The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-07
The ROumaniane Waiting for
the Baptism Of Fire.
A VISIT TO THE BATTERIES
The Russian Advance from the
Rear Upon the City.

anu especially IN THIS portion bordering on the
great river OF contention II is not 80 much
the mode Of travelling OF which one CON-
plains as OF the miserable reception one
finds at the inns along route and at tho end OF the
Journey. There is something pleasant II not exha-
rating In finding ones self In carriage drawn By four
strong tough horses that jog along at SIX or seven
miles pace TO the peculiar music OF the cowbes hung
round their necks stopping for five or six hours
except 10 drink, and then, after u feed and an
hours rest, starting out again at the
Same pace for many hours more. One gets the
ground In a remarkably expeditions manner in this
way. You have no cares about breaking down, and
can give yourself up quite unrcservcdy, If so you
feel inclined, TO the enjoyment of tho music of
the bells. OF which Poe had NO idea. Some
travellers indeed. object to these bells at ALL saying
that tncy are monotonous and wearisome; but those
who have listened to the same bell the high
lands Of Bavaria or IN Swiss valleys can perhaps for
get tor few hours in tho memories they evoke tho
swcl,ering heat, the endless wearying, monoionous
stretches. tho dusty roads and the general hdeousness
oil rural lite in Roumania-
THE COMFORTS sMNITzA.
Well reached--or rather we-Simnitza little aftcr
noon and found every in the hotel occupied and
every bed in tho place taken Smnitza is at present
tho headquarters Of an army corps, and the collecting
point for everybody about TO the Danube into
Bulgaria. 1t is dirty, dismal place, and a resi-.
dence thcre must be In ordinary times I'M
bearablc. Now it is hell Itself. You can get
nothing to cat except roast mutton; nothing
10 drink except warm beer, warm vino and warm
dirty water from the Danube. Cleanliness unknown
TO the miserable Wallachian people who dwell there
politcness they never heard Of they do
how to make money by providing for tho actual
necessities OF the passing travellers, but thoy are
adopts in lying, cheating and in unthrfty 'dlcness.
BY dnt OF some exertion managed 10
prevail upon an old Wallach peasant woman
to give up her great bedroom to u.s. l shall
think of her generosity with terror for long mo to
como. We scratched and tumbled about from nno
O'Clock at night Till Daylight cursng Ill luck and
tho countless aeas and bugs that rendered sleep
ter of utter impossiblty How glad were when
the morning dawned and the sun rose over the river
and the opposite hills and the houses and mnarcts
OF sistova We called our voiture and determined to
pay visit TO the first Turkish town occupied by the
Russians, there to take breakfast and return.
THE BRIDGE AT siMNrzA
We descended to the fiat, marsny bed OF the Danube,
now perfectly dry, and after being driven about
thirds OF milo came at last to the pontoon bridge
about which SO much has been written and which has
been much criticised. An officer stood at the en-
trance; the presentation Of cards brought every
courtesy wo desired. long stream OF wagon trains
crossing over, and carriage had to place
in the line move slowly on. On returning We had
tho carriage In advance and walked across thus
gaming much batter idea Of the structure The first
bridge, from tho marshes the island is supported
100 pontoons some of iron and some OF wood, the
tire structure being perfectly irm THIS portion tho
bridge took us thirteen minutes TO walk over at
OF which short treste BRIDGE OF perhaps nty yards
IN length, had been erected, wc came
Island tho to ss turkish ssds Shore. leading rs. 0m s the
shorter than tho other, and took Us ten minutes to
cross II 10 as 1rm as bridge Of stone, safely an
cnored, and guarded by sailors Nothing but walk
across IL can give you any idea Of tho immense work
which the Russians undertook and completed. From
the landing place to Sistova drive OF about fifteen
minutes over sandy road whore your wheels sink
down TO the axlos In Sistova found
tho Bulgarian Inhabitants going about their oc-
before the Russians cnteredal with the exception OF
the Judge OF the Criminal Court, who after endeavor
ing to induce his follow citizens to stay quietly in
their homes, did so himself, and now remains per
fccy unmolested OF course. Had the Turks remained
been paged as. they have been. 1t causes pang OF
regret to see the streets fairly Uttered with
,osn oooHs re ana wsIn 'Honsn
l picked up neat manuscript which was
evidently the work oil some Turkish literary man, per-
haps an article Tor some newspaper or magazine We
assembled the heights overlooking tho DANUBE gazing
down on the busy scene Of the bridge far below Us,
thinking all the while how terribly outmanouvred had
been the Turks, aud how far-sighted DO that
Pacha who informed the Sultan that, although the
Russians had crossed the Danube at Snnitza no had
given strict orders that they should not DO al
lowed TO cross over at any other point As
II the Russians really wished for more than
the crossing they have unless II be TO tako fortress
two to give the Roumanlans opportunity Of
receiving the baptism OF blood AZ the time wnen the
Simnza crossing TOOK place II is doubtless that the
Turks had concentrated large masses of artillery ut
Ncopolis and tDat the Slmnitza ALTAR came on them
like a thunderbolt.
