Danube, River

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Danube, or Danaw, in Latin Danubius, the greatest River in Europe. It has its Source in Germany, at the Foot of a Mountain call'd Abnuba in the Black Forrest, Comit. Bar. in Suabia, whence it has its Name, quasi d' Abnubius. It runs through Suabia, Bavaria, Austria, Hungaria, Servia, Bulgaria, and disburthens it self into the Black Sea, by 6 or 7 great Streams, with so much rapidity, that its Water continues fresh for 20 Leagues. From its Source to the Mouth, are reckon'd above 700 Leagues, and all the Way a very fine Country. The Upper Part is call'd the Danube, and the Lower the Ister; which latter Name it is by most Authors said to take, at its Cataracts near Axiopolis, a Town of Lower Mysia. It receives 60 other Rivers, Thirty of which are Navigable. The Chief are, Inne, Iller, Leck, Ens, Morau, Vag, Drave, Save, Tibisque. The Principal Towns on this River are Ulm, where it begins to be Navigable, Donavert, Ingolstat, Ratisbonne, Passau, Lintz, Vienna, Presburg, Komore, Gran, Buda, Belgrade; besides many others of less Note. Tho' this River rise from a very small Fountain, yet there is none in Europe comparable to it, for Length, Breadth and Deepness; of its Length we have heard: it's call'd Broad by way of eminence. Hence Ovid de Tristib. lib. 5. Latus ubi aequoreis Ister aditur aquis. For its Depth, Jornandes writes, That it's 200 Foot deep in most places. And in the whole it may compare with the Nile. Ovid. Innumeri{que} alii quos inter Maximus Amnes, Cedere Danubius se tibi Nile negat. Then as to the quality of the River, it is for the most part coloured like Whey, and very Wholesome both to Drink and Bath in. It has many sorts of Excellent Fishes, and some Poisonous. It's very often frozen. Hence Ovid, — Accipe Colloquium gelido Nasonis ab Istro— And elsewhere, — Dum tepidus Ganges Frigidus Ister erit.— The Number of its Mouths which are 7 in all, is controverted, because two of them are dead and Marshy, but 5 great Streams all agree on; of which, two are only Navigable. This River has had many Naval Fights upon it between the Turks and Christians, at one time were 20 Galliots, 80 small Pinnaces, and little less than a Hundred Ships of Burthen employ'd upon it in a Siege of Buda. At the Siege of Belgrade, Mahomet the Great, brought 200 Ships and Gallies up the Stream; the Hungarians sent a like Number from Buda, which after a sharp Encounter, took many of the Turkish Ships, and forced the rest on shoar and burn'd 'em. In this present War, great Fleets have been fitted out on both sides on the Danube, some of the Ships carrying 30 Guns.