90 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
bounded on the north by the chain of hills which runs from 
behind Mohacs down to the Danube, on the west by the 
spurs of the Pannonian mountains, on the east by the woods 
of the Danube, and on the south by the heights which we had 
just crossed. Marshes, meadows, fields, some clumps of wood, 
and a few villages filled up the interior of this little plain, 
‘which sloped towards the Danube in gentle undulations. 
The more distant view that presented itself from the road 
was of the true Hungarian type, having a wide horizon and 
being on a grand scale, but its nearer details were monotonous 
and uninteresting. 
We had been steadily bowling along for nearly two hours 
and a half, when we reached a cheerful-looking country house 
situated in front of a large garden, the whole having the 
clean smart look of one of the summer villas one so often sees 
in the beautiful outskirts of Vienna or on the shores of the 
Upper Austrian lakes, and not at all the appearance of the 
small Hungarian country residences. A number of fine horses 
all well harnessed were here awaiting us, for we had arrived 
at Herr Rampelt’s abode, where we were to have a relay. 
In a few minutes we were off again. The afternoon had 
come to a close, and the sultry day was succeeded by a 
very chilly evening, for the air had been thoroughly cooled 
by several storms which had threatened to come up, but which 
had all passed away to the south and there burst. A uniform 
grey mantle of clouds gradually spread over the sky, and it 
seemed as if heavy rain was coming. 
Our road now conducted us close to a little wood of high 
trees. There the Land Steward begged us to halt and pay a 
hurried visit to a pair of Ravens which had chosen it as their 
nesting-place. I hardly believed my ears when I heard that 
this shy bird was breeding in sucha miserable little wood, 
close to a road in the open plain, and far away from any large 
forest, so feeling somewhat incredulous I walked about two 
