New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-05
WIDDIE AND KALAFAT.
WIDDIy, "wednesday, Sept.

along TIE Danube are found the traces of former
greatness, with the evidences Of present weakness
Of provinces copqered by Roman legions, aud
towns snd cities built by Romsu cooni.ts. In
ntnse regions watore5 by the lower Danube,
which were once the busy thester of Roman life
and industry, are now the home of few Serviao
swineherds and Wallschisn pessalN Trajans
Way, cut through ,olid rock m4Dy miles along
the RICH. bank Of the river, will remain lasting
monument OF Roman enterprise The lowest stone
BRIDE over tie Dannbe is at Ratsbon, where the
rivtr is but few yards in width; whereas Ira
az during his Dacian campaign, erected 4 sm-
lar structure at Turnu severin-a point nearly
eco miles lower, where tie river has width OF
between two and three Thousand feet The work
was conducted by Apoiloirus Dsmsscenus, tue
same person who constructed Trsj ans Column
1t Rome, and in such a manner that the Ices aud
foods Of seventeen centuries have not serted TO
remove all traces Of the magnificent ediice. The
two piers which terminated the structure remain
in q toeIabe state Of preservation, and several
Of those placed in the current may be distinctly
.eep when the alter is low. BOth ends OF the
bridge were banked by strong towers the runs
OF which still remain. Near one OF them, 1 nouced
fine sarcoph6gus. They are surrounded by I'M
derbru.h 60 dense that one cannot approach
them without feeling Of apprehension, especial.
IL as the Wallachan peasants near by have Wild
ard barbarous appearance. They dress IN sheep
skin frocks and Lats with the wOOslde out, pre-
cisely like their ancestors represented on Ira.
inns Column. Az the bridge is situated several
miles below the Iron Gate-tbe point Where the
Danube has broken through the CarpauIan
rsIge-the current is slow and regular. Ihe
level fpaces az both ends OF the bridge served 70
protect the structure against the attacks OF the
barbarians as they furnished excellent ground Tor
marsbaling the legOns. As j was examining
these interesting ruins, the sun sank behind the
Carpathans and the moon rose above the Wal
lachihn plain, ushering in an autumnal evening OF
Italian sOiness and beauty. Turnul Severn be-
ing too poor to furnish an inn, all the passengers
were compelled to sleep on board the steamer
which was 10 convey us TO GlurgcyO Moreover,
as the Ma. gatiOn of the Danube ls sOmewh hat dan
gerOus, the steamer generally lays 10y at night.
The country became more level below lurnul
SEVERN On the Nallachian side, while on the other
it remained billy and even mountainous as far as
10 the Serbo-Turkish frontier. The Wallachian
plain was grown up with tall weeds, giving 1t TO
some extent the appearance OF western prairie,
and dotted here and there with herds oil cattle or
small fields Of corn. Now and then vineyard
or corn-fcid might be seen upon the Seryan hills
but the latter we're for the most part covered with
forests Of oak and beech, furnishing mast for the
immense herds of swine which are exported from
the PIiHcipality The most famous Of the Servian
princes have been swiDeherds, and as one de-
,ceuds from Vienna, cargOes of the living animal
may be met On their way TO the German and
French markets.
TuInul Seyerinis forty miles above Kaafat and
was visited by party OF Cossacks during the
winter. 1t was feared that the Russians would
cross over into SeryIa from this point, move
ment which, if ever intended was frustrated by
the position OF Achmet Pasha below. As the
steamer proceeds, the river sweeps in an immense
bend TO the westward and in three hours we
passed the frontier between Bulgaria and Servla.
The lofty peaks of the Balkans and Carpathians,
rising with these clear, sharp outlines against the
western sky were plainly visible many hours below
Turnul SEVERN. Starting from the Iron Gate. the
former stretch away TO the southwark and the
latter TO the northward, aud sweeping round
toward the EuXine form an immense amphl-
theater upon whose plain the fate OF Eastern
Europe has more than once been decided.
The Danube divides this great basin into two I'M
equal parts Bulgaria at the south, and the Mol
dow allachian Princpalities at the north. The
latter are BY far the more extensive, and stretch
ing away in immense plains resembling the ram
pas of South America form the gateway through
which successive waves of barbarsm have howed
into Europe. Watered by the grandest OF Euro
mean rivers and fertilized by streams from the Car
putbians and Balkans, these favored regions might
have formed the garden OF Europe had they not
been made the battle-grSund of nations from the
time of Darius and the Scythians down 10 the
present moment. Napolson's remark that the
DESTINY of Europe must be decided along the Low
er Danube, was nothing less than the teaching OF
history relative 10 the strategic Importance OF
these favored, but unfortunate regions.
Fifteen miles below the Bulgarian frontier, the
Wallachian shore on the left, assumes an unusalE
barren appearance The level tract along the riv-
er is bounded by long ridge of sand-hllls some
what more than mile from the shore. Clumps
of sfunted trees may be seen here and there. ana
few Wallachian villages composed OF miserable
Luts are the only evidences of life on spot so unln-
wiling. Tie traveller who has seen Marthas Inc
ward or coasted along the cape from Nantucket
northward. has seen exactly the counterpart oil
the region in which is situated the Village OF Ce-
tate-a place memorable fol- the defeat OF the Rus
SLAMS on the 9th of January last. The brlllisnt
victory Of Achmet Pasha over the Russians In
creased the moral effect of the defeat OF the latter
al Otentza, and by disheartenlng the enemy be-
fore kaafat, and preventing hun from making
demonstration in the direction of Servia, exercised
a marked influence upon the fortunes OF the war
Fortunately one of my travelling companions
was Reschid Efcndi-a graduate OF the military
school at Vienna. and Secretary 10 Saml Pacha OF
Widdn. He pointed out TO me the interesting to.
calities about Cetate which were hardly passed
before turning to the south, the numerous mlnar-
cts and Notifications of Widdin were in full view
The passengers assemble on deck TO view what
was during the winter months, the most interest
ing spot on the earth. A few minutes more and q
low bluff is passed, when, al at once the world
renowned Notifications of Kalafat rise before the
eve l cannot say whether was more struck
with the size and extent OF these celebrated works
or L. tLe nal III lnneliness which rXerYMh here pre-.