104 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



pealed loudly, and the lightning flashed in all directions, 

 while away, beyond the arm of the river, we could already see 

 the rounded summits of the Slavonian mountains partly enve- 

 loped in clouds, and partly lit up hy the sun, which was just 

 vanishing. 



The two huge streams and their "auen" have here a Missis- 

 sippi-like character, and one can hardly imagine that the 

 mighty rivers of America can he more beautiful and imposing. 

 Heavy logs of driftwood, driven out of the dense woods of the 

 Drave, were here floating about in multitudes, for the many 

 interlacing channels of the extensive network of water be- 

 longing to the forests of both rivers all converge at this one 

 point. We were able to remain a long time on deck, for the 

 storm had burst with full fury before the rain came down ; 

 but suddenly the heavens opened their flood-gates, and a 

 torrent of rain fell like a waterspout, driving us into the 

 cabin. 



As well as we could make out during the next hour, enor- 

 mous " auen " still ran along the left side of the river, while the 

 right consisted partly of a chain of hills and partly of crumbling 

 banks, now and then varied by smaller woods and meadows. 

 There were not many settlements, only a few bare-looking 

 villages on the right bank, while the left, which was com- 

 pletely wooded and broken up by channels, had a very wild 

 appearance and no trace of human habitations except some 

 fishing-colonies. Dalya was the first largish village which 

 we observed on the right, and later came Alt Vukovar, but 

 beyond this there were only a few unimportant places. 



The right or Slavonian side had a rather uniform monoto- 

 nous look, but though its vine-clad slopes were only from 

 time to time varied by stony cliffs and detached masses of 

 rock, and offered but few scenic beauties 3 it was altogether 

 of a new type, and unlike those barren banks which we had 

 seen above and below Mohacs. 



