SECOND DAY. 25 



Here, too, the character of the right bank differs from that 

 of the left, for on the former there are still no " auen " to be 

 seen, while on the latter a broad belt of woods already stretches 

 along the river ; and it is only in a few places, where the 

 marshes run down to the bank and leave narrow gaps, that one 

 gets an open view of the wide plain. 



On the right the country near the river is also flat, but the 

 banks are steep. Further off one sees a fairly important 

 chain of hills and low mountains : these are the heights round 

 Fiinfkirchen the spurs of the Pannonian range, as the 

 ancients called it. At Szegszard, where the Sarviz canal joins 

 the Danube, the " auen " first begin to enclose the stream 

 on both sides, but only for a short distance, for above Duna- 

 Szekcso one sees them only on the left bank, while on the 

 right hills covered with vineyards slope steeply to the river. 



The time spent in passing between the wooded banks was 

 truly delightful. On both sides the grey-green trees of the 

 " auen " were reflected in the gently flowing stream, and a 

 network of large and small channels led like avenues into the 

 green wilderness. The woods were of uniform height, and 

 above them there only rose the dead tops of a few ancient 

 oaks, while the heavy foliage of their marginal branches hung 

 low over the water and sometimes even touched it. Great 

 quantities of driftwood driven out of the arms of the river 

 were floating about the main stream, and the fallen tree-trunks, 

 which at this height of the water only showed their upper 

 surfaces, might easily have been mistaken for crocodiles by 

 excited imaginations. All this made up a scene so extra- 

 ordinary and so unlike anything else in Europe, that we were 

 perfectly astounded, and stood at the bow of the vessel 

 surveying it with wonderment ; and I was just thinking 

 whether I had ever seen anything like it before, and how far 

 one could compare it with the beautiful " auen " of Lower Aus- 

 tria, when Brehm, who was also lost in admiration, suddenly 



