6 Nature threatened 
which disfigure the scenery, and are, 
in many cases, quite unnecessary. It 
was proposed to construct funicular 
railways and lifts to the Hexentanz- 
platzand the Rosstrappe in the Hartz 
mountains, as well as to the Bastei in 
Saxony ; but the Prussian and Saxon 
government refused to entertain any 
such proposals, in order to preserve 
those famous view points in their 
original state. Again, a beautiful 
valley in Thuringia, the Schwarzatal, 
was threatened with a railway which 
was to have been constructed along 
the valley. The government of 
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, however, re- 
fused the necessary permission, on the 
ground that this magnificent natural 
scenery ought to be preserved invio- 
late. Hence the railway now follows 
a more circuitous route. 
