From Varna To Vienna

The passage trom Constan tinople through tho Bosphorous and over the Black sea took ubout fburteen hours, aod early in the morning wc found ourselves in Bulgaria. Here the language, thu money, tho dress, the manners and customs, all wero different froiu what we had aeen in Asia. There was no eompetition aiuong the boatuten who came to take us on shore. They asked no more than a franc eaoh, and would take no less. An Arab will often demand two and three francs, and then, it' he sees you looking at a rival boatman, will begin to lower prioes, and finally oonclude the bargain at half a franc. We had heard a great deal about how strict the officials in these countries wore in regard to pasaporta. I had brought with me from Michigan a kind of' homemade affair, partly of the nature of a passport, and partly a recommcnd. It was signed by the county clerk, and moreover had a large stamp and seal in the corner, From London to Paris, Rome, Naples ; in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Greeoe and Turkey a passport had not been necessary, a HÍmplü vbiting anaworing ctci imi - potiC ; but here thcy required a passport, and the question was "should we get into troublo? " We might be imprisoned, or refuícd admittanee into the country and havo to tako a return passage. So we conloas to a good deal of trepidation as we " stood outsido the gato," the officcr tryinjr to inake out our passport. He was evidently puzzled. The genus was peculiar, but did it not say in vcry large letters United States of America, and there was the seal and signature. Daré he dispute Huch authority and protection? A moment':) hesitation, "Ou allez ? "- where are you going? was askod, and we were admitted. Tho precedent was establishcd, At éach city on the way another stamp was addcd, until now, the document lias such a travelled, authoritativo and formidable look that I should not fcar to present it on a llussian frontier. The Qrrít day wo took the oars from Van to Hustcliuek. But very little of' interest to note down. Tho country is undulating, with a fcrtilc aoil I should think, but poorly developed. The peoplo all dweil in villages of mean, low, thatched cottages, and the railwajr stations are few and fr bctween. The weather was oxcoedingly warm, though nearly all day we wore gradually attaining a higher altitude, until finally, as we approached the Danube, we had one of the most sweeping and farroaching views I had ever seen. To the south the eye ranged over hills and valleys, meadows and woodland, until in the lar distance, I should think at least one hundred mile.s, the view was limited by the hazy outlines of the Balkan mountains. To the north and eatt lay the country of the Danube, a vast plato reaching to the vory horizon, so level and bo boundless that une oould easily fanuy be was looking out upon the sea. At Kustohuck we rested over Sabbat h, at a Gorman hotel. It scemed strauge to think we wero in the vicinity of Plevna and Bukarcst, names made familiar by the late TurkoKussian War; but then those MWBM appoared su far away, and tho names of the places were so difficult to pronounce that I novcr could feel tuueh interest in that war. I little thought I should one day bu pusning that way. What a miffbcy river is tho Danube 1 Five diiys we sailed up ita rapid, torpid waters before roaohing Vienna, and trises, I believe, w.iy back in tho mountains of ñwitzorland. Thero were many pretty scènes along the way but from Orsova to Basiash, where thu u.sually broaJ strearn is eonlraotod into a narrow ohaiinel, the soenery is very fino, "a second Switzcrland," as a (ieriiiun with whom I was convorsing ri'iiiarkod. It rcniindod mo of Sootti.sh nccnery vcry niuch. The uye was delighted with the view, cve? changing and oven moro lovcly. liold, rucged cliffs, .evoro and solcmn in thcir grandeur, confrontcd the streain causing the current to turn swiftly atiidc in its winding passage. Then therc were pretty ravines, with wooded sides picturcd in üght and shadc ; sunny little nooks, with a suiall orohard and a patch of garden, and the white cottage of the peasant nestling auiong the trees; romantic gleüs with babbling brook and quaint, rustic sawunl!, thon perched on sonic apparently inaceessible peak we could see a ruined fortress, onee the stronghold of somc outlaw robber. It would take a volume to notice all the little incidente of that trip up the Danube. The cooka were always women though we ehanged boats several times. Some of them were good natured and obliging, others very orusty and would oonfer no favors. At every port a new lot of passenger carne on board and we said adieu to uequaintanoes formed on the way. One old, whito haired man, spying my Cook's guide book, asked if I were an Kimlishinan. Upon learniog that 1 was an American he grasped my hand with all the fervor of an old friend and tears eame in nis eyes. "Excuso my emotion, dear sir," he said. "I spent uixteen years of my life in New York city, employcd in the office at Castle Garden. Thoso were the happiest years of my life. I shall uever forget the kindness shown to me and my wife while there. To say I respect the noble and free people is too little. I love them. And, oh, unhappy day for me when I left ; but I was an old soldier, my comrades were rising in arms, and Icame back, hoping my country, Hungary, might again be free." We had a long talk about America and llungary. I found him a perfect gentleman and very intelligent. At Pesth ho bade us good-by and wishcd he was not too old to return to that best of all lands, America.