392 SKETCHES OF SPORT IN HUNGARY. 
devoted to our first journey, we met Count Hans Wilczek 
and the painter Pausinger; so our party was now complete, 
and in a few minutes the vessel got under weigh. Besides 
some jagers we also took with us the son of Hodek the 
naturalist, who had already accompanied me during my first 
trip down the Danube in 1878. 
We soon made ourselves at home on board the comfortable 
vessel, and after a hasty lunch went on deck to observe the 
country through which we were so rapidly passing. The 
scenery was all familiar, yet how different it had looked 
in that glorious springtide when nature in the full bloom 
of her beauty had greeted our small but pleasant shooting- 
party. Two years and a half had passed since that time, 
and heavy grey clouds, leafless trees, bare fields, and a cold 
north-easter had taken the place of spring. The Danube 
alone remained steadfast, and in quiet profound majesty still 
patiently rolled its waters towards the far east. 
There was but little life on the river, the waterfowl had 
flown to other regions, and nothing but dusky birds of prey 
and magpies showed themselves on its banks. In the evening, 
however, the scene became more smiling and pleasant, the 
principal reason being that the further south we pushed the 
warmer it became, especially late in the afternoon. Large 
flights of Ducks and a flock of Lapwings flying southwards on 
their winter migration also lent some ornithological interest 
to this stretch of the journey, while the sinking of the fiery 
globe of the sun through the narrow bands of cloud delighted 
all of us, my friend Pausinger in particular. It was one of 
those lovely evenings such as are only to be seen in easterly 
lands, and more especially on the plains of beautiful Hungary. 
After passing a long time amidst the monotony of civilized 
life and the perpetual uninspiriting grey of the west, one feels 
a longing to return to those primitive regions, where alone 
one can gaze upon the grandeurs of the glorious colour and 
