Down The Danube

Heidelberg, Germany, Sept. 14, '96. Editor Courier : Af ter the deep mystery of the "gelsen" was solved, we passed the night unharmed by the monsters. Eagerly on the morrow we arose and got afloat. Belgrade was not far away. From the first day of our voyage, aud more earnestly each day, we had been eautioned about ventnriug iuto Servia, Bulgaria, and Eoumauia. These countries were peopled with all sorts of ferial, acquatic and terrestrial devils - so thought the people of the upper Danube. We had seen other terrors vanish as we approached them and were not daunted. We stopped half an hour at Semlin, to see the remains of Huuyade's castle. The hero died here in 1456. Then we floated to the Save and, after a hard row up stream, reached the Belgrade steamboat landing. We were met by a genial, kindly disposed officer, who talked enough Germán to explain the red tape necessary for a visit. Leaviug our passport in the hands of the officials, we walked up into that strauge Servian city. Everything, everybody, was so strange. The old ruined fort is different from any fort we have ever seen. During the Turkish wars, it was of utmost importance; now the walls are used to support the unsteady houses of the fishermen. Children crawl through the port holes and along the dilapidated walls. Over from the fortress is the Turkish town with its mosques aud soaring minarets. Then back to the Save and up the long "Milán" street, past the university and museum of Servían antiquities ; until far up in the city we flnd the American consul, who is very kind to us. I go and bring our passport which he visees for Roumania and Bulgaria. We have coffee with lam and after giving us some English books, Poe, Lytton, and Twain, iie bids up goodbye with a hearty Godspeed. As we were returning to the river, I tried to get a picture of the royal palace. A guard at once carne up and demanded that I let him examine the kodak. I had no objections, and havinj; allayed his suspicions by examiniug our marketing bag also, he allowed us to pass on. My wife noted, in Belgrade, the following: "The ladies wear black silk or satin zouave jayket with flowingsleeves, The army ofiicers, and we have seen many, are very handsome, without exception, and areextremely polite. The y wear blue coats and cardinal trousers." We were very courteously treated upon our departure. Our boat had been carefully watched all day' and was with all its contents intact. At the next smal town I stopped to get drinkiug water As I clinibed up the steep hillside, I entered a small farm yard. Seemingly A írom every point of the compasa carne a j howl, and in a moment I was in the ( midst of a pack of dogs, lean and gaunt ] and hungry, each barking savagely. I tried the old ruse of sayins "getdown," j in an off-hand way, but they evidently j misunderstood or were not very good linguists. Then I' kicked aud swung my water-pail vigorously. Just then carne a salwart Servían with a terrible ' voice and, still more effective, a volley of clubs. The dogs scattered, yelping. I thanked my rescuer with a mixture of i English, Germán, and Hungarian, ' which neither of us understood. He pointed out the town spring in the ' tance, and I got the water after ' ing a very pretty group of girls, with ' large jugs upon their heads, waiting their turn. We were soon steaming down the ' riveragain. I say "steaming," because ' it was terribly liot and the exercise of : rowing made me perspire copiously. As the sun was setting, and our view was limited by the trees which bordered the river, Sancho began to read írom Poe's Tale's which the'consul had given us. The story was "The Little Gold Bug," and if you have read it you wil] understand how we forgot all anddrifted unmindful of the necessary camping place until it was too dark to read and also too dark to see the shores plainly. The river is a mile and a half in width at this point and we were in mid stream. I rowed for the right bank. It was very dark before we neared it. We could see here and there, like will 'o th' wisps, the lights of the fishermen. The bank proved to be perpendicular. No landing there. Voices sounded very plainly over thewaters andwe could liear strange cries toward the left bank. I pulled eagerly over there and fouud another bank perpendicular. The darkness was simply appalling now, for clouds covered the sky. Again I saw a light. I rowed nervously toword it. We were very near to it, when my wife cried, "Why it is a steamboat!" In the darkness I could only guess how to get out of the monster's path. Fortune favored and we saw the barge move swiftly by us in the gloom. Despairing of landing, we decided to float all night Yet I continued to attempt landing, anc about twelve o'clock we were delightec to hear the grating of a gravel beacl upon which I had pulled our little boat. At dawu we awoke to find ourselves in front of a small, dirty, Servían town These towns are a mixture of straw stacks and buts, altérnate houses and ornes. The banks are liigli on the ervian side, and as we voyaged that ay we could see the peasant beating he grain with a flail and throwing it ïigh in the air to remove the chaff. 'heir favorite amusement seems to be mounting a horse and uxging hini far nto the river to make him swim. They lon't seem ïo distinguish him between a ïorse and a hippopotamus. The Servían easant costume is a white linen tunic and frock and a broad, red band at the waist. Without adventure we passed SemenIria, with its odd Turkish fortress, and lama, the Servían fort with scarcely one stone left upon another. But on ;he morning following we had an ex)erience whicli carne near abruptly losins this strange, eventful history. We had camped on an island near O. 'alanka. The wind was pretty stifl' and was increasing. We had no food j ind must cross over to O. Palanka. As we passed the end of the island, we bund the waves so large that only by teeping them dead-ahead could we ceep afloat. Thus we drifted until a jend in the river around a huge promontory let the wind strike us at'right angles. Such a choppy sea on a river I never saw. I made up my mind that we should be overturned. M} wife evidently thoutrht likewise. but said very calnily, "I will get hold of the boat and ve will gradually drift ashore." A very brave resolution, but no one except an experienced swimmer could tave kept his head above water among such waves. Well, we battled with the ever increasiug waves and at last were jeateu ashore on a mud bank. As I stepped out, I went knee deep in mud. Then I waded and drew while my wifo pushed the boat with an oar, until we reached the town. Completely exïausted, we bought provisions and settled in our tent to eat and and rest,