[20] In the intervals of war and business the King had always been devoted to the chase. One of his objects of pursuit was the aurochs, now confined to a single forest of Lithuania, where alone it continues its species under imperial protection. One of the most eminent of living geologists, Sir R. I. Murchison, has broached a theory, founded at least on a profound investigation of the features of the district, that the species is a sole survivor of one of those great geological changes which have obliterated other forms of animal life. Sobieski’s Queen wore a girdle of the skin of this animal. Down to a recent period it was an object of royal chase in Poland. Sir C. Hanbury Williams, in a letter from Brodi, describes a royal battue in which many of them were surrounded and driven over a steep bank into the river.
Transcriber's Notes
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.
March field and Marchfield has been standardised on March field.
Komorn and Comorn has been standardised on Komorn.
The following changes have been made:
Book 1 Chapter VIII being conversant in the Slave language, changed to Slav.
Book 2 Chapter VIII Godfrey, Count of Salaburg, changed to Salzburg.
Chapter XVIII have hastily occupied the tête-du-pont of Barham, changed to Barkan.
The Table of Contents was added by the transcriber.