The Haringpakkerstoren used to be part of the fortifications in the 15th century. It was parttly rebuilt in 1607 by Hendrick de Keyser and embellished with a windvane in the shape of a herring, in honour of the herringpackers who used to ply their trade at the foot of the tower. It used to stand in the corner of the Prins Hendrikkade and the Singel, not far from present day Central Station and was demolished in 1829. The house to the right of the tower, sometimes called the ‘Spanish House’ owing to the fact that at one time it used to have Spanish inhabitants, still stands exactly as in 1666. Part of it used to be, and in fact is still a ceffeeshop, where the ferry to Buiksloot stopped. The other part used to house a shiphandler shop. The houses on the other side of the tower have either been demolished or modernized as the time went by. To the right of the bridge lies the ‘Oude Stadsheberg’ (the Old Towns’ Inn), a wooden building dating from 1613, where seamen and travellers could be put up for the night. From the inn there was a lovely view over the water which made it a very popular spot in summertime. In the distance, to the left of the Inn, is the Haarlemerpoort (Haarlem Gate). Near the tower and stuck in the ice we see a number of ferryboats (there was a ferry service to Zaandam and other towns), the small ‘boeier’ belonging to the taxcollector and several ‘grachten-steigerschuiten’ which could either be sailed or rowed and were used for delivering goods in town. On the quay a pile of herringbarrels and four cranes for lifting them out of the ship. To the right a great number of men-of-war and merchantmen, in the foregoud a herring buss.