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. It commands a noble prospect. I had only time to inspect hastily the church. Beyond Moelk is a range of rocks that bear a great resemblance to a wall, and jut out a great deal towards the river. It is called the Devil's wall from the tradition of the Devil having endeavoured to make a wall to dam up the river. Above this wall is the famous castle and vineyard called Spitz am Platz, and further on is the castle of Dierenstein, situated on a mountain on the left bank of the Danube.

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