94 



Lake side, the lawn beiiitf hollow upon the east of it. Trees 

 were plentiful, especially fruit-trees of the commoner species. The 

 flowering bushes were extensively cut over in order to meet the de- 

 mand for bouquets to which th» subscribers had a right. There 

 was a croquet law^i on the side of the Bandstand Hill ; and near 

 by the Gardens Jungle approached the Bandstand a little more 

 closely than now. Bands ])layed regularly, and visitors took advan- 

 tage of them for a promenade. The property which the Agri-Horti- 

 cultural Society had bouglit in 1866 was undeveloped. 



Murton entered upon his duties with great energy. Directed 

 by a Gardens Sub-Committee of the Raffles Library and Museum 

 Committee, he corresponded with all the Agri-Horticultural So- 

 cieties and Botanic dSardens in the East from Hongkong and Bris- 

 bane to Mauritius, obtaining exchanges; he corresponded with Kew, 

 and received many plants thence. Hi exchange he sent out plants 

 of local origin, chiefly orchids. TTis new introductions he ])lanted 

 all over the Gardens, until in 1878 and 1879 we find liim tom- 

 plaim'ng of the lack of space for more. His work was much do- 

 minated by the rapid growth of the Zoo, the developed parts of the 

 Gardens becoming dotted with enclosures for animals. He com- 

 menced an economic garden upon the undeveloped property, and 

 planted extensive beds for cut flowers near to it. 



Unfortunately he was unstable and careless. That which in- 

 terested him he did; that wliich did not, he was ready to neglect; 

 and therefore the Gardens Sub-Committee kept a tight hold on 

 him, which the Government Committee tightened. This he resent- 

 ed. He grew absorbed in the Botany of the island, and compiled 

 a manuscript flora, neglecting the Gardens for time to work on it, 

 and neglecting his accounts which were found in confusion, aiul 

 which he would not attempt to put right. Then followed in 1880 

 his dismissal. In 1881 he died in Bangkok, his death perhaps 

 hastened by his having burned the candle at both ends. 



^^ His qualifications had been good. Within five months of his 

 arrival h~e had determined the cultivated plants in the Gardens, 

 and made a list of them. He had bought from Collins wdien Collins 

 was dismissed from the Museum, a collection of dried plants, mostly 

 picked out of well-known herbaria and he appwrs to have in- 

 creased it by his own collecting; he pressed the Government to 

 buy it, and it appears that they did ultimately, but it had suffered 

 considerably before Mr. Eidley first saw it.* In 1877 he travelled 

 much, first visiting Kedah for plants, then Gunong Pulai in 

 Johore (June), and later, that he might study the sources of Gutta 

 pori:ha at the suggef:-tion of Sir Joseph Hooker, he made under Sir 

 Hugh IjOw's dire( tioD a long journey in Perak, visiting the Taiping 

 Hills, (!unong ]^>ubo and the neiglibourhood of Kami)ar. A full 

 aecoiint of this journey was printed in the Government (lazette 

 1878, pp. 101-110. No later journeys are recorded. 



His influence upon the Gardens can hardly be described with- 

 out first giving some account of the Zoo, as its growth and rapid 



* Vide Ridley in the Gardens Report for 1889, p. 7. 



