1883.] 



FOBEST BAUBLES. 



91 



several minutes ere he tosses up his head and disappears into a 

 neighbouring glade, and must confess that during that short interval 

 my fingers clutched my stick nervously, longing as I did to be able to 

 transform it into a trusty rille. He is almost snow-white in colour, 

 and has the appearance of a veteran amongst stags. 



Here and there are smalllakes, one or two of which are picturesque 

 enough to please an artist's eye, with woods running down almost to 

 the water's edge, and reedy margins where in winter one may expect 

 to flush a string of duck, and, may be, add to one's bag some rare 

 northern bird. Close by, too, are small tracts of what looks like peat- 

 bog, likely enough to harbour a wisp of snipe. Striking inland and 

 emerging from the wilder part of the forest, we come upon the 

 Hermitage, a Eoyal hunting pavilion, commanding grand views over 

 the Baltic to the distant coast of Sweden, as well as inland over farm 

 country interspersed with belts of timber. A charming summer 

 residence this, and one which, had the King fewer palaces at his 

 disposal, would probably not remain unoccupied. 



This grand forest possesses so many charms for the lover of wood- 

 land scenery, that it is with regret we are unable to devote more 

 than one day to the ex^^loration of its recesses. It has all the 

 characteristics which combine to make a forest beautiful — noble timber 

 trees — here in dense masses, there in isolated specimens ; lovely glades 

 of rich herbage, hills and valleys, lake and stream, and a superb stretch 

 of sea with a coast-line bounding the horizon. Its cliarms are so 

 numerous and its views so varied, that the undulating woods of 

 Frederiksdal, gorgeous as they are with similar autumn tints, the 

 pretty lake of Furesjo embosomed amongst them, and the huge 

 Beeches and Chestnuts of Sorgenfri, past which we journey back to 

 the capital, appear tame in comparison with the beauties of the lioyal 

 forest. 



A. G. GUILLEJLUD. 



