42 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



floating platform ; it is 670 feet long, has an average fall of 14 in 

 100, and its construction cost £240. Below this point the bed is 

 very bad in many ])laces, the slope being so steep, and tlie numerous 

 bends so sharp, that one can hardly imagine it possible to float 

 rafts over it, even with the aid of the artificial flood produced by 

 the opening of the reservoirs. A little further on, the Bertyanka 

 stream joins the one we were following, and the two go on together 

 under the name of the Teresznlka. In this neighbourhood there 

 are a great many earth-slides and dry-slides of round timber, one of 

 which jiasses across the river, but, unfortunately, none of them 

 were in use when we were there. On nearing Brusztura we were 

 shown another river slide, the passage of which forms the most 

 dangerous part of the floating route in this part of the hills ; and 

 we then drove into the village, where we were most courteously and 

 hospitably received by the Conservator, M. Kellner, who entertained 

 us at dinner, and then drove us to Kiralymezb, where we were to 

 sleep, and where, to our great regret, M. Halazy left us. The next 

 day was not one on which, in the ordinary course of work, floating 

 would go on ; but the Conservator very kindly ordered some of the 

 reservoirs to be opened, so that we might have an opportunity of 

 witnessing the interesting spectacle of the rafts passing down the 

 Brusztura slide. He also gave orders for the opening of other 

 reservoirs on the following day, in order that we might be enabled 

 to perform a part of our journey to Taraczkos on one of the timber 

 rafts. Before reaching our halting-place, we had travelled over 

 34 miles of road since the morning. Next day, on leaving the 

 house, we noticed that the alluvial banks of the Tardcz were pro- 

 tected by revetments, from which the projecting tops of tree- 

 branches stood out to break the shock caused by the rafts striking 

 against them. We drove up a side valley, in a north-westerly 

 direction, to Nemet Mokra, to the house of M. Bitter, a forest 

 officer, who kindly conducted us over a most interesting settlement 

 there. AVe were told that, 110 years ago, twelve families of 

 German workmen from the Black Forest marched here with a 

 banner borne before them, and settled. They were welcomed by 

 the Hungarian Government, and granted certain privileges, which 

 they still possess. They are given free sites for building their 

 houses, which, however, they have not the power to sell ; and the 

 State provides a church and school, paying the priest and school- 

 master. The men are principally employed on forest engineering 

 work, including slides and the revetment of river banks ; but they 



