NONSUCH 



as portrayed by Sir Chandra Bose. The sleep of 

 plants must be a very light one, and stirred by 

 many ambitious dreams. 



The plants of Nonsuch Island have a compelling 

 interest wholly lacking in those of a great tropical 

 forest or in Canadian woods. An army, as an ab- 

 stract thing, has no vital, absorbing interest, but a 

 single soldier may hold our attention unwaveringly. 

 In a jungle our concentration is distracted by the 

 multiplicity of forms which cover every inch of 

 ground and reach high up into the sky. On Non- 

 such I could easily count the cedar trees and learn 

 something of the individuality of each. 



One trenchant difference between the pseudo- 

 flora of undersea and land vegetation is that the 

 currents seem to have no effect on the shape of the 

 former. Branch coral, in fact, seems to lean a little 

 toward any steady current of water, perhaps be- 

 cause it carries the only source of food. Sea-plumes 

 are eager, as children at table are eager — swaying 

 slightly toward the door of the butler's pantry 

 whence dessert is imminent. I am certain that no 

 bend of abyssal branch or twist of animal blossom 

 anywhere reveals the direction of the Gulf Stream. 



Whether on one of those rare Bermuda days when 

 not a breath stirs and the sea is glassy, or when a 

 northeast storm is raging, a single glance at the 

 cedars before my laboratory, and I could predict 

 southerly and westerly winds for well-nigh the re- 

 maining three hundred and sixty-three days of the 

 year! 



18 



