the presence of thousands of
fellow-creatures.

The amount of wreckage that passed Buda-Pest gave one some idea of the
frightful amount of damage higher up the stream; there were heaps of
barrels, woodstacks, trees, furniture, and even houses with their
chimneys standing!

The beautiful island of St. Marguerite, just above Buda-Pest, suffered
most severely. It was four feet under water; and the drift ice did
immense damage to the trees, causing abrasions of the bark at eight to
ten feet above the ground.

It may well be imagined that the Charity Organisation Committee had
enough on their hands. Nearly 20,000 people sought the shelter provided
in the public buildings and other places appointed by the authorities,
and for fully a month after the catastrophe thousands had to be fed
daily at the public expense.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Expedition to the Marmaros Mountains--Railways in Hungary--The
train stopping for a rest--The Alfoeld--Shepherds of the plain--Wild
appearance of the Rusniacks--Slavs of Northern Hungary--Marmaros
Szigeth--Difficulty in slinging a hammock--The Jews of
Karasconfalu--Soda manufactory at Boeska--Romantic scenery--Salt
mines--Subterranean lake.

The spring was already melting into summer--and the melting process is
pretty rapid in Hungary--when an opportunity occurred enabling me to
visit the north-eastern part of the country with a friend who was going
to the Marmaros Mountains on business. Even this wild and remote
district is not without railway communication, and we took our tickets
for Szigeth, in the county of Marmaros, learning at the same time, to
our great satisfaction, that we could go straight on to our destination
without stopping. Though my friend is a Hungarian the route was as new
to him as to myself.

The railway system has been enormously extended in this country during
the last ten years. In Transylvania, in the Tokay Hegyalia, in the
Zipsland, and in the mining district of Schemnitz a whole network of
lines has been opened up. Our route from Debreczin to Szigeth is one of
those recently opened. The railway statistics of Hungary are very
significant of progress. In 1864 only 1903 kilometres were open, whereas
ten years later the figures had risen to 6392 kilometres; and the
extension has been very considerable even subsequently, though
enterprise of every kind received a check in 1873, from which the
country has not yet recovered.

I c