In Fact, The Value Of A
Florin Wiener Waehrung May Be Calculated At A Frank In French Money.
All
this is exceedingly troublesome to travellers, particularly to those who do
not understand the German language; for as they cannot read the
inscription, it would be difficult for them to know the difference between
one sort of paper money and the other and they might be seriously imposed
upon.
I advise therefore all travellers, before they arrive at the Austrian
frontier, whether coming from Bavaria, Saxony, or Italy, to buy up the
Wiener Waehrung notes they may meet with, and which may be purchased at
great profit, probably, beyond the frontier, whereas if they defer
purchasing till they arrive within the Austrian frontier, they can only
procure the Wiener Waehrung at the common rate of exchange current.
At Linz we find ourselves again in a wine country. Linz is renowned for the
beauty of its women, and we had a most favorable specimen in our landlord's
daughter, one of the most beautiful girls I ever beheld. We talked to her a
great deal, and a scene ridiculous enough occurred. She has very beautiful
arms which we all seemed to admire; and all at once, by instinct as it
were, the two Poles lifted up one arm and I the other, and our respective
lips were fastened on either arm at the same moment as if by word of
command. We apologized for the liberty we took, saying that her arms were
perfectly irresistible and that we had never seen such fine ones before.
She accepted our excuse with the utmost good nature, and laughed very
heartily. Her father is a man of information and a good classical scholar,
a thing which is by no means uncommon among the inn-keepers of Germany. We
stopped here that night, and the ensuing forenoon. We had an excellent
supper, very good wine, and we drank to the health of the fair Amalia, the
host's daughter. Our host, who was a friend of Mr F - - 's, gave us the
best of every thing, and our expences did not amount to more than seven
florins Wiener Waehrung, for supper, bed, breakfast and dinner. We passed
the forenoon in visiting the different parts of the city and we were struck
with the appearance of opulence and industry that prevails.
Before we arrived at Moelk, which is the next important place, we passed the
town of Ens and beyond that the famous Strudel or Whirlpool which is
dangerous at times for boats. Our raft was completely whirled round. This
whirlpool is caused by rocks rising abruptly out of the water. The popular
tradition is that this whirlpool is the abode of a very malicious and
spiteful Wassernixe, Undine or Water Goblin, who delighted in drowning
passengers. The scenery hereabouts is more wild and romantic than what we
have hitherto passed and bears a great resemblance to the landscape on the
Rhine between Mayence and Coblentz. Moelk is an Abbey and a very magnificent
edifice it is, situated on an eminence which forms the angle with the river
and rises quite a pio from the water's edge; it lies quite en face to
those who approach it, descending the stream, so that the river seems to be
terminated by it.
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