New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-27
DOWN THE DANUBE.
H..
FROM BFJGRApF NO ORSOyA

EIGHT HOURS IN BELGRADE-A TOWN IMP0R-
TANr IN LOCATION oNLY-TRAvELLISG WITH A
sThTFSMAN-A SARATOGA AMONG THE CARPA-
THIANs.
irRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
VIENNA Nov est is a torrid tropical sun that
beats down UPON the September traveller on the
Lower Danube. The people in the villages along
the shore wear the lightest of summer clothing
and what little they do wear is worn with careless
abandon which would be rather startling 10 pro-
pricty were it not popularity supposed to lie Orien
tai, and therefore picturesque Life seems Iazy
dull and aimless. and grows more so the further
one advances into what. up to few wears ago, was
Turkish territory. At the frontier line the con-
trast between the two civilizations IS only too pam
fully apparent. The river Save forms the boundary
line between Servia and that part of Hungary lying
south of the Danube, and at its mouth are tNo
cities Scmlin on the west and Belgrade on the east
hank The Danube boats land passengers at both
places. and there is besides steam ferry which
affords hogrlv communication between the two
cities In crossing this ferry one exchanges the
frank for the Ottoman, and passes in fifteen min
utcs time from the busy European civilization of to-
day to the duh. listless Turkish lite of century
ago. The effects OF long years of Pacha domination
are only too plainly visible one steps ashore
from tue cTfybcat and strOlls mp through the dirty
crooked STREETS of Belgrade Semn. on the other
hand. though a town of modest pretcnsiOns, is neat
and civilized. Rows of ancient shade trees line its
streets; there handsome gardens, both public
and private; the Offices and shops are decent in
appearance; one is well served at the hotel and
noticed that "GlIode-Girofa" was billed for the
following evening at the Opera House. II | could
only talk hungarian but l should despair OF ever
being able to master such jargon % sound-a week
two in Seinlin might be passed very agreeably.
Bat the same cannot be truth1ully said o. Bel
grade. Viewed from altar it Is attractive enough.
Like city set a hill, it cannot be hid. 1t wops
the visitor TO come, and then alas ruthlessly dis
pois its own Illusions.
TIE eKEVIAN METROPOLIS,
took the o'clock morning boat over from SEM
lin. from a wharf quite crowded with dealers IN
grapes, peaches. and peculiar rolls of white Hour
spread over with poppy seed. which are much eaten
b. the natives as sort of seep-nvter or mild form
Of narcotic The profIsion of fruit in this country
is remarkable. For two or three cents one can buy
more peaches than be can carry away with him.
The terrv-bOat appears to be sort of floating beer
garden. provided with tables, chairs, and "A garton
or two TO serve the drinkables But the crossing
requires barely quarter of an hour, there Is no
opportunity for any extended liOations In landing
at Belgrade, the passenger Is confronted at the
head of the pier by a soldier, and demand for ms
passport. In he happen to have none, his card
VIII Sufuce. only ne must Nuplltdtt IL WIEN TIC guys
aboard again As n means OF acqualnting the ponce
authorities with his departure.
During the first two OF the eight hours passed III
tie ex-Servian capital managed by the AID of a
detected PAIR Of hack horses to make tour of the
entire town and see all the notable buildings, IN
Guiding Prince Milau's palace, which Is for all the
world like some handsome private residence IN the
French quarter of New-Orlcans. The remaining
SIX hours devoted to strolng about the Streets to
looking in at the SHOPS 18th their Greek letter
sisns over their doors and 10 di-posin- Of rather
ordinary table dhOte dinner at the principal hotel,
rre;entiou.ly allied &" The Crown OF SeryIa." The
street scenes in Belgrade would make the fortune
o. any artist with sketch-book. There are great
burly chaps to be seen lying sound sleep Mt midday
on bundles OF hay in wagons by the curbstone.
Tradespeople are holding in their store doors AT
bith noon and whole of somnOlent cabbies
ar. TO be seen on their boxes on the shady SIDE oil
the street dreaming no doubt, OF fabulous pour
boircs The uaFket-pldce, Uttered up Win uch-
CIV booths and piles of garbage, Is infested Win
chattering Old women, urch;ns and dogs. and bat
for its prOluse display of luscious tImt would be
jrredeerably stupid. The streets ar lLl-paYed ana
irregular. and IN some places arc struggling and
grass crown Ike those in Some remote southern
VILLAGE A, for the shops they are generally quite
inferior and contain very average stocks oil 2ooI.
! wautod 90 buy "a Servan string Of beads Tor n
stance as "a souvenir. and found that must either
buv 4 dozen string, or none at all The hardware
store windows are plenuiuly hung with All
varieties OF nurdcIOus looking cutlery. auJ these
wares mast De cheap 900, for nearly every male Of
the lower classes d, out Gown carries a feroci"us
cbeese-knife at lis belt. jews and Old clio shops
are numerous. and stood five minute 20 oFerhear
a Glib Hebrew youth with an unmIstakaala nose,
ar1ue i'm Scrvian argon inc merits of vest which
n. VS. holding up in his doorway before the eyes
Of a couplc Of ns.rustlul peasants. 1t was simply
q Servian reproduction of Hound,ditcn or Chat
bau-st At an ,ther point saw "a battalion OF SER
Wan regular infantry pass b. with ou2Ie an orum
corps. They were neatly though plainly uniformed
in dark colors marched very we'll and looked pre-
cisely ike so:.e Of our American mllitminen. AJ
the hotel after dinner / dropped into the coffee
room to look around There was IN idle billiard
table IN the middle OF the rcom several lonngers
were noddins over their newspapers at the SIDE
t,l,Ies. and in one corner two gentlemen who for
ANY sign they gave TO the contrary, might have
been deaf mut-s were bending over ches'-hoar J.
7 Thought if had remained there much longer |
shouId have turned Rip Van Wrinkle and gone to
sleep too. 1900. .,,... err
Tbst everinr | took the Danube boat again from
S,r,ljn and awOkc next morning IN the midst OF
the grand scenery which forms the approach Z"
the Kasam Pass. Ii is another Lake George tho
river winding in and ont among giant mountains,
which in many places, rise perpendicularly from
the waters edge, and seem to bar further progress.
The military road opened by the Emperor rrajan
oln, the south shore and cleft here and there for
is ont of the solid rock, Is still plainly dis
ceroible. and beneath it the square holes cut at
,eonlar intervals of few feet apart for The recep-
tion of the beams which supported the projecting
,,ooJworl, of the roadway commemorative IN
s.r,o+ion carved on the face of the rock at one
,,aint toll. the history OF this great work. That
sucb gigantic labor should ever have been under
taken Is only explained by the fact that 1t was