190 ] 



TWELFTH DAY. 



ABOUT six o'clock we were awakened by our men, and, 

 speedily donning our shooting-attire, we hastened on deck 

 and found that it was a cold, rainy, and most disagreeable 

 morning, everything being enveloped in a uniform, detestable, 

 light grey, while thin mists were floating up and down the 

 river. 



The steamer had left Karlowitz very early, and when we 

 sat down to breakfast we were only a little way from the 

 village of Kovil, the final goal of our journey. Hodek had 

 already come to meet us at Karlowitz, bringing very good 

 news from the forests which were now to serve as our hunting- 

 grounds for a couple of days. 



To our great regret we learned from our men that while 

 we were still asleep the steamer had, on several occasions, 

 passed within easy shot of Sea-Eagles on the sandbanks, and 

 at one spot my jager had counted as many as six of these 

 great birds sitting bolt upright; but while pacing the deck 

 and smoking our after-breakfast cigars, we saw nothing but a 

 few flocks of Grey and Purple Herons and some Black Terns 

 still on their upstream migration to their breeding-places. 



The character of the country was very monotonous and 

 almost ugly, with its low grey-green " auen " on the left 

 bank, and on the right broad fields and heaths, alternating 

 with equally insignificant woods. 



We soon reached Kovil, which lies among fields and sand- 

 hills on the left side of a broad arm of the river, and is separated 

 from the main stream by a large island. 



