188 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
finishing by winding through a short stretch of sandy 
“ Puszta,” brought us to Futak. 
Rattling through the long street of the village, we arrived 
at the landing-place, where Brehm and Homeyer were 
already waiting. The former had severely wounded a 
Goshawk at its nest, the bird being found some days later, 
but unfortunately reaching Vienna in a useless condition. 
A great crowd of people had assembled at the pier: the 
notables of the village gave me a hearty greeting, and the 
maidens presented me with posies; and then came the 
sorrowful moment of bidding farewell to our very kind host, 
Count Chotek, who, throughout our stay in his domains, 
had welcomed us all in the kindest possible way, and had 
been most indefatigable in taking care of his guests. He 
is the type of a noble hospitable host and of a true Grand 
Seigneur. When we were all on board, we got under weigh 
and moved off, followed by the friendly cheers of the crowd. 
Our menagerie had also here received a material addi- 
tion ; for, while we were busy shooting at Futak, a peasant 
boarded the steamer shortly before it left Gerevid, bringing 
with him the Sea-Eagle which Bombelles had winged with 
a ball on the afternoon of our arrival. He had found the 
bird sitting below its nest in a woodland stream of the 
Fruska-Gora and had at once secured it. Its fast of 
several days had made the noble robber so tame that it 
quietly allowed itself to be touched and stroked, nor was 
it until the following day that it recovered and again dis- 
played its ordinary ferocity and strength. It is now an 
inmate of the Schénbrunn Menagerie. 
We soon lost sight of Futak, and the mountains near 
Cerevié retreated further and further, while we stood on 
deck regretfully looking back at these splendid wooded 
heights to which we had now said adieu. 
On the right bank the barren outlying hills, with their 
