THE RHODA GARDENS. 267 
been done in the way of introducing exotic trees, under difficulties 
such as no other Botanic garden ever had to surmount. St. 
Petersburg may shut out her frosts, and Calcutta moderate her 
heats; but no human ingenuity can counteract the inundation of 
the Nile at one season, or fend off the hot blast from the desert at 
the succeeding one. Even the cold at Cairo is sometimes very 
trying to vegetation, especially at nights, so that the plants have 
to contend with every disadvantage. 
I had but a very few minutes to spent at Rhoda, during which 
Mr. Traill kindly took me round part of the gardens, and pointed 
out what was of most interest. With the box of cuttings from 
Kew he was much pleased; all appeared in excellent condition, 
though, alas, few of them have even a chance of succeeding. I did 
not perceive any definite plan or arrangement in the gardens: the 
first object here, as everywhere in the East, is shade, and it is 
afforded by a profusion of the trees common about Cairo, and 
mentioned above. The walks were generally bordered by hedges 
of Lawsonia or Parkinsonia, and sometimes Myrtles, whilst 
Rosemary takes the place of Box. Sixty acres are laid out in 
walks, thus bordered by hedges or trees, inclosing square or 
variously-formed areæ, among which many interesting trees of all 
countries have been planted, with various success. The Passion- 
flower trailed luxuriantly and flowers abundantly. A fine little 
Banyan tree also thrives, at the expense of much labour and inge- 
nuity on Mr. Traill’s part, who brings pots of water to the branches, 
so arranged that the roots dipped into them. All the genus Ficus 
do well, as do Mahogany, Logwood, Casuarina, Sapindus Sapo- 
naria, many Acacia, Pittospora, Eugenia, and other Myrtaceae. 
Of shrubby things which throve, I observed Zwrnera, Oleanders, 
Guilandina Bonduccella, Tamarix, Hibiscus, Gleditsia, various 
Dalbergia, one, the Sissoo, attaining the size of a tree, and yield- 
Ang excellent timber in Egypt. Of the English, European, or 
N. American timber-trees, few prosper : Araucaria imbricata exists, 
and that is all; the Oak looks poorly; Tazodiwm distichum is yel- 
low as a guinea, Platanus orientalis far from umbrageous. 
Cypresses are killed by the inundations of the Nile. The Asiatic 
