New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-06
LETTERS ON HUNGARY. mo. XII.
BY Nh. BRACE.

| Central Hungary, was more and more struck
with the peculiar character OF the scenery. From
the Danube, IN an easterly direction, there seems
TO be one unvarylng plain or prairie for nearly
300 miles There are occasionally slight eleva-
tons, as in the hills near Grosswardein, and IN
the branch of the Carpathians, in the south
eastern part of the Bihar Comitat But on the
whole, from the Carpathlans to the Danube, this
is the appearance Of the country. know no.
thing more grand than the aspect OF those vast
plains, sometimes covered with short grass,
and dotted with immense herds of cattle, which
| appear like mere specks IN the distance and
sometimes green with waving grain, TO the very
verge of the horizon, on every side. They are
like the sea in grandeur, but with the marks OF
labor and the lie of the land upon them. Some
| times would ride for hours and hours without
seeing house, or spire, or tree anywhere-the
only ob ect to break the view being the tall
well.pole, which shows, every few mixes, the
solitary spot in the neighborhood where water
is 10 be found Then village spires would loom
M in the distance. and would ride on toward
then. whole day almost, without reaching
them. In nv ride from Nadudvar to Debreczin,
this species of scenery especially met the view
everywhere laid myself back on the piles o.
cloaks and hay-bundles which made the seat
in the interchangeable rorspann of the last
viIaee-and fully enjoyed 1t. There was no
monotony in it. The change of vegetation IN
every new district, the verdure everywhere, ana
the grandeur of the scene seemed to take away
all sameness of appearance.
at
white cattle. looking as free as the plans which
they stepped over so proudly then large HOOKS
| Of sheep and then swine IN almost countless
Numbers. Every now and then, too, droves OF
horses swept BY In another part we entered
on = country still more desolate with immense
marshes stretching out on every side, and moth
ing of life except countless fiocks OF wild olrds
! cranes and ducks, and L" divers among WE
| reeds-there on bank a vulture tearing some
carbon to pieces, and now and then the bald
eagle or the hawk flying heavily by US, scarcely
any OF them stirring at our approach-a lonely
desolate scene enough part of those immense
marshy districts in Hungary, whose drainage,
under an efficient agriculture, would reclaim so
| much good land, and which now are the causes
of such deadly fevers and diseases. Beyond this,
in the region of the Haiducks, We entered on
| nleasanter tract, where the Indian corn and the
raue-pIant. with its yellow flower and the green
wheft filled the view on every side, with now
| and then the green acaclas and shrubbery OF
| farmhouse looming up like an island IN the dis
lance. and the tall dark figure and white head
Of the stork. stepping dalntlly along in the grass
showing the neghborhood of houses. THIS bird,
| Inv the way, no peasant, man or boy, will ever
shcot and YOU see his nests on almost every
| oableend in some of the villages. All the peas
ants believe, II Is said, that If the stork IS shot
an evil spirit viii come at night and put ire
| brand IN the thatch
| II added 10 nv interest IN all tins ride, to re-
! member that these grand plains, this haltnoma-
! dc. halfagricutural life here. was the cradle
| and the nurture OF the Hungarian race-a race
| destined vet, as we hope, TO take a no mean
place among the nations Of Europe ltseemed'o
! me could see the explanation OF the pecullarl-
| ties of the people as / passed through these
| Mains Their free, generous, magnanlmous ma
! lure seemed the natural result OF TINS open Tree
| hfe-where their bodies were lnvlgoraed 10y the
| healtbies, pursuits, and where there were none
of the intense, selfish struggles OF a more civil
! lied life Their beautiful poetry OF feeling their
| eraeg,ratson, which comes before one all the
| while. appeared more consistent, with this gran
deur of scenery this yastness OF view every
/ where. Their Oriental hospitality and dignity ol
manner their Oriental fire too, and sudden list
| lessness was characteristic of this nomad-lie,
| and this climate OF sudden extremes. Inc
coarseness of expression also, which, Is pecuilar,
| Nv Of all the common classes, reminded me OF
| what has always, since the time OK the Jews
| been trait in nomadlc people
Their religion too, their reyerentlal HoHoth,ism,
| mlohi call H. their struck worship, winch
| even the wild C,ikosses, or cattledrvers, snow
when they enter the churches which appears
in ell of their popular poetry. called up to mind
| the solemn and lofty Monotheism OF the Jewish
shephexds among their focks, orthe simple adora-
non Cf 4" the one God" among the Arab herds
uen in their deserts Is there indeed something
| in this life, amid focks and herds, on the grand
Mains and under the clear heavens, which tends
10 more realizing, simple worship
such were my thoughts as rode along and
whether these explanations OF the pecullarties
of the people be correct not, certain /. Is, that
thew are essentially an Oriental and nomadlc peo-
pie, with none Of the peculiar characteristics
which mark all the families OF nations IN Europe,
If we except, perhaps. the Celtic. The Hunga-
rian is no merchant The Jews and the Germans
have already taken all the business OF the
country, almost unto their own hands. his place
is either with the focks and on the farms, or IN
peiticslh life, TO which circumstances have trained
has race so long. He is no dweller in the noun
talns The whole mountainous barrier OF ms
land is occupied by other tribes He loves the
plain, the life with his horse, the easy WORK on
level grounds, the tending of animals. But IN
clearing the hill sides, in making his mountains
inhabtable, in penetrating the wild districts, he
has, thus far, done little.
His very villages have neutrality-suspicious.
of but one story. pitched here and there, as his
fathers the Huns, or some Asiatic Tribe, might
have placed their first tents. One would say
that the race showed the ORIENTAL Incidence also,
if one looked merely at The bodily work done by
them
But when we consider the pertinacity the
steadiness the unceasing activity with which,
for five centuries that race has defended Its Con-
sttution, and resisted even the slightest en-