Down The Blue Danube

Heidelberg, Sept. 9, '96. We are told every day of some danger to which we are coming Boon, and are warned with grave looks against trying to go farther. At Mohacs we were informed that there were many "gelsen" below. Not knowing what "gelsen" are, we are ra. her nervous about them. Sancho decides that they are thieves, and I suspect they are Turks, and we let the matter rest there. It was in August, of 1520, that the Turks defeated the Hungarians in a great battle near Mohacs. Then Hungary carne under the Turkish yoke and was only liberated in 1687 on the same battle-field by Charles of Lorraine. Such events as these constantly enhance the interest of these banks. AVe passed the mouth of the Draye and approached Dalja. Many amusing milis were anchored in mid-stream near hereThe Hungarians names are always written with surname first and given name last. The effect is funnyenough. Rank George is the owner of a mili, on which is painted a saint and a mermaid. The mermaid's tail looks as if it had been done up in curl papers. Near this mili is one with an inscription in Germán, "God bless the trade of the Miller," painted in great letters so that the sentiment covers oue whole side of the mili. Beyond are several old arks, which, like Falstafl', are "blasted with antiquity." We were wandering about the city, lookingforprovisions and were not able to flnd a ruarket. A portly and well dressed old Germán inquired what we wanted, and when I told our quest, he said, Kommen sie mit," and we went. He proceeded leisurely until we reached a fine garden surrounded by a high stone wall. There he summoned a workman and giviug some orders began showing us the fine points of his garden. At last the servant returned laden with a beautiful supply of corn, cucurnbers, tomatoes and a couple of muskmelons. These were sent down to our boat with the gentleman's compliments. He shook hands with us at parting, wished us a happy journey and warned us solemnly against the "gelsen." We departed, pleased with the hospitality, but worried over the "gelsen." "Perhaps they are haviug a war down here in Servia or Bulgaiia," suggested my wife. "Perhaps, we haven't seen a paper in weeks," I concede. Just then a chimney with a germine stork's nest, and real storks sitting in it, took our attention and we went rashly on to our boat to drift madly down to the "gelseu." We had not gone far before a storm with wind caught us in the mid streain. To face it and row for an island was the only way to keep afloat. It was a hard struggle, and the waves were very high before we reachéd the shelter of the island. I was so exhausted that I could barely drag the little boat on shore, and with my wife's aid, put up our tent, before the rain descended. The storm having ceased, we proceeded ; passed a low muddy island, where long legged storks stood, awkwardly on one leg, and floated bv a wharf where a large crowd of workmen were waiting for a ferry, and 'ooking as if they had turned out in their night gowns. As night carne on we came to Vukavar. We landed at the mouth of a black, ugly looking river. The mud was bad there and a man advised us to row up tbe little river to a grassy bank. I rowed up this modern styx, and cainped in the very heart of the town, near the market place. The markets open at dawn and close before a respectable American would get up. We had been in much difficulty about getting our supplies. This time they got us up early enough by crowding about our closed tent and asking questions. Such a sight! The whole length of a long street was lined with round willow baskets, large white unbrellas, and every vegetable couceivable piled in heaps. Nor was this all. Upon wooden racks were hung shoes, circle combs, cloth brushes, ropes, bats, tin-ware, wooden spoons ; while soaps, perfumery and jewelry, all suited to present buyers, were displayed on benches. Besides there were queer little booths, where they served soup and hot milk f rom large iron boilers. Everybody gtared as we wended our way up this lane of curiosities. The shop-keepers, who always find what we are doing before they sell us auything, all warn us with grave faces to beware of the "gelsen." We finally embarked, and as I pulled slowly out of the Styx into the noble stream of the Danube, we speculated in vain as to what "gelsen" were. Just below the town we met a tug towing a flour mili up stream. The banks grew higher and when Peterwardein was reached we had a superb inountain on our right, and the city of Neusatz, beautifully situated in a plain, on our left. Peterwardein is a grand fortress built upon a rock around which the proud Danube curves. Directly under the fortress runs a railroad tunnel. Upon the mountain side are inany charcning chateaus. The scène reminds one of the shore of Lake Geneva near Vevey. A bridge of the boats connects 2eusatz with the fortress. Our little boat asked no favors of the bridge tenders. We just glided between two boats composing the bridge. Upon the platform above stood several peasauta with wliite erowns and red jackets. They hallooed to us, and made frantic gestures, which we construed into some waming against those terrible and mystie "gelsen." After landing to see the tomb of John Capistranus, the celebrated preacher of the Crusades, we resumed our pilgriinage, and as we ueared Karlowitz, memorable for the great peace of 1699 between Austria and the Turks, we saw the most rernarkable sight which our trip has afforded. The river was about 3-4 of a mile wide at this point. We were lying lazily iu the bo;U with uubrellas up to shield us from the suu. Suddenly we heard the roaring of au animal. We roused ourselves, and. looking about saw not far from us a boat about 15 feet long and four feet wide. Two men were in it. One was paddling desperately, while the other held a rope by which they were compelling a cow to swim the Danube. All at once tliere rose from the boat another cow, whose feet were tied together. Such fun, we never expect to see again. Both animáis {pared furiously. The one in the water would try to pull back and the paddier would cease paddling and club the poor brute into submission. Theu the eow in the boat would kick and both men would pound her into a state of quietude. Finally the animal in the water nearly succumbed to fatigue, and the frantic efforts of the man to get ashore before it should drown, were enough to convulse us both with laughter. We could not help having sympathy for the poor animáis and the whole thing may be termed piteously fuuny. We survived merely because we got too far away, finally, to see the exhibition. In the cliffs at our right we could now see the caves, home of the cliffdwelling fishermen. Across the wide plain on our left appeared the minarets and towers of Belgrade. But night compelled us to go ashore for a camp. A fisherinan carne along just as we liad selected a nice spot, and began to teil us very excitedly about the "gelsen." I manufactured a sentence which approxiinated to "What in the deuce are "gelsen'?" Our frieuds laconically caught one showed it to us. "Gelsen" are rnosquitoes.