M. SEEMANN’S JOURNAL. 215 
difficulties ;—the want of assistance on the part of those from whom he 
had reason to expect it, the retrograding movements of the Botanic 
Garden, and various other obstacles; but it is to be hoped that these 
impediments will not induce Dr. Pappe to abandon his design. Ata 
time when the arts have arrived at such a state of perfection, and are 
ready to seize upon any new substance presented to them, works on 
economic botany cannot be valued too highly. The least hint on the 
part of a scientific explorer may lead to results which even the most: 
. Sanguine could not have anticipated. 
During my stay at Cape Town I paid several visits to the Botanic 
Garden. This institution occupies a space of ground formerly known 
as the “Government Garden.” Considering that it was only esta- 
blished a few years ago, and possesses limited pecuniary means, it has 
already made some progress, containing a good many plants, two 
little hothouses, and a library. It is now, however, retrograding, chiefly 
through the mismanagement of the Commissioners, a body of men who, 
with a few exceptions, seem to be quite incapable of exercising the su- 
preme direction, and who, by a series of measures, have brought not 
only ridicule upon themselves, but the whole institution. Those who 
could fully understand the nature and object of a Botanic Garden were 
desirous that their power should be restricted, like that of the Commis- 
sioners of Woods and Forests in England, to the mere financial mat- 
ters, and a general control over the whole; and that Mr. Zeyher should 
be charged with the chief direction. That such would have been by 
far the wisest plan, and that no one was better qualified to fill the post 
than he who has devoted twenty-eight years of his life to the Flora of 
Southern Africa, requires no demonstration. But although Mr. Zeyher 
was attached, until lately, as botanist to the establishment, yet he was | 
80 situated that he could not attempt any alteration or improvement ; 
without meeting an ill-timed opposition both from the head-gardener — 
and the commissioners. At last, to crown all their blunders, the ma- _ 
jority of the latter body passed a resolution that the garden could do 
without a botanist. Dr. Pappe, one of the board, was so indignant at 
this measure that he entered a protest, and instantly severed all ties 
with the institution. The Garden has thus lost two of its brightest 
ornaments ; and as the number of subscribers is rapidly decreasing, and 
the want of funds is every day more experienced, it is evident that, 
unless the Government puts a stop to the proceedings by appointing — 
