Down The Blue Danube

Ou the Danube, Aug. 1, '96. Dear Mb. Editor : Did you ever see a robber's castle, with all the dreadful traditions complete? We saw one át Aggstein. I inBtinctively put my hand on my purse. The black rocks of the inaecessible bilí, and the gloomy walle of the niouldering castle make oue sliudder. My tender-hearted wife expressed her sympathy for the poor fellows who liad to climb up and down those beetlinir rocks. She boped they have au elevator after all. Truly the castle and environmeuts were grewsome and oppressive. AVe were both glad to drift around a bend into view of a magniflcent valley, which spread such a vast amount of beautiful country before the eye that the effect was what Burke called "sublime." Then came the Teufelsmauer, a great wall of rock from the river's edge to the mountain sumniit. Some mysterious forcé has heaped those rocks with strange regularity, and the Devil gets the credit. Some boats, very mach like the Viking boats of World's Fair fame were taking our attention at Spitz, wheu he wsre startled by a terrific explosión. Echo after echo rolled and reverberated among the hills. These hardly ceased before another explosin more tremendous awoke the dying echoes. This was exciting but harmless, for it was only the operations of blasting in a large stone quarry. There is an odd freak in the little town of St. Michael. They have a queer little church, and once liad a snow storm whieh covered the quaint edifice so that bares rail over the peak of the roof. There the good people, humorously or religiously, put along the ridge of the Gothic roof seven hares made of clay. The guide book says six but we counted them. At msthtfall we were at the base of the rock, whieh is crowned by the Durenstein castle, GSO feet above the Danube. Here it is that Richard the Lion-Hearted was imprisoned for 15 nionths, and here the faithful minstrel, Blondel, sang Riceard's bailad and was recognized. From here the devil was let loose, as the Austriaii king wrote to John, the usurping brother. Tradition had made this spot quite poetic enough even for our camp, so we drew our boat ashore, and passed the night beneath the frowing rocks. When morning caine Sancho insisted upon ascending to tlie castte, and the poor Don had to acquiesce. Iu the town of Durenstein, a little way beyond, we found a good-natured gentleman, rather corpulent and accompanied by a short-legged dog. He was out for a fuorning walk and would guide us part way. While we ascended he told us of three American gentlemen, who were going down the Danube in canoes some vears preyiously. Our friend's adipose tissue began to teil onhiin. At last lie gave us directions, while perspiring profusely, and bad us good-by. We reached the fine oíd ruin. A winecellar, some outer walls, a doonvay and a watch tower yet remaiu. The view was fine, and we don't feel so sorry for poor Richard as once we did. He had a good home, fine scenery and fresh air. What more could he want? When we started on, the sky had clouded over, and we enjoyed the coolness. An old castle destroyed by Mathew Corvinus stands inruined loneliness near Stein, and, at Kreins is a suppressed Capuchin monastory. These and the famous old abbey of Gottweig were keeping our attention, while clouds were silently tending to business above. It was a clear case of conspiarcy between the weather and scenery. There were a few premonitory drops, and after them the deluge. We scudded for shore but, alas, the Danube Improvement Co. had so walled the river on both sides, that we could not land. I paddled furiously along the wall of stone, like an imprisoned wild animal. My wife attempted to keep everything dry with one umbrella and a mackintosh. The rain was mereiless and carne from everywhere. For a half hour I rowed from side to side of the now broad river. At last I found a sandy beach. We got our boat high, but not dry, upon it. After a struggle and puzzling how not to have the rain and our few dry things in the same place at the same time, we made our tent and crewled in. We looked at each other a moment wofully, and then laugbed heartily. It was time soniethins; happened to ruffle the perfection oL our wedding trip. The rain continued, and we employee! the time eating and sleeping. The rain finally ceased pouring and we soon heard voices. We had landed in front of a small village hidden from the river by trees. Soon there were swarms of clumsily dressed men, women with black silk aprons and embroidered yellow and white head dresses, and small, stiffly arrayed boys and girls. Every man had a dog and no one had an umbrella. There they stood in a fine drizzling rain and gazed solemnly. They seemed to think our tent gome new species of inushroom, which had sprung up in the rain. One or two of eminent respectibility made some wise and ponderous Gerinan guesses, while the rest looVed awed and nooded ascent. I conibed niy liair and crawled out. A hush followed by murmuring noise as oí theatrical approval, greeted my appearance. The inqisitive genius of the place asked me where we caine from, I explained, and, as the rain noiv ceased, removed the tent and disclosed the interior to the curious assembly. Everything was soaked and we earried the wet clothes up to a clear little inn, where they built a large flre and dried them throughly. We had supper there and decided to stay all night. We were shown a neat room witn four single beds. There was a like room and outfit offours, and about midnight we discovered the use for the two extra beds. Six grimy peasants, three men and their wives, stalked in with candles and wentsolemnly to bed, one couple in our room and two in the adjoining. They took it as a matter of fact and we, as travellers must be content. In the morning we paid our bill, 40 prentzers, about 16 cents and departed. The day was fine and we would reach Vienna about noon. Tulln is an old Roman town, Comagenae, where one of their river fleets was stationed. A great army of Germans and Poles assembled here in 16S3 to aid the Viennese, who were being beseiged by the unspeakable Turk. A few castles, the glittering domes and structural mass of the Augustinian abbey at Klosterneuburg, and at last Vienna appeared.