Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, Syria, and across the desert into Egypt ...

3JO TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
of recommendation, 5cc. to the Russian and Imperial consuls at
Yassi.
I embarked on board the above vessel on the 4th at five in the
morning. The captain spoke a little Italian, though he was by
birth a Greek, Mv fellow travellers consisted of an Italian, brother
to the Imperial consul at Galatz, who spoke the German
language with much fluency, two Germans, and a Greek. Soon
after we embarked the sky became overcharged with heavy clouds,
which indicated the approach of a storm, and induced our captain
to wait for more settled and favourable weather. It cleared up at
three in the afternoon, when the anchor was weighed, and we
got under way with a smart breeze from the north, our crew
tiring a salute of musketry, between each discharge of which the
Italian sounded his trumpet. The wind freshened soon after
tu such a degree, that we were obliged to anchor a little below
ihe town.
We were detained on the 5th by the stormy weather until two
in the afternoon, when we took our departure, and in less than
half an hour passed the town of Georgival. The current setting
in our favour, we made a
pretty rapid progress by the aid of our
twelve oars, and at half past seven in the evening came to anchor
for the night. On the following morning we set out before break
of day ; and at three in the afternoon passed Torkotai, a small
town very romantically situated on the banks of the Danube. The
hills adjacent to this town are laid out in fine vineyards, intersper-
sed with bushy trees : on the north-east side there are hanging
woods which are continued for several miles, and have a
very pleasing
and picturesque effect. Opposite to the town there are seven
water mills, each of them dependant on two boats moored across
the river, in one of which the mill is placed, while the other supports
the wheel stationed in the centre, between the two. On the
present occasion I had seen mills of this kind for the first time ;
but I was told that they are employed on every part of the Da-
nube. When we had proceeded three or four miles from the town,
our vessel ran aground on one of the small islands which are scat-
tered in great numbers on the sides of the river; and by this acci-
dent we were detained for upwards of an hour. Immediately op-
posite to our position, on the eastern side of the river, we perceived
a neighbouring village in ilames, and concluded it to have
been set on fire bv one of the bands of robbers
by whom the country
was infested. At half past seven in the evening we anchored