The following morning I set about making inquiries respecting the mines which I knew existed in the neighbourhood of Oravicza.  I found that an English gentleman owned a gold mine in the immediate vicinity, and that he was then living in the town.  This induced me to go off at once to call upon him, and I was immediately received in a very friendly manner.  This accidental meeting was rather curious, for on comparing notes we found that we had been schoolfellows together at Westminster.  H——­ being my senior, we had not known each other well; but meeting here in the wilds, we were as old familiar friends.  H——­ kindly insisted on my leaving the inn and taking up my quarters with him in his bachelor residence, which was in fact big enough to accommodate a whole form of Westminster boys.  I was not at all sorry to avoid a second night at the Krone, and gladly fell into my friend’s hospitable arrangements.

I was in great luck altogether, for that very evening a dance was to come off at Oravicza, and my friend invited me to accompany him.  Dancing is one of the sins I compound for; moreover, I had a lively recollection of the bright eyes I had encountered yesterday.

Oravicza is a central place, in a way the chief town of the Banat.  It has a pleasant little society, composed of the families of the officials, and of the military stationed there; they are mostly German by origin.  Amongst the belles of the evening I soon discovered my merry critics of yesterday.  I was duly presented, and we laughed together over my “first appearance.”  It was one of the pleasantest evenings I ever remember.  I hate long invitations to anything agreeable; this party, for instance, had the charm of unexpectedness.  If unfortunately I should prove not quite good enough to go to heaven, I think it would be very pleasant to stop at Oravicza—­supposing, of course, that my friends all stopped there as well.

Here I first danced the czardas; it is an epoch in a man’s life, but you must see it, feel it, dance it, and, above all, hear the gipsy music that inspires it.  This is the national dance of the Hungarians, favoured by prince and peasant alike.  The figures are very varied, and represent the progress of a courtship where the lady is coy, and now retreats and now advances; her partner manifests his despair, she yields her hand, and then the couple whirl off together to the most entrancing tones of wild music, such as St. Anthony himself could not have resisted.

[Footnote 1:  The Danube at Buda-Pest.  Report addressed to Count Andrassy by J.J.  Revy, C.E. 1876.]

CHAPTER II.

Consequences of trying to buy a horse—­An expedition into Servia—­Fine scenery—­The peasants of New Moldova—­Szechenyi road—­Geology of the defile of Kasan—­Crossing the Danube—­Milanovacz-Drive to Maidenpek—­Fearful storm in the mountains—­Miserable quarters for the night—­Extent of this storm—­The disastrous effects of the same storm at Buda-Pest—­Great loss of life.