54 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
with flourishing islands forming themselves on their broad 
upper surfaces. 
Hodek had already told me of the floating islands of this 
wood. I have now seen them, and am greatly delighted at 
having explored this true primeval forest, on which no axe or 
hatchet has ever been laid by man. Our way was often 
blocked by quantities of drift-wood as well as by these float- 
ing islands, and we were often in immediate danger of a 
ducking, for we had much difficulty in forcing the “ esikeln” 
through the stems and branches; but where the obstacles 
were altogether too great, we could only progress by making 
a long detour, and in spite of the extraordinary dexterity of 
the paddlers, their task was a very hard one. 
Slowly we neared a little opening, in the midst of which 
stood an old rotten willow, and seldom have I seen so remark- 
able a tree. Its twisted trunk only rose a couple of yards 
above the water, and was quite branchless and leafless, and 
also blackened by lightning and split down the middle; 
while at its upper end was a large hole leading into the hollow 
stem. This willow served as a fit abode for the gloomy 
Kagle-Owl, the king of its race. I glided on in the “ csikel” 
until I got under the tree, and Hodek also hurried up in his 
craft, and with a blow of his hunting-knife frightened the 
great night-bird out of its retreat. Unfortunately, I had 
posted myself too near, and the cunning owl flew away so 
covered by the tree that I could not see it until it was a good 
way off, and both my shots were ineffective ; for though it 
drooped in its flight and dropped a few feathers, yet it never- 
theless vanished into the depths of the wood. I was quite in 
despair, for it was the first time that I had seen a wild Hagle- 
Owl, and the sight of it made me still more eager to shoot one 
of these powerful fellows, who are certainly among our finest 
raptorial creatures. 
It is a splendid primitive sort of bird, with a spectral weird 
