Journey from Vienna. 95 



occurrence pretty frequent) and soon after, at the bottom of a 

 valley, had to go through the ruins of a village, destroyed by 

 an inundation ; to prevent similar accidents, it was rebuilt on 

 the hill. Lublo is a pretty considerable town, and has baths 

 in its neighbourhood, of some repute. Unfortunately, I arrived 

 on the eve of a great market-day, and the inn, and both public 

 and private houses, were full of guests, so that there was no 

 possibility of getting a lodging. No doubt my equipage would 

 appear singular ; I was taken for a comedian. The inn-keeper 

 would gladly have entertained me, when I promised him much 

 diversion, but I was obliged to retire and re-pass the river 

 Poprad, in quest of a cabaret, where the peasauts.were dancing, 

 and they usually continue the sport through the night. I then 

 had the bed removed to the coach-house, where I slept quietly ; 

 my domestic lay in the pantry, and my coachman on some 

 straw in the stable. 



The little town of Bartfeld, where I arrived next, is tolerably 

 well built j its situation is pleasant, and it would be an agree- 

 able place, were it not encumbered with the ruins of its ram- 

 parts, which bear an impression of desolation. It has ranked 

 among the royal free towns since 13/6, and has a pretty con- 

 siderable trade in wines, wool, and corn, forming an entrepot 

 between Hungary and Poland. About half a league north of 

 the town are baths of great celebrity, and deservedly so from 

 the excellent quality of their acidulous waters. They have 

 nothing of that hepatic smell, commonly emitted by similar 

 springs in Hungary, nor of that iron taste which is often dis- 

 agreeable, though the waters may be very wholesome. They 

 are in a situation extremely picturesque, and are the most 

 esteemed of any in Hungary, being exported to considerable 

 distances, as were formerly the waters of Seltz, till artificial 

 means of producing them were discovered. 



On leaving Bartfeld, I descended the valley of Topla, and 

 there my coachman contrived to overset the carriage, in as 

 good a road as any in Hungary. To enhance my misfortune, 

 we plunged into a brook, and my barometer was broke in the 

 fall. All the samples that I had been collecting, since my 

 departure from Kesmark, were immersed in the water, and 

 the sack which contained them rolled also into the stream. I 

 had not paper enough to wrap them in a second time, and, to 

 remedy these disasters, I was under the necessity of repairing 

 toEperies. But misfortunes seldom come alone, and in crossing 

 certain hills, over roads which I shall call diabolical, the car- 

 riage rolled over a second time, and the coachman, who had 

 not learned caution from the first accident, here broke his 

 shoulder bone. 



