A description of the King's royal palace and gardens at Loo together with A short account of Holland in which there are some observations relating to their diseases / by Walter Harris ...

CHAP. VI

Of the Voliere, or Fowl-Garden.

AT the West-end of the Middle Walk that divides the Great Garden into two Parts, we pass through a Gate of wrought Iron, into a Walk between high Trees, that goes Southward into the first Labyrinth, de∣scribed in the Fourth Chapter, and Northwards as far as the Heath, that is beyond all the Gardens.

At this Garden-gate, we behold the Old Hoof di∣rectly before us Westward, but are separated from it by two Moats, between which there are five rows of Lime-trees; on the South of which the Labyrinth is seated, and on the North the Fowl Garden, that is now to be described.

Advancing from the foresaid Gate fifty paces North∣wards, we turn to the Gate of the Fowl Garden on our left, to which we pass on a Bridge over the Moat. This Gate is likewise of wrought Iron, painted Blew and Gilt. Going from this Gate two and twenty paces, we descend by three Steps to a Noble Fountain and Cascade, round which Fountain from the bottom of the Steps to the Border of its Basin there is a Walk twelve foot and a half broad, into which Walk there are four descents by three Steps, four opposite ways: And be∣tween the one and the other row of Steps there is a Green Slope round the Fountain.

The Basin of this Fountain is oblong, or oval, and of a great circumference, the Diameter at least forty paces in length, and about twenty four paces in breadth. It is designed for the use of divers sorts of

Fowl; and there are Houses built on the two sides of this Garden, for sheltering the Fowl. In the middle of this Fountain there is a Jette, that throws up the water about twenty foot; and below the Jette there is a tri∣ple Cascade, made from three round Basins, whereof the uppermost appears to make a sheet about a foot in depth, the middle-one near about two foot, and the lowermost four foot. Between these three Ba∣sins the spaces or intervals are filled all round with Shells, &c. the which Shells are seen round them through the Sheets of water that fall from the said Basins.

On the North and South-side of this Fountain, six yards from one of the descents by three Steps, there are two Summer Houses, the one opposite to the other. They are within painted in fresco and bronze, and have Cupola's over them, painted Blew and Gilded. Into these Houses we enter by folding Doors, which consist: of two foot Wainscot from the bottom, the rest in broad Glass up to the Cupola. Each of these Houses hath four Shash-windows, besides the Doors, and hath on each side of them contiguous to the middlemost and largest Windows, an Aviary, wherein are kept curious Foreign, or Singing Birds. When the Shash-windows next to the Aviaries are opened, there is still a Wire-grate remaining, to hinder the Birds from fly∣ing out of their Aviaries into the Summer-houses. These Houses are paved with white and red Marble, cut in∣to curious Figures, but they are bordered all round with black Marble, of half a foot breadth, over which Border there is also a Ledge of white Marble, between the black, and the Wainscot.

The Aviaries that adjoin to Summer-houses, are likewise covered with lesser Cupola's of Lead, painted

Blew and gilded; but large Cupola in the middle has a round Glas-window, and another little Cupola above the Window, and on the top of the highest Cu∣pola in each House there is a Gilded Pine-apple placed on a Gilded Basis. These Aviaries have on three sides Grates of Wire, which do reach from the Cupola above, to a Stone-wall about two foot high at bottom. The two outmost Side-grates have wooden Shutters with∣out them, and those Shutters an oval Glass-window in them towards the top. In the middle of the Aviaries there is a Jette, whose water falls into a little shallow leaden Basin, near a yard square. Behind these Avia∣ries there are other lesser ones, open above, and on one side, for the receiving some particular Birds, that must be more in the open Air, or that must be kept alone by themselves.

And besides these Aviaries, there are in two corners of this Garden, on the Northwest, and Southeast, two other Houses in three divisions, for Ducks, Pigeons, Poultrey, &c. with holes on both sides at the bottom for the Fowl to enter. The middle part of these Houses is now used for tame Pigeons, and has a large Wire-grate towards the Air, and a Spout in the middle, that falls into a shallow round Leaden Basin of about two foot diameter.

Round the uppermost Walk that encompasses this Fountain, there are high Stakes joined together, five yards above this Walk, being a prop for the Hedges to grow on, that are now of that heigth, according to the manner that is frequently used in the Low Coun∣tries. In four places of this Hedge there are also se∣micircular Arbors, of the height of the Hedge, with Seats at convenient distances from the Summer-houses.

Between this Hedge and the Wall of this Garden there are some plain Parterres bordered with Box, and in other places Ever-Greens set here and here.