THE DESTRUCTION OF SZEGEDIX. 27 



passed the door, the poor horses were doing their 

 best to keep their noses out of the water. I hailed 

 the driver, and offering him a good backsheesh, got 

 him to transport me to the Hotel Hungaria, which, 

 together with some half-dozen neighbouring houses, 

 occupied the only dry spot in the whole town. I 

 found every room and passage of the inn crowded 

 with fugitives. From thence I made my way again to 

 the river embankment, which was but two hundred 

 yards from the hotel. Reaching the spot where the 

 Czongrad was moored, I found that my gallant friends 

 had already been doing good work. The captain and 

 his little band had been backwards and forwards 

 into the town taking off the unfortunate people from 

 dangerous places that were cut off by the waters. 

 Men, women, and children were snatched from crumb- 

 ling houses, from trees, and even from lamp-posts, to 

 which they had clung in their desperation. Through 

 the day boatful after boatful was brought in safety 

 to the steamer, till the deck was crowded with the 

 fugitives, and amongst them seven children, who died 

 after being received on board. From want of room the 

 bodies of the poor little ones had to be laid out in 

 the stokehole; for even the engine-room was crowded 

 with our living freight. I spoke with one poor 

 woman there, who had had six children. Five Avere 

 drowned before her eyes ; the youngest had now died 

 in her arms from the effects of exposure. The sights 

 we encountered were most heart-rending. 



