228 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BULLETIN. [XIX. 4. 



generally in the houses, and neatly lined in the bottom and sides with 

 grass : the hole is then covered with leaves, and heavy stones laid upon 

 them. In this state it undergoes a second fermentation and becomes 

 sour ; after which it will suffer no change for many months. It is taken 

 out of the hole as it is wanted for use, and being made into balls, it is 

 wrapped up in leaves and baked : after it is dressed, it will keep five or 

 six weeks.' 



" The gratitude of the West India Committee to those who had been 

 instrumental in providing such an i^nportant addition to the food supply 

 of the West Indies was expressed in the following resolutions which 

 were adopted at a meeting over which Lord Penrhyn presided at the 

 London Tavern on March 18, 1794. 



" Resolved Unanimously : 



" That the thanks of this Meeting be given to Sir Joseph Banks for 

 his care and judicious regulations to which we are indebted for the 

 introduction of the Bread-fruit tree and many other valuable plants mto 

 the West India Islands. 



" That the thanks of this Meeting be given to Captain Bligh for his 

 care and attention to the great object of bringing the Bread-fruit tree 

 and many other useful plants to the West India Islands. 



" Resolved : 



" That Stephen Fuller, Esq., be requested to transmit the above 

 resolutions respectively to Sir Joseph Banks and Captain Bligh. 



" Meanwhile the Garden had been enriched by plants of the mango 

 and cinnamon from Jamaica, where they had been introduced in 1782 by 

 Sir George Rodney, who found specimens of them in a French ship 

 which he captured on her way from Mauritius to the West Indies ; by 

 the clove from Martinique four years later, and by nutmeg trees from 

 Cayenne in 1809. 



" At first the garden belonged to the Secretary for War, who at that 

 time controlled the destinies of the Colonies, and it was blessed with a 

 succession of most capable curators until at last one arose who found 

 not favour in the eyes of the Government of the day. A disagreement 

 arose, and it was decided to close the Garden and to hand over the 

 grounds to the local Government. This was done. Many of the more 

 valuable plants were transferred to Trinidad, where they formed the 

 nucleus of the collection at St. Ann's which evoked the admiration of 

 Charles Kingsley when he stayed at what he described as the ' Cottage 

 Ornee ' as the guest of Sir Arthur Gordon (afterwards Lord Stanmore) 

 in 1869. The St. Vincent Government endeavoured to maintain the 

 Garden at Kingstown, and for some years a sum of money was voted 

 annually by the Legislature for its upkeep ; but this grant was suspended 

 in 1828, and cultivation was abandoned in 1849. All that was done 

 after that year was to collect the fruit and spices from the trees, most of 

 which were, however, destroyed by a hurricane in 1886. The Garden 



