58 



above sea level was chosen.* Terraces were ]3laniied flankin^^ Eing 

 Eoads made on it; and throngh 1861 work upon them was in 

 progress. This is what a visitor from Penaug wrote in the Penang 

 Gazette, " I rode over to the new Botanic Garden. Bj the time it 

 is finished it will be a very nice place. From what I saw of it, part 

 is intended to be laid out in the common terraced English style 

 with drives round the grounds which are of some extent." The 

 Singapore Free Press of January 1862 in reviewing the year then 

 just finished, stated that the ])rogress made in the Garden was con- 

 siderable. 



In 1861, if not also in 1860, a regimental band played in it* 

 so that it had become an evening promenade. The band played 

 once a fortnight (Appendix 2), and the day was at one time a Mon- 

 day (Singapore Free Press of August 21st, 1862) then changed by 

 ])ublic request to a Saturday (Singa])ore Free Press of September 

 4th, 1862), — the second and the fourth Saturdays in each month. 

 But it is evident that the terraces were not completed, for in August 

 1862, work on them was still proceeding (Appendix 2). 



It is recorded that in 1862 the Society engaged two Chinese 

 gardeners to grow vegetables, hoping soon to be able to distribute 

 plants and seeds among the meml)ers (Appendix 2) ; but reading in 

 the Singapore Free Press of Xovember, 1863 a regret that the 

 Socirety was not ailjle as yet at that date to supply fruit and vege- 

 tables, it is evident that the experiment went amiss. 



While the Society's Garden was thus being made, the Society 

 organised Flower shows in the hope of encouraging local culti- 

 vation. The first show was advertised in the Singapore Free Press 

 of May 11th, 1861 and July 20th, 1861, and took place upon the 

 Es])lanade on the afternoon of Saturday, July 2Tth, 1861, in a tent 

 " fairly decorated with bouquets of cut flowers from the G-arden " 

 and from exhibitors. 



A second show was held in Deceml)er, and others followed in 

 su1)sequent years. 



The iSociety had obtained the i^art-time services of Mr. Law- 

 rojice Niven as Superintendent. It was easy for him to combine 

 this work with his other work, for he was employed as Superinten- 

 dent of an adjoining nutmeg plantation ; and he asked very little for 

 it. It is quite evident that he did his part well, for he earned the 

 Gommifctee's thanks "for his taste in laying out the Garden" (Ap- 

 peiulix 2), and Buckley (Anecdotal History, Singapore, 1902, ii. 

 p. 732) says that he made the Garden attrac?tive by large beds of 

 ])rotty flowers; and further praise is given to him in the Gardens' 

 Guide published in 1889. 



The Government provided ten convicts for the Garden; and 

 tliey were housed in lines built, if not at the very first, at least before 

 1866, u]> agaiiist the Napier jiroperty where the Lake now is. The 

 Gomniittee employed a further ten men, and added again another 

 ten in 18(i3 in order to push on the work. But the expense of this 

 free lalwur was more tiian the normal revenue of the Society could 



* There is a point ia the Gardens jungle recorded as 108 feet above sea level: 

 and the Director's house is recorded as at IIG feet. 



