THE DESTRUCTION OF SZEGEDIN. 19 



mud and bricks. This was perfectly useless ; for 

 when the water was once in the town, it was forced 

 up through the drains, and frequently filled the 

 houses from inside, and lowest outwards from the 

 pressure of water. In looking about, I was very 

 much surprised to see only three pontoons and two 

 or three boats ready in case of emergency in the 

 streets. I believe there were others at the railway 

 station, but certainly I saw only these scanty prepar- 

 ations in the town itself. Before turning into my 

 quarters for the night, I walked out once more to the 

 dike. It was a very picturesque sight : hundreds of 

 flaring torches and camp-fires lit up the edge of the 

 black waters ; the whole surface of the flood was 

 restless and agitated, the waves beating visibly against 

 the long line of defence. I left the scene with 

 anxious forebodings, fearing what might happen in 

 the night for the storm was getting worse, and the 

 wind blew right on the embankment. 



On awaking by daybreak the next morning, it was 

 an intense relief to find that the storm had somewhat 

 abated ; and further, it was satisfactory to know that 

 there had been no rise whatever in the water during 

 this anxious night. After a hasty breakfast, we 

 made our way to the river-side, and joined our good 

 friend, Captain Hadszy of the Czongrad, who had 

 already " steam up " and everything prepared for our 

 expedition. 



Shortly after leaving the town, we steamed into 



