MEHADIA. 325 



One of the parcels, however, broke loose during 

 our journey, and all the books came out, but I do 

 not think any trouble or difficulty was occasioned 

 thereby. The Austrian government, in its pater- 

 nal regard for the welfare of its subjects, care- 

 fully examines every book before it is allowed to 

 be read. There was little enough in my travel- 

 ling library to excite apprehension, but it was 

 carefully plumbed like the others. 



We had made an agreement with a man at 

 Orsova to take us in what is called an eilwagen 

 as far as Temesvar, going a little out of the way 

 to visit Mehadia, distant about three hours' tra- 

 velling from Orsova, and celebrated for its warm 

 sulphur baths. Mehadia is a place of great re- 

 sort from all the neighbouring countries of Ser- 

 via, Wallachia, and Hungary. It has quite the 

 air of a fashionable, although somewhat retired 

 watering-place, but its peculiarity of situation in 

 a picturesque vale, surrounded by high, bold 

 crags of remarkably well-wooded mountains, its 

 picturesque beauties varying and magnifying at 

 every turn, combined with the general neatness of 

 the town, and its primitive, unassuming elegance, 

 baffle all attempts at description. No wonder it 