BuLGARrANs AND wALLAcHIASs.
Sistova has, altogether, wei-to-dO aspect, that Is,
wel-to-do compared with the towns the RoumaLian
shore OF tue Danube. The Bugarians arc hnc, stall
wart race OF men, with handsome, dark faces, and In
iinncy superior in general appearance to tho Wala
chan peasant tho water In fact 1
have come to the conclusion that the waa-
chan peasant is about as dun specimen OF
humanity as is possible to Imagine. True,
the present government Is doing much 10 I'M
prove tue rising generation In every village of mud
nuts stands pretty tlc school house, aud It IS pos
sibe that q decade or two tho miserable Wailacn
will have disappeared and mado room for the modern
Roumanian. AT present, however, the appearance OF
Wallacha and tho Wauchian people Is depressing In
tho extreme. The Wallach about the same person
as he was when Count Moltke described him hity years
ago. Tho children run around the mud-hutcd village
naked, or, AT most, IN dirty nightgown, generally
torn at that; the youth add rod belt TO Their
slight costume and par OF baggy white trouscrsi
the maiden adds rough looking SKIRT and
the matured peasant COSTUME Is completed by
tho addition OF lca,hern belt, containing
his knife, mis- pipe and tobacco pouch.
The Waiiach peasant energy left Idle by nature
as Mot.e says anu since labor IL useless hc Is con-
tented when he can dry his rags before the great fire
heads and smoke his pipo unmolcsted. Long under
the Turkish yoke he has almost forgotten the use OF
his children educated In tho modern schools, may de-
velop to worthy TO bear the proud name which
has clamcd Tor the nation,
VISIT TO THE EoUMASiAS BATTERIES
We left Simniza early on Saturday morning and ar
rived at lurnu- Mar urcc alter journey oil about
tour hours. Reports had reachcd Gurgevo that Nico-
polls hal been cescrled by the Turks aud that the
Russans and Tho RounanIans were preparing To cross
AMI take possession Of the pnco This report,
like many others have heard, proved to De with
out foundation, ior entered tho town, the bonn
burdn,nt beGg encrscticaily carried on by 10th
"A
manian batteries to the right. General MauO,
the commander OF the Eyur1anlun forces here, giving
mo the escort Of Captain Grosz,, very intelligent
young officer, who has seen service with tho Aus
TRANS found the batteries close 10 the edge ol the
Danube, partly concealed among the high willows and
brushwood, but Tor the part much exposed to the
Turkish batteries planted on the hills above and
around Ncopols Tho batteries were vol built, ami,
far ! could observe during tue afternoon,
exceiIcntly served. | noticed shell alter sbo explode
In tho TURKISH batteries, whereas duiOg the entire
day but single she'll exploded ~ the Rouanan posi-
tons, and that did damage. During the Gay tue
RoumanaDs are much exposed TO tue Turkish bullets;