LETTERS FROM A CONTINENTAL TOURIST. 499 



rent which tumbles past them. The evening sun gilded the bright 

 waters with his setting rays, and an ever varying rainbow hovered 

 over the magnificent cascade. My American friend, who was cer- 

 tainly not over lavish of his praise, was as enthusiastic as myself in his 

 admiration of the scene before him, and admitted that it might be en- 

 joyed even by one who was familiar with the glories of Niagara. We 

 quitted this region of romance with regret, and wended our way 

 slowly back to Schaffhausen, musing on what we had seen, and, alas '. 

 should probably never see again. 



September 1 i th. 



AT nine o'clock, on the evening of the 10th of September, we set 

 out for Donaueschingen, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, where we 

 were to meet a diligence for Kehl. On crossing the frontier of Swit- 

 zerland, we were detained for some time in a sort of wooden barn 

 while the douaniers poked their noses into every corner of the dili- 

 gence, and secured the luggage with a pack-thread and leaden seal. 

 Our passports underwent an examination, and not being objected to, 

 we re-entered our slug and crept on. On arriving at Donaueschin- 

 gen, at four o'lock, we were shown into a bitterly cold room, arid 

 given to understand that we must exercise the virtue of patience dur- 

 ing four tedious hours. After indulging myself with a few grumbles, 

 a PAnglaise, I laid myself down on the hard boards of the table, not 

 being able to find any softer place, and slept soundly enough for two 

 hours till the arrival of some coffee provided me with a more con- 

 genial occupation, till I was called on to attend at the examination of 

 my luggage. This operation was performed in the most gentleman- 

 like manner possible. The lid of my trunk was lifted up; the ques- 

 tion was asked, "Have you any merchandize?'' and answered in the ne- 

 gative; and the box was closed. How different from the prying exa- 

 mination of Messieurs les douaniers Fran^ais. This too is the only ex- 

 amination the .luggage will have to undergo till we arrive in the 

 Dutch territory. Of a verity the equalization of the duties on the 

 Rhine may be an inconvenience and loss to mercantile men, but for 

 travellers it is the most delightful arrangement in the world. 



This village takes its name from the Danube or Donau, which rises 

 within its precincts. The source of this mighty river is a basin of no 

 great size, out of which dribbles a not very deep or very clear stream. 

 After our whole stock of patience had been entirely exhausted our 

 eyes were gladdened by the appearance of four quadrupeds and pos- 

 tillion, in a yellow jacket, adorned with a profusion of worsted lace, 

 and a horn, with tassel attached to it, nearly of the shape and dimen- 

 sions of an English mop. 



Our conductor, who was a smart looking fellow enough, mounted 

 the coupe, and on we crawled with the comfortable prospect of reach- 

 ing Kehl that evening. One of our travelling companions was a Ger- 

 man, who spoke a little French, and after inquiring very particularly 

 of me what was the state and station of an English earl, furnished me 

 with the gratifying information that he was of that rank himself a 

 graf, to wit. Poor fellow, he must have had strange notions of our 

 nobility when he thought of comparing himself with them. He wore 

 a coat, the buttons of which had seen too much service to remain 



