140 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
the Easter holidays. Our road should have led us under 
this village, but we suddenly saw that all further communica- 
tion had been cut off by the stream, and instead of a road 
there remained nothing but large stones and broken banks. 
There we stood, not knowing what to do; but at last we dis- 
covered a dreadful-looking ascent, almost impracticable for 
vehicles, which wound up the slope to the village. There was 
nothing left but to follow this; so we all got out, and with our 
united strength helped the horses by pushing behind the 
carts. Halfway up the hill my trap broke down again, thus 
necessitating tedious and. troublesome repairs with ropes and 
string. 
While the driver and some peasants who had run up were 
busy putting our splendid equipage in order, I employed the 
time in making a few ornithological notes. In the distance I 
noticed a “Stein” Hagle cruising near the ground, probably 
pursuing small birds in the vineyards, while some Ravens 
were flying about croaking, and above the summits of the 
Fruska-Gora I saw several Cinereous Vultures. Among the 
lesser birds I observed little that was interesting. Cuckoos 
darted about the fruit-trees, Larks were singing as they 
mounted into the air, and on the pastures were hopping 
numberless Hoopoes, one of which came boldly within a few 
paces, and I shot it for the Savants. Corn-Buntings, Yellow 
Hammers, Goldfinches, Grasshopper and a few other Warblers 
twittered their songs from the wild rose-bushes, and myriads 
of Red-backed Shrikes were sitting on the tops of the thickets 
turning their white breasts towards us and merrily twitching 
their tails. 
In a quarter of an hour or thereabouts our conveyances 
were set going again, and our troubles began afresh; but at 
last we got to the village, where I was interested in seeing its 
inhabitants. Black-haired Slavonians, as strong as trees, were 
standing about the streets in the beautiful costume of their 
