family.

Judging from what I saw of the inhabitants of Svenica, I think they have
not progressed very far in the ways of civilisation. I could get nothing
in the whole place but a piece of bread; but I was not to be balked of
my tea, so I entered the principal room in the wretched little inn, and
proceeded to take out my cooking apparatus. I was obliged to content
myself with a thick fluid, which they called water; no better was to be
procured. Now it happens that my spirit-lamp, when it begins to boil up,
makes a tremendous row for two or three minutes, as if it meant to burst
up with a general explosion. This circumstance, and my other novel
proceedings, had attracted a lot of idlers round the door, and before
the tea-making was over a number of Serbs and Wallacks crowded into the
room in a state of excited curiosity, and it was with difficulty that I
defended my tea-machine from absolute dismemberment. Though my horse and
I had done a good day's work, I determined to push on to Uibanya, for it
seemed to be not much more than a two hours' walk; moreover, I had been
warned of the bad reputation of the people in the village. I had heard
it was not an uncommon trick with them to steal a traveller's horse in
the night, and quietly ship him over the Danube into Servia. I had no
fancy for losing my possessions in this way, so altogether it seemed
better to go on.

When I started with the guide I had hired from Svenica, there was still
a good half-hour before sunset. We commenced at once climbing a very
steep and stony path, where I had to lead my horse; indeed at times it
was very much like getting my horse over the top of a high-pitched roof,
if such an exploit were possible. We shortly lost all trace of a path. I
turned several times to look at the fine glimpses of the Danube far
below us. Arriving at a fringe of wood, I was not a little surprised to