74 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
literally further than the eye could reach. Right and left 
rose wonderfully well-kept oak woods, of uniform height, and 
with a rather thick undergrowth ; for we were now in an 
admirably forested wood belonging to the State, which 
resembled neither the “auen” nor the wild stunted oak 
woods of other parts of Hungary, but chiefly reminded me 
of some of the deciduous forests in Bohemia. 
The scenery of this district could not be called either grand 
or picturesque, though the fresh luxuriant verdure threw 
a certain pleasant tone over the whole landscape. I have 
such a general dislike for straight lines, as being the palpable 
evidences of the all-levelling hand of man, that even a 
splendid rich green forest, when parcelled out by the regular 
and perfectly straight avenues devised by skilled foresters, 
loses all charm for me; and, on the same principle, I hold all 
eut-and-dried shooting, where the guns stand in straight 
rides, to be a thorough abomination, 
I can understand that calculating officials, who try to get 
as much wood and game out of Nature as they can, think 
such forests and such shooting the most delightful ; but, as a 
modest traveller and lover of Nature, I find them anything 
but attractive. I therefore found it difficult to join in the 
praise and admiration bestowed on this Keskend Wood— 
the so-called gem of the State forests ; for I was still far too 
full of the splendid “auen” of Apatin. 
But why be absorbed in such useless reflections? ‘ Hie 
Rhodus hie salta,” thought I, and concealed my disappoint- 
ment. But great was my astonishment at finding that, 
although the whole of the enormous forest was cultivated in 
this manner, it was nevertheless inhabited by such unques- 
tionably shy birds as the Osprey, the Short-toed Eagle, and 
the pensive Black Stork. This further confirmed what I had 
so often noticed in Middle Hungary, viz. that in that country 
all game, and even the wariest birds of prey, permit the 
