A DAY WITH FRIEDRICH.
Page: 8

horses were to, we continued our travel; and as his Majesty was
driving close by my Big Ditches," GRABEN, trenches, main-drains,
"which have been made in the Fehrbellin LUCH at the King's expense,
I rode up to the carriage, and said:--

ICH. "'Your Majesty, these now are the two new Drains, which by
your Majesty's favor we have got here; and which keep the Luch dry
for us.'

KING. "'So, so; that I am glad of!--Who is He (are you)?'

FROMME. "'Your Majesty, I am the Beamte here of Fehrbellin.'

KING. "'What 's your name?'

ICH. "'Fromme.'

KING. "'Ha, ha! you are a son of the Landrath Fromme's.'

ICH. "'Your Majesty's pardon. My father was Amtsrath in the
AMT Luhnin.'

KING. "'Amtsrath? Amtsrath? That isn't true! Your father was
Landrath. I knew him very well.--But tell me now (SAGT MIR EINMAL)
has the draining of the Luch been of much use to you here?'

ICH. "'O ja, your Majesty.'

KING. "'Do you keep more cattle than your predecessor?'

ICH. "'Yes, your Majesty. On this farm I keep 40 more; on all the
farms together 70 more.'

KING. "'That is right. The murrain (VIEHSEUCHE) is not here in
this quarter?'

ICH. "'No, your Majesty.'

KING. "'Have you had it here?'

ICH. "'Ja.'

KING. "'Do but diligently use rock-salt, you won't have the
murrain again.'

ICH. "'Yes, your Majesty, I do use it too; but kitchen salt has
very nearly the same effect.'

KING. "'No, don't fancy that! You must n't pound the rock-salt
small, but give it to the cattle so that they can lick it.'

ICH. "'Yes, it shall be done.'

KING. "'Are there still improvements needed here?'

ICH. "'O ja, your Majesty. Here lies the Kemmensee [Kemmen-lake]:
if that were drained out, your Majesty would gain some 1,800 acres
[MORGEN, three-fifths English acre] of pasture-land, where
colonists could be settled; and then the whole country would have
navigation too, which would help the village of Fehrbellin and the
town of Ruppin to an uncommon degree.'

KING. "'I suppose so! Be a great help to you, won't it; and many
will be ruined by the job, especially the proprietors of the ground