THE DESTRUCTION OF SZEGEDIN. 13 



in the opposite direction. Crossing the railway 

 embankment, we made for the town of Dorosma, 

 which we knew was submerged. This was a place of 

 nearly 10,000 inhabitants. We rowed for more than 

 an hour before we reached the vicinity of the town, 

 but we were completely baffled in our attempts to 

 approach nearer : a long dike, now covered by a few 

 inches of water, barred our entrance. This dike, we 

 learned afterwards, had been erected by the inhabi- 

 tants during the previous week, in order to keep back 

 the encroaching flood ; but two days before our visit, 

 the waters had mastered their defence, and poured 

 over the barrier. After running aground several 

 times on this mud-bank, we gave up all attempts 

 to get closer to a group of houses that were still 

 standing, and made straight for Szegedin. 



"\Ve had got out of our course, so we had still a 

 good hour's pull before we could reach our destination. 

 "VVe were in much doubt and anxiety as to the state 

 in which we should find the town, for the waters 

 were pervading and increasing everywhere. After we 

 had recrossed the submerged railway, we perceived 

 in the distance a long black line trending away to 

 the left, which had somewhat the appearance of a 

 great sea-snake stretched out on the waters. It soon, 

 however, became apparent to us that this was a dike 

 in short, the last rampart of defence' for unhappy 

 Szegedin against the devouring flood In the back- 

 ground, or rather I should say in the rear of the dike, 



