way out of Holland and we hope to reach Antwerp tomorrow and that is also about time. Peter is looking for how many grey hairs the Dutchmen have given me on this trip and troubles we have had from the first to the last. We have discovered that sailing in canals is far from comfortable. We have been on ground seven, eight times quite not due to our fault. Here are many bridges and we suffer for every bridge an excitement of highest degree as to wondering if it will open in time or if we have to lay and wait in front of it. We have noticed that the bridges that are free (gratis) always go up perfectly and it gets worse the more cents it costs for to get them to work. Can you imagine coming in with good wind against a bridge, blow in the horn, and ten minutes after see a man walking slowly out on the bridge, looking to both sides if maybe there might be a car coming that he first could let over, then let the boom down and the fence up and finally dance around, dance about a wheel so the bridge could raise, slide away or open up. The bridges are built after many constructions. One place a man had to hang himself as counterweight for to get the bridge to open up, bridgetender need at least weigh 100 kg, a train bridge is only opened 3 times a day, at 5 in the morning, at 1 o’clock and at 7 in the evening. we were laying in front at it and were waiting for 2 hours and when it was finally 7 O’clock the train was delayed so it didn’t open at all. Besides the bridges we are mad about the skippers that completely don’t care about our one time so beautiful good looking white topside, they all have steel ships and go fast with testifying speed. Today however there was one nice enough to give us a tow. We came through a Schleuse (lock). There was a man, we assumed he was a worker and he tied us up astern but when we should sail out of the Schleuse he started to pull, we asked him to let us go lose us, he reused, he mumbled a whole lot in Dutch and we had to let our line go. Luckily them was a more kindly man who saw this, he took the line, ran after us and threw it over to us.
But the worst was still the story with Anna, you have before complained that she has kept herself so passive, now she has taken big revenge. When I look at her as little as she is not quite one foot long and think that 7 big policemen and a whole street full of women folks was in action on her behalf! Am I surprised that she could make such an upheaval! It was in Harlem. Little sister slept peacefully warmly wrapped up in her Folding Baby Carriage which stood on a lawn by the dock. We wanted to pull over to the other side of the bridge and then I would afterwards come and get little sister, so we let the lines go and the motor started, three blasts in the horn, the bridge opened up, as we passed the bridge, A policeman came on a bicycle and gave order that we should tie up. we thought he would give us back the expensive bridge money when Peter helped me ashore that I could pick up Anna, The policeman came and said in an angry voice to Peter: “Come along.” We tried to explain to him that Lars was alone on board and that he was sitting in his bunk without being tied and I had to pick up Anna, but the policeman grabbed Peter very hard, here no dear mother can help. He had to go along. We were both wondering a great deal but I was nervous about Lars and run back to the boat. Our money was also laying down below and there was of course a Group of people on the quay, Lars was sitting happily playing In the bunk, now it runs cold down on my back when I think what could have happened and I realize that the policeman could have been a child murderer and I would have told him so if Lars had fallen into the water. I took Lars out of the bunk and the money into my pocket and closed the cabin and went off after Anna – but the lawn was empty No perambulator – but by the house across the street a whole group of women. I went over there to ask where Anna was and I was told:” She is in the house.” the women were excited and they refused to return Anna without the police. Then I was for the first time really boiling and screamed: “Where is the police?” Some boy showed me the road to the police station and I was still carrying Lars around. After I had been waiting for some time in a waiting room finally someone came who could speak German and he explained to me that the women folks had thought we would leave little Anna behind! furthermore they had thought that it was too cold for Anna to lay in her wagon. Then he went along for to pick up Anna and explained to the women that in Denmark the children were left outside all through the winter – and he made the sign of the cross, but Anna was finally delivered, her cheeks were shining even more red than usual, I believe they had put poor Anna on top of the oven. we went back to the boat so the policeman could see our passport. Then afterwards I went back to the police station where poor Peter still sat, and after a lot of writing and discussions could the reunited family go back to the boat. I wrote a sharp letter to the women. Peter complained in the newspaper and to the police inspector that the policemen had taken him away partly from the children and partly from the boat, that was unlocked and only temporarily tied up, and then we steamed up as fast as possible out of that town, but it surely was an exciting happening. That would give you grey hair on the head. So now I have a whole sheet full all about Anna. She is very (interested in the Christmas bell and tries to pull herself up for it or whole thing into her mouth,
