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594 UN DEBAT: LBS MENTAUTES COŁLECTIVES 4

German Calash & W |Wilbraham] & his Servant in a Eussian Kibitka. -p M’s [Morritt’s] Servant & the painter in a Post Calash.”¹⁵

They crossed Hungary, entering Transylvania via Timisoara and the Banat. Like most trayellers during these years, their origjnal route had been through Serbia, biit Morritt explained that “The country about Belgrade being at present dangerous on account of Banditti, we take the road by Buda, Temesvar, [Timisoara] and Bucharest, through I regret very much missing Belgrade.”¹⁶ As well as being “infested by robbers” Serbia was also “a little infected with the plague”, according to Wilbraham.¹⁷ Together these two points represented the greatest danger in trayellers’ minds about the oyerland journey to Constantinople. The dangers of both were probably greatly exaggerated, as Morritt acknow-ledged when he wrote to his aunt: “At Buda we weretold there were banditti beyond Temesvar who would render an escort necessary; at Temesvar they are beyond Hermanstadt, and I fancy at Hermanstadt will again fly before us.”¹⁸ Stockdale, howerer, did not make so light of the danger, reporting that their route between Timisoara and Lugoj lay “through immense Forests in which are Companies of Banditti from 20 to 30 Men who have lately committed many depredations.” ¹⁹

Ali three trayellers erpressed delight with the Transylyanian land-scape, in contrast to the fiat plains across which they had ridden on their way to Timisoara. Stockdale deseribed the people he had seen on the journey: “The men in Transyh ania and the Banat, ” he wrote, “are of a large & robust race & amongst them we saw some of the most tremendous hussar Fig : [Figures] we had seen. — The women wear a white head-dress — Shift with worked Sleeves — red Sash Leather Apron with Fringe of difft. Colours — Same Apron behind. — No Gown or Petticoat or Shoes or Stockings.” ²⁰ The group must have seemed to the local peasants as curiously attired as the peasants seemed to them. Travelling in the heat of the summer Morritt deseribed their own dress from his lodging in Timisoara:

“The heats you have no notion of, and would laugh heartily at our figures in conseąuence of them. The thermometer in our room, with Windows and doors open, is about ninety degrees, and I am at this moment without either coat or waistcoat, in a loose pair of linen trousers and slippers, and can scarce bear to write. We are all eąuipped with linen trousers and jackets, wear socks and no stockings, straw hats against the sun, and gauze veil against the dust and gnats.” ²¹

^ł* The MS. Dłary of Robert Stockdale. The Stockdale Papers, Mears Ashby Hall Northamptonshire.

^la Marlndln, op. cii., p. 34.

¹⁷ Randlc Wilbraham to Mrs. Wilbraham Bootle, Constantinople, 8 August 1794, The Baker Wilbraham Papers.

¹⁸    Marindln, op. eit., p. 49.

¹⁹    Robert Stockdale to Rev. William Stockdale, Peoa in Transyloania, 80 June 1794, The Stockdale Papers. The problems of brigands in Transylvania in this period are discussed in G. F. Cushing. Traoel in lSihCentury Hungary ^<łAngol Fiiológlai Tanulm&nyok", Debrecen, 1972. voi. VI. pp. 57-58.

²⁰    The MS. Diary of Robert Stockdale.

ⁿ Marindin. op. cit„ p. 50.