The Park in Muskau 127 



was occupied by desolate, bare fields, most of 

 which belonged to the townsmen. Yet the 

 shores ot the stream were enlivened everywhere 

 by a quantity of the finest oaks and other tall 

 trees. 



On the other side of the stream, continuing 

 toward the east, not far from its shores, there 

 rises another low ridge which forms the second 

 plateau of the park ; this at some distance is bor- 

 dered again by a chain of hills, on the summit 

 of which there stretches a third still larger pla- 

 teau that slopes, on the farther side very gradu- 

 ally, toward the forest. On the edge of these 

 woods lies the village of Braunsdorf with a farm- 

 house, to which a badly kept avenue of lindens 

 led, the line of which crossing the country, did 

 not improve the aspect. I had most of them re- 

 moved later on to give more character to some 

 of the bare spots on the heights.' 



From the highest point of the last-named chain 

 of hills, a very fine and wide view may be en- 

 joyed. The foreground is formed by the Neisse 

 Valley, with the township, the rising terrace 

 gardens of which are picturesquely mingled with 

 the thatched huts of the village of Berg, which 

 here seem to hang almost immediately over the 

 town. Southward in the ravines the alum works 



" As a remarkable example of the indifFerence of our forefathers to 

 enjoyment and decorum, I may instance that on these hills exactly op- 

 posite the castle the gallows stood for fifty years, the proximity of which, 

 every time the wind blew from the east, was evident in the most dis- 

 gusting manner. It cost me several thousands to get rid of this disagree- 

 able neighbor. 



