Fifty years ago a series of great fires took place, which made terrible havoc on five separate occasions. All day long we seemed to dawdle through a country which was full of beauty of every kind. I had for breakfast more paprika, and a sort of porridge of maize flour which they said was “mamaliga,” and egg-plant stuffed with forcemeat, a very excellent dish, which they call “impletata.” (Mem., get recipe for this also.) I had to hurry breakfast, for the train started a little before eight, or rather it ought to have done so, for after rushing to the station at 7:30 I had to sit in the carriage for more than an hour before we began to move. They are, however, I am told, very harmless and rather wanting in natural self-assertion. At every station there were groups of people, sometimes crowds, and in all sorts of attire. They are, however, I am told, very harmless and rather wanting in natural self-assertion. The strangest figures we saw were the Slovaks, who were more barbarian than the rest, with their big cow-boy hats, great baggy dirty-white trousers, white linen shirts, and enormous heavy leather belts, nearly a foot wide, all studded over with brass nails. The women looked pretty, except when you got near them, but they were very clumsy about the waist. They are, however, I am told, very harmless and rather wanting in natural self-assertion. They are, however, I am told, very harmless and rather wanting in natural self-assertion.