hours' ride from Batainitz, over level and reasonably smooth roads,
brings us into Semlin, quite an important Slavonian city on the Danube,
nearly opposite Belgrade, which is on the same side, but separated from
it by a large tributary called the Save. Ferry-boats ply regularly between
the two cities, and, after an hour spent in hunting up different officials
to gain permission for Igali to cross over into Servian territory without
having a regular traveller's passport, we escape from the madding crowds
of Semlinites by boarding the ferry-boat, and ten minutes later are
exchanging signals! with three Servian wheelmen, who have come down to
the landing in full uniform to meet and welcome us to Belgrade. Many
readers will doubtless be as surprised as I was to learn that at Belgrade,
the capital of the little Kingdom of Servia, independent only since the
Treaty of Berlin, a bicycle club was organized in January, 1885, and
that now, in June of the same year, they have a promising club of thirty
members, twelve of whom are riders owning their own wheels. Their club
is named, in French, La Societe Velocipedique Serbe; in the Servian
language it is unpronounceable to an Anglo-Saxon, and printable only
with Slav type. The president, Milorade M. Nicolitch Terzibachitch, is
the Cyclists' Touring Club Consul for Servia, and is the southeastern
picket of that organization, their club being the extreme 'cycle outpost
in this direction. Our approach has been announced beforehand, and the
club has thoughtfully "seen" the Servian authorities, and so far
smoothed the way for our entrance into their country that the officials
do not even make a pretence of examining my passport or packages - an
almost unprecedented occurrence, I should say, since they are more
particular about passports here than perhaps in any other European
country, save Russia and Turkey. Here at Belgrade I am to part company
with Igali, who, by the way, has applied for, and just received, his
certificate of appointment to the Cyclists' Touring Club Consulship of
Duna Szekeso and Mohacs, an honor of which he feels quite proud. True,