436 THOUGHTS OF HOME. reach of most readers; and I must confess, that having been permitted by Divine goodness and mercy to accomplish the main purpose of my journey-having trodden the length and breadth of Immanuel's land, and being blest with every indication of restored health and energy-as the head of a happy family, I longed for my home-as the pastor of a beloved flock, I sighed for my spiritual employments; so that, even Constantinople itself became quite second-rate, in comparison with the objects of my desire and anticipation. Am I to be blamed for either the fact or the confession? CHAPTER XI. HOMEWARD. HOMEWARD-DANUBE ROUTE-COMPANIONS-BLACK SEA-VARNA-KUSTANJECZERNAVODA NIKOPOL WIDDIN SKELEGLADOVA - NEW AND OLD ORSOVA MEHADIA — WALLACHIAN PEASANTRY, ETC. DRENCOVA — SEMLIN-PETERWARDEN-THE DANUBE-PESTH AND BUDA-PRESBURG VIENNA SCHONBRUN-LINZ-OBER-ZELL-PASSAU-RATISBON-GERMAN APPRENTICES-NURENBURG-FRANKFORT-THE RHINE-HOME. -HOME!-HOME!-Surely none but they who have wandered as strangers in strange lands, where even their native language is unknown, can fully understand the charm which hangs around the far-distant home. Dear countenances beam upon us, and beloved voices float over the wide expanse to greet us, when the imaginative faculty essays to draw present solace from a recollection of the past, and a hopeful anticipation of the future. I should gravely question the healthiness of my affections, if all the delights of travel-even such as mine-had power to deaden my love of home. My happiness has been sought and found at home. May it be ever so. A Pastor's home comprehends a great deal; countrykindred-flock-each has its peculiar place in the wide circle; and if his heart be but right with God, there is room in it for all. While in Palestine, I had cherished the hope of visiting Athens, Corinth, and other parts of Greece, as well as the principal towns and cities of northern Italy, and Switzerland. From the days of my boyhood until now, those scenes 438 HOMEWARD-DANUBE ROUTE. of enduring interest have been the subjects of many an eager thought and desire. How all that is august in religion, heart-stirring in history, and glowing in poesy, clusters round their very names. Yet, while unvisited, they are, to the mental perception, little more than names. I cannot so positively localize my associations with them as I can those which pass through my mind when Sinai, the Wilderness, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jordan, Galilee, &c. are mentioned. The leading facts of scripture-history are now written indelibly in my memory and on my heart. My Bible is, as it were, a new book to me. I do not believe it more firmly, but I feel it more intensely. I cannot read it without retracing my steps in all the vividness of recollection. I am content with the privileges I have enjoyed; and so I felt, when, giving up the hope of Greece, we resolved on the less attractive, but more direct homeward route by the Danube. My narrative of this will be brief. My readers will perhaps be glad to find it so, after having followed me through my more delightful wanderings. It will be like the last stage of a weary man's journey. The steam navigation of the Danube is a bold undertaking; and, with a few drawbacks that might be mentioned, for which a thorough-paced traveller knows how to make sufficient allowance-it is not very disagreeable. If taken as a principal excursion, it would not be destitute of interest. It brings you in contact with parts of the continent of Europe, which otherwise would be but little visited. At about noon, on the first of September, we embarked at the Golden Horn-the magnificent harbour of Constantinople, on board the Scri-Pervas, an Austrian vessel, destined to convey us up the Euxine, or Black Sea, as far as Kustanje, where the arrangements for the journey were to be made. Soon afterwards we received on board His Excellency Count Stürmer-the Austrian Internuncio to the Ottoman Porte, and his Countess, who were on their way to Vienna. Judging us to be Englishmen, he kindly requested a mutual DANUBE ROUTE-COMPANIONS-BLACK SEA. 439 acquaintance, General Jokmus, to introduce us to each other as those who were to be compagnons de voyage for so long a All that polished manners, finely cultivated minds and cordial kindness could contribute to our enjoyment, was bestowed by our amiable friends during the whole of our delightful intercourse; and even His Excellency's delicacy of character and habit will not, I am sure, be hurt when, on reading this page, he finds me telling my countrymen how delightful the Danube route became, under the auspices of a friendship so happily commenced. We found also a kind friend, and fellow-traveller to Vienna, in Mr. La Fontaine, a European merchant of Constantinople, whose attentions and intelligent conversation I have often remembered with the sincerest pleasure. If this page should ever meet his eye, he will not doubt the cordiality with which I refer to our many hours of pleasant intercourse. As we sailed up the Bosphorus, salutes in honour of the Internuncio were fired from the Turkish batteries; and very animated scenes presented themselves. On reaching Therapia, the usual place of residence for European Ambassadors, salutes were repeated, and the yard-arms of several vessels in port were manned as he passed. From the Golden Horn, as far as Therapia, the shores of the Bosphorus on both sides are very lovely-few scenes can be more so. Turkish villa-residences abound in all directions, often surrounded and surmounted by steep elevations clothed with fine oaks, interspersed with towering cypresses. The backward view of Constantinople is superb beyond description. Oh! that the Cross could but occupy the place of the Crescent; that the light of the Gospel could but chase away the darkness of the Koran; then-Christian-Constantinople might become the noblest capital in the known world. Before the evening closed we had reached the Black Seathe rough, "inhospitable sea" of the ancients-the sea of Jason and the golden fleece. Though there was nothing to alarm, yet it gave us a tossing indication of its long established 440 VARNA-KUSTANJE-CZERNAVODA—NIKOPOL-WIDDIN. character. Next morning we cast anchor for a few hours at Varna-a position successfully defended for two months by the Turks against the Russian army; and from which eventually they repulsed the northern force. The view of Varna from the sea gives but little idea of its capability of defence. The houses are of wooden construction, low and mean, surmounted by a few white minarets. The town is surrounded by a white wall of no lofty dimensions, with loop holes for musquetry. We lay near to the western coast of the Black Sea as we sailed away from Varna, which in many parts was bold and beautiful, and included the Pontus of Ovid, and Tomi in Sarmatia, the place of the poet's exile. By six o'clock next morning we were at anchor off Kustanje. The rain descended profusely; and the Black Sea frowned darkly and rolled angrily as we prepared for disembarking. With some little difficulty we reached the boat, and were safely landed. Küstanjè is a dreary miserable Bulgarian village, inhabited by a few Boors; and, but for the Danube company, would not have the slightest accommodation for travellers. We spent the remainder of the day and night there at a small comfortless albergo; and next morning, after eight hours drive over a waste uncultivated country, as dreary as can be conceived, we reached Czernavoda on the shore of the Danube, when we were soon fairly embarked; and at five o'clock in the afternoon, our journey commenced. During the first two days the banks of the Danube reminded me, in many parts, of the Nile-except that I missed the occasional solitary palm trees and miserable Egyptian villages. The scene at length became monotonous and wearisome; and but for the pleasant society of our Austrian friends, the day might have ended in a fit of the vapours. During the first five days, we passed only two places of the least importance-the first was Nikopol (Nicopolis), the place where the last peace between Austria and Turkey was established. It is a poor, though picturesque town, and occupies a beautiful site. The next was Widdin, the principal town of Bulgaria. We went on shore for an hour or two, |