The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-08-13
LIFE ON The DANUBE.
Picturesque Scenes Along That Beautifu'
River.

stretch of about one hundred and hfty
miles-which, by-the-way, we padded
in less than two days and n half-there
are only three towns on the river, Cibar
PalanlSa, Rahova, and Nicopolis, and
these are all Bulgarian. There are two
or three busy grain-shipping stations
on the Roumanian side, however, and
we could see on the edge of low
plateau, miles back from the river, frc-
quent prosperous.loolSing places, and.
opposite Nicopolis, the church towers
of Turnu Magurete, one of the most i'm
portant towns in southern Roumania
rising above the trees. This shore of
the river is, for almost the entire dis
tancc referred to, broad low marsh,
intersected by numerous lagoons and
shallow, irregular lakes, often ten
miles or more in length. The lonely
picket stations are the only hui
man habitations along the bank
In agreeable contrast to this dull
and desolate waste of marsh
and willow swamp is the rich pastoral
country of Bulgaria opposite. Although
villages and farm houses are not very
numerous, we saw everywhere abund-
ant signs of life The meadows were
dotted with hay stacks and great net
works of deeply worn cattle paths
scored the smooth slopes of the hills,
all burned yellow by the summer sun.
Before the greatest heat of the day
came on, immense herds of cattle and
buffaloes, driven by Turkish cowboys,
rushed painting down the hill-sides in a
cloud of dust to cool themselves in the
stream. The buffaloes wallowed in the
muddy places and then lay down with
the tops of their heads alone visible
above water, like uncouth amphibious
animals. Great flocks of sheep stood
on the shore by the waters edge, crowd
ing together in solid mass, and hold
ing their heads close to the ground to
escape the heat from the direct rays of
the sum- and multitudes of goats were
scattered all over the steep and arid
slopes. The shepherds dig little shall
low caves in the mud bluffs, with steps
leading to them, where they lie and
sleep for hours in the daytime; others
curl up in the gullies-so that every
yard of shade on the rough bank has
its human or its animal occupant, and
sometimes men and goats, both seeking
to avoid the sun, lie down peacefully
together in the same narrow cleft or in
the shadow of the same projecting cor
ner.
In the broad straight reaches of the
river the frequent sand banks were COW
cred with waterfowl. Thousands upon
thousands of noisy wild geese, hosts of
ducks, plover and other game birds,
rose into the air as we approached, al
most deafening us with their cries.
Wheeling round in broad circles, they
settled down again before we had fair
ly passed them. Ranks of solemn peli-
cans awkwardly Topped into the water
and swan ahead of us in stately dig
nifty scarcely out of pistol-shot, turning
their huge Unbalanced bealls from side
to side, and if we came too near, flew
up with a tremendous splashing and
fluttering. Tall herons scared away
out of the shadows on every side, and
swans and storlfs sailed overhead in
graceful flight. Sometimes we padded
in the full light Of monday up to with
in few yards of slender white cranes
waning tliilCllS IllC anu
once approached within paddles
length Of a large gray heron standing
on one leg and blinking in the brilliant
glare of the sun. The flora of the river
hank in this region is best described in
quotation from Alfred Parsons
note book: by the camp opposite
kalafat was very handsome
sedge with brown flowers, Il mass
of blossoms of the towering rush,
and plenty of excellent dew-berries. A
fiat below Lom Palanka was covered
with thorny, leguminous shrub, tufts
of small purple flowers and prickly red
seed pods, small yellow astcrs, tall
scabious with pale blossoms, and chic
cory, which has been a constant flower
for long distance down the river.
The slopes above the limestone cliffs
I below Rahova were covered with feather
sumac and lilac bushes. Wild grape
vines grow all over the willows on an
island above Sistova, and the marshy
lake near there had great yellow
patches of villarsia On the edge of
this lake grow arrowhead and flower
ing rush. and where the land is drier
are seen purple and yellow dwarf this
! ties, a small scentless heliotrope, and a
| white scutellaria. Tamarisl1 grows on
| the sandy flats"
The river life was mostly confined to
the larger craft; very few small boats
were seen, and almost no fishermen.
The great clouds of canvas on the
| Turkish vessels CLEANED above the trees
lnl, -, E.. =. A1
tive, and the black smoke of tow-boats
with their trains of loaded lighters was
constant feature in the ever-changing
landscape. Occasionally huge fiat.
boat Of the toughest build, piled high
with a cargo of red and yellow earthen.
| ware, melons, sacks of charcoal, and
other miscellaneous merchandise, foated
down in the gentle current, steered by
Turks in costumes of varied hue, the
whole rejecting a mass of glowing
color in the stream. Each of the river
towns we passed was the center OF
great activity, Crowds of peasants carts
laden with grain covered the broad
strand in the vicinity of the steamboat
landing, waiting their turn to discharge
their loads into the lighters. When the
grain is harvested and threshed, the
farmers load their rude carts, and lead
the slow and stupid buffaloes, after
several days journey, to the nearest
river town, where they find GER,
tain market for their produce. The
whole country is covered with trains OF
crealIing carts, and peasants bivouacs
are scattered all over the scorched hill
sides and everywhere along the dusty