Danube

Danube, The, next to the Volga the largest river in Europe, has its origin in the union at Donaueschingen of two streams, the Brege and Brigach, which rise on the eastern slope of the Schwarzwald in Baden. Its general course is E.N.E. to Ulm, and thence, watering the plain of Bavaria, past Donauworth, Ingolstadt, Kelheim, Ratisbon, Straubing, and Vilshofen, E.S.E. to Passau. From Passau it continues its course, after entering Austrian territory, past Linz to Vienna, Presburg, and Komorn, and, on reaching Waitzen in Hungary, takes an abrupt turn S., passing Buda-Pesth and "continuing its course through the Hungarian plain. At Vukovar in Slavonia it again takes a S.E. course, and, after forming a boundary thence between Hungary and Slavonia to Belgrade and later between Hungary and Servia until it reaches the "Iron Gate," E. of Orsova, the river, at this point forcing its way through the mountains, forms a series of cataracts and whirlpools, and taking a more southerly course, sweeps past Widin, and about 10 miles S. of that town, turning almost due E., flows as the boundary between Wallachia and Bulgaria past Lom-Palanka, Rahhova, and Nicopoli to Sistova, whence, after passing Rustchuk on its southern bank, it arrives by a N.E. course at Silistria, and enters Wallachian territory. At Tchernovada, turning almost due N., it flows past Matchin, Hirsova, and Ibraila to Galatz, and, thence taking a S.E. direction, falls by four mouths, viz. the Kilna, Stambool, St. George's or Edrillis, and Soolina, into the Black Sea. The sportsman finds a good hunting ground in the desolate country of the Delta, which abounds in large game and countless specimens of the feathered tribe. Numerous tributaries combine to swell the waters of the Danube in its course of 1,740 miles, notably, in Wurtemburg, the Iller; in Bavaria, the Lech, the Paar, the Altmuhl, the Regen, the Isar, the Vils, and the Inn; in Austria, the Traun, the Enns, and the March; in Hungary, the Raab, the Waag, the Sio, the Drave, the Theiss, and the Temes; in Servia, the Save and Morava; in Roumania, the Schyl, the Abuta, the Vede, the Arjish, the Jalomitza, the Sereth, and the Pruth; in Bulgaria, the Isker, the Vid, the Jantra and the Lorn. The Danube drains 315,000 square miles in its course, and several attempts have been made to improve the navigation at the Iron Gate. In 1888 500,000 florins were voted by the Hungarian Diet for this object. The average fall of the river is 18 inches per mile. Ships enter from the Black Sea by the Sulina mouth, at which there is now a depth of 20 feet of water over the bar. It is connected with the Rhine and the Elbe by canals.