ene of devastation, another yet
more dismal would appear in its place.

This continued till we reached Melnick, where the trees become higher,
and groups of houses peer forth from among the innumerable vineyards.
Opposite this little town the Moldau falls into the Elbe. On the left,
in the far distance, the traveller can descry St. George's Mount, from
which, as the story goes, Czech took possession of all Bohemia.

Below the little town of Raudnitz the hills gave place to mountains, and
as many enthusiasts can only find those regions romantic where the
mountains are crowned with half-ruined castles and strongholds, good old
Time has taken care to plant there two fine ruins, Hafenberg and Skalt,
for the delectation of such sentimental observers.

Near Leitmeritz, a small town with a handsome castle, and a church and
convent, the Eger flows into the Elbe, and a high-arched wooden bridge
connects the two banks. Here our poor sailors had difficult work to
lower the mast and the funnel.

The rather pretty village of Gross-Czernoseck is remarkable for its
gigantic cellars, hewn out of the rock. A post-carriage could easily
turn round in one of these. The vats are of course proportioned to the
cellars, particularly the barrels called the "twelve apostles," each of
which holds between three and four thousand gallons. It would be no more
than fair to stop here awhile, to give every hero of the bottle an
opportunity to enjoy a sight of these palace-cellars, and to offer a
libation to the twelve apostles; but the steamer passed on, and we were
obliged to make the most of the descriptions furnished by those who were
more at home in these parts, and had no doubt frequently emerged in an
inspired state from the depths of the cellars in question.

The view now becomes more and more charming: the mountains appear to draw
closer together, and shut in the bed of the stream; romantic groups of
rocks, with summits crowned by rains yet more romantic, tower between.
The ancient but well-preserved castle of Schreckenstein, built on a rock
rising boldly out of the Elbe, is particularly striking; the approaches
to it are by serpentine walks hewn out of the rock.

Near the small town of Aussig we find the most considerable coal-mines in
Bohemia. In their neighbourhood is situated the little mountain estate
Paschkal, which produces a kind of wine said to resemble champagne.

The mountains now become higher and higher, but above them