Sometimes we saw a peasant man or woman kneeling in front of a religious sign or statue. These people did not even turn round as we came toward them. They seemed deaf and blind to the world. I saw many things that were new to me. For instance, dried grass was stored in the trees, and here and there I saw very beautiful groups of birch trees, their white trunks shining like silver through their green leaves.

Now and again we passed a leiter-wagon. This is the name for the the ordinary peasants's cart, which is made to be as comfortable as possible despite the bumps and slopes of the road. Each of these carts carried a group of peasants going to their homes. Cszeks were dressed in white, and the Slovaks wore their coloured sheepskins. The Slovaks also had long poles with axes on the end, and these were carried pointing upward.

Sometimes the hills were so steep that the horses could only go slowly, even though the driver wanted to go faster . I wanted to get down and walk up the hills, which is what we do at home, but the driver would not let me. "No, no," he said. "You must not walk here. The dogs are too fierce." And then he looked round to let the other passsengers see that he was about to make a dark joke, and he said - "You may see enough things like that before you go to sleep." The only time the driver stopped the coach was just for a moment so that he could light the lamps.