In Dutch, Ostend had another name, Oostende. Unlike Dover, which they had passed earlier, this place was utterly flat. There were no mountains, not even a small hill. The chalk cliffs had vanished, replaced by golden beaches. It was said that around the fourth century, Vikings had begun raiding this region. Oostende's flat golden shore was well suited for their pirate ships to land.
This was a city without walls. From the ship, they could see the imperial palace built by the Austrians. It was said that Bruges built its walls in 1128, when it was not yet a port city. Then, in 1134, a sudden torrential rain carved out a river, forming a canal from Ostend to Bruges. Bruges thus became the "Venice of the North."
When Venetians built palaces, they turned the most beautiful side toward the canal. Ostend's imperial palace was the same. Its seaward side stood right beside the beach, with honor guards in splendid uniforms posted every few yards. The ship did not stop, but continued onward to the canal's mouth. A cavalry honor guard was already waiting on the docks along the canal's western bank. They stood in formation on either side, serving as a security line as well, keeping the citizens back and clearing a path. From here, Ostend's "central axis" could be seen. On either side stood Saint Peter's Church and the town hall, resembling The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, while behind them lay a great square. Following this "central axis" to its end led to the imperial palace they had seen from the ship.
After they disembarked down stairs decorated with railings and ribbons, the military band began to play. Then Oudinot, Bruges's cavalry inspector, saluted Bonaparte. Bonaparte mounted a horse, while Georgiana and Edgeworth entered a luxurious carriage. Then, escorted by