782 THE FLORA OF XORFOLK ISLAND, 



seeds . . . 2"; and Gardeners at Queensborough for nursing 

 of fruit trees . . . 2." This would of course refer to skilled 

 labour onl}-. 



In a letter addressed by Mrs. ]Morrissett, wife of Col. Morris- 

 sett, Commandant at Norfolk Island, dated 5th March, 1830, to 

 Mr. Fraser, Superintendent of the Botanic Garden, Sydney, she 

 states : — 



" We have selected a beautiful spot for our garden, about 2^ miles from 

 Government House, which we call the Orange Vale." 



This was a fourth garden. Government House, Norfolk 

 Island was, according to the same letter, occupied by Colonel and 

 Mrs. Morrissett at Christmas, 1829. 



Backhouse (p. 251) speaks, in 1835, of the Commandant's 

 a^arden, w^hieh is situated in a beautiful hollow called Orano:e 

 Yale. 



The vale bears the name of Orange Yale to this day, but it 

 has gone to ruin long ago. Approaching the Mission Station by 

 the noble avenue of Norfolk Island Pines, one observes to the 

 right, a second avenue of Pines descending to a gully. This is 

 Orange Yale, but very few of the original plants (other than the 

 Pines) are in existence now. 



Backhouse goes on to say : — 



" Much of the land was formerly cultivated, but this is now overrun with 

 the Apple-fruited Guava, and the Lemon, which were introduced many years 

 ago, when the Island was settled, with a view to its becoming a granary to 

 New South Wales. Grape vines, figs, and some other fruits have also 

 become naturalised. In the garden at Orange Vale, coffee, bananas, guavas, 

 grapes, -figs, olives, pomegranates, strawberries, loquats and melons are 

 cultivated successfully. Apples are also grown here, but they are poor and 

 will not keep." 



At p. 264 he goes on to say : — 



"Accompanied by the Agricultural Superintendent, we walked to a stock- 

 station, called Cheeses Gully, on the north side of the Island, where three 

 men are placed in charge of some cattle, feeding on grassy hills, embosomed 

 in wood, and partially overgrown with Lemon and Guava-trees. " 



I do not know wdiether the name Cheese's Gully is still in use. 



