140 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



the Easter holidays. Our road should have led us under 

 this village, but we suddenly saw that all further communica- 

 tion had been cut off by the stream, and instead of a road 

 there remained nothing but large stones and broken banks. 

 There we stood, not knowing what to do ; but at last we dis- 

 covered a dreadful-looking ascent, almost impracticable for 

 vehicles, which wound up the slope to the village. There was 

 nothing left but to follow this ; so we all got out, and with our 

 united strength helped the horses by pushing behind the 

 carts. Halfway up the hill my trap broke down again, thus 

 necessitating tedious and troublesome repairs with ropes and 

 string. 



While the driver and some peasants who had run up were 

 busy putting our splendid equipage in order, I employed the 

 time in making a few ornithological notes. In the distance I 

 noticed a " Stein " Eagle cruising near the ground, probably 

 pursuing small birds in the vineyards, while some Ravens 

 were flying about croaking, and above the summits of the 

 Fruska-Gora I saw several Cinereous Vultures. Among the 

 lesser birds I observed little that was interesting. Cuckoos 

 darted about the fruit-trees, Larks were singing as they 

 mounted into the air, and on the pastures were hopping 

 numberless Hoopoes, one of which came boldly within a few 

 paces, and I shot it for the Savants. Corn-Buntings, Yellow 

 Hammers, Goldfinches, Grasshopper and a few other Warblers 

 twittered their songs from the wild rose-bushes, and myriads 

 of Red-backed Shrikes were sitting on the tops of the thickets 

 turning their white breasts towards us and merrily twitching 

 their tails. 



In a quarter of an hour or thereabouts our conveyances 

 were set going again, and 9ur troubles began afresh ; but at 

 last we got to the village, where I was interested in seeing its 

 inhabitants. Black-haired Slavonians, as strong as trees, were 

 standing about the streets in the beautiful costume of their 



