1 November, evening.--No news all day. We have found nothing of the kind we seek. We have now passed into the Bistritza, and if we are wrong in our surmise our chance is gone. We have overhauled every boat, big and little. Early this morning, one crew took us for a Government boat, and treated us accordingly. We saw in this a way of smoothing matters, so at Fundu, where the Bistritza runs into the Sereth, we got a Roumanian flag which we now fly conspicuously. With every boat which we have overhauled since then this trick has succeeded. We have had every deference shown to us, and not once any objection to whatever we chose to ask or do. Some of the Slovaks tell us that a big boat passed them, going at more than usual speed as she had a double crew on board. This was before they came to Fundu, so they could not tell us whether the boat turned into the Bistritza or continued on up the Sereth. At Fundu we could not hear of any such boat, so she must have passed there in the night. I am feeling very sleepy. The cold is perhaps beginning to tell upon me, and nature must have rest some time. Godalming insists that he shall keep the first watch. God bless him for all his goodness to poor dear Mina and me.
Mina: "Dr. Van Helsing...tells the farmers that he is hurrying to Bistritz..."
Doubtless the farmers assume that he wants to get to the other side of the Borgo Pass before winter snows make it impassable.
MyNoise soundtrack Carriage thru Villages (takes a little while to fully load): https://tinyurl.com/npaxdjru
Posted by: Most Significant | November 01, 2021 at 05:58 AM
"...when the woman who served us saw the scar on my forehead, she crossed herself and put out two fingers towards me, to keep off the evil eye... Ever since then I have taken care not to take off my hat or veil, and so have escaped their suspicions. We are travelling fast, and as we have no driver with us to carry tales, we go ahead of scandal."
What scandal does Mina suppose follows them? Is Van Helsing doing something disreputable that she dare not record?
Perhaps the strain is beginning to tell on her, and she assumes the local people somehow know she is a vampire-in-waiting and that the scar on her forehead is not from an accident with curling tongs.
Posted by: Most Significant | November 01, 2021 at 06:00 AM
*sigh* And I was doing so well… I will repost those in the right spot.
Posted by: Most Significant | November 01, 2021 at 06:03 AM
Jonathan: “Some of the Slovaks tell us that a big boat passed them, going at more than usual speed as she had a double crew on board.”
The Count’s boat has no engine, so there are only so many ways it can travel against the current. Since the double crew is moving the boat faster than a regular-sized crew, it is probably being poled at this point in the journey.
Setting pole: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setting_pole
There are other ways of moving the boat upstream besides poling. If the river is wide and slow enough, and winds are favourable, the crew could rig a small sail. If the current is slow, it might be propelled with a stern sculling oar. If the riverbank is clear enough to walk on, the boat can be towed (lined) upstream by horse or by crew members.
Stern sculling: https://www.simplicityboats.com/ScullYulohaboat.htm
Of course, in the worst case, the Slovak crew would have to lighten the boat in order to line the boat up rapids. They could portage the Count, box & all, much like Lady Frances Simpson’s piano: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ON-Q63BO8Ok
Posted by: Most Significant | November 01, 2021 at 06:04 AM